sandcrab277 Some studio exec told ladd he was box office material at 5.5 ft .... my boots and stetson stand that tall ... this film is okay with a few exceptions ... robert preston is way too prolific to be paired with ladd, for that matter so is everyone else ... i watched for curiosity's sake and finally gave up ... for long time close friends, the axe to grind over brenda marshall was too far fetched for me to believe of a stoic like ladd .... it may be a classic in some minds but it was a slap in the face for ladd

vincentlynch-moonoi First off, this is an above average Western that deserves some attention if you like Westerns at all.I had one big problem with this film. It's richly filmed with some great outdoor color photography and elaborate sets. This is fairly big budget. The elaborate sets are what bothers me. Was everything in the Old West freshly painted? I know that seems like a minor point, but I found it very noticeable and distracting.That aside, this is a good story. You have Alan Ladd as a railroad police sort of guy, Robert Preston as a good guy (and friend) that Ladd realizes has gone bad, Brenda Marshall as Preston's wife who is in love with both men. You also have Donald Crisp in an unusual role for him -- as the lead bad guy. And Frank Faylen as an even worse guy...with long blonde hair! The big question is -- can Ladd "save" his best friend from himself? Alan Ladd is excellent here. In fact, although I don't place this movie as high as "Shane", I actually think his acting here is better. Early in his movie career Robert Preston often played somewhat of a bad guy, and he was good at it; he does it well here. I wasn't familiar with Brenda Marshall somehow, but then again she didn't have a very long film career. I rather liked her here, but that is a judgment based only on this one film. Donald Crisp's part was important, though his screen time was minimal. It was interesting seeing him as a bad guy. Frank Faylen seethed villainy, although somehow I'll always think of him as Dobie Gillis' father.This is a good solid Western that deserves more attention than it gets, though it is not in the same class as some of John Ford's film (for example)...but still far better than the average Western.

wes-connors Colorful, but dull, tale of two friends "working on the railroad." Alan Ladd plays the friend who falls a little more to the good side of the tracks - and Robert Preston plays the friend who bends over more on the wrong side of the tracks. Of course, there is a Woman between them… she married one, but longs for the other - or, maybe she loved/loves them both? The sets and photography are lovely. There is a big railroad and train running through town, which means robbers, and a lot of shooting, are obligatory. I guess the ending could be interpreted as a little open-ended, but I think Mr. Preston decides whether Mr. Ladd lives - or dies... ***** Whispering Smith (1948) Leslie Fenton ~ Alan Ladd, Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall

westerner357 This is a standard actioner about railroad detective Luke Smith (Alan Ladd) who has to track down an old buddy Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston) whom he believes is involved in a series of railroad hold ups. Murray also happens to have a fine spread and is married to Smith's old love interest, Marion (Brenda Marshall).Smith cut's Murray a lot of breaks and gives him the benefit of the doubt until someone is killed in a railroad hold-up and he can no longer turn a blind eye towards his old friend. Donald Crisp plays the leader the gang that led Murray astray and we have bad guy Whitey (Frank Faylen wearing a blond wig) as the heavy. Paramount gave it an "A" picture look with excellent Technicolor production values, but it deserves a better plot. Preston merely repeats his good-guy-gone-bad role from BLOOD ON THE MOON, and Ladd is capable but low-key to the point of almost being monotonous. Crisp as a bad guy makes no impression while Faylen's blond wig, looks ridiculous.It starts off being filmed up in the beautiful Sierras but winds up towards the end at the same ranch locations that Paramount used for most of it's programmers. Same old locations.It's not bad, but it's nothing special, imo. Average.5 out of 10