Sunset in Wyoming

Starring: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, George Cleveland, Maris Wrixon, Robert Kent, Sarah Edwards, Monte Blue, Dick Elliott
Directed by: William Morgan
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Western
1941

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Gene Autry tries to stop a timber company from stripping all the timber from a mountainside, which would cause destructive flooding..

Review:

Tim: This is actually the first Gene Autry movie I ever watched, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. From this film, I definitely see the appeal of Autry, although I didn't love the movie. I believe this is an okay film, but I didn't see much that was special here.

I understand the appeal of an All-American, noble, strong hero in Gene Autry. He's the kind of cowboy little boys grew up wanting to be. He is selfless, heroic, and moral. However, I have to admit I was bit bored with his character here. I'm not suggesting he should have also been an alcoholic or something, but I wanted to see a little more depth to his character. His "Aw shucks" goodness felt a bit too one-dimensional. He is a character that you respect, but not one that is particularly interesting. Still, this movie came out in a simpler time, and I do want to account for that.

I thought the story was a bit simplistic, although I see that it fit Autry's style quite well. I never really felt impressed with the story at all. As it begins, we're introduced to a conflict between ranchers and a timber company whose deforestation is causing intense flooding. This isn't a storyline I've seen in many Westerns before, so I did appreciate the originality. It's also an interesting story when you think about flooding and deforestation as a legitimate worry in the west. Westerns can be more about the good guys shooting the bad guys, and I thought the story here was interesting. However, rather than pursue a fascinating path, the movie takes our heroes out of the wilderness and into high society. These scenes are significantly less effective. The middle of the film felt fairly soggy. There just wasn't enough to hold the audience's attention. This is especially bad considering the film is only 65 minutes long. Starting with the middle, the whole film took on a very Hollywood feel to it. Everything is wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end- it's one of those films where everyone holds hands and sings kumbaya at the end (not literally, but it felt pretty close). I just felt like the film told its story with the lowest common denominator. There's nothing here that is challenging or thought-provoking in the least.

I also understand that Autry is "The Singing Cowboy", and of course, there would be a number of songs sung throughout the movie. I'm actually okay with this, for the most part. Some of the songs are among the best scenes of the whole film. Unfortunately, there were a few scenes where the songs felt a little too forced. I doubt that the police would be kind enough to give Autry his guitar in the jail (why did they bring that with them?). There was just a few too many songs, and they occasionally disrupted the flow of the movie.

While Sunset in Wyoming would likely never be my favorite Gene Autry film, I admit that I get the appeal of him. He's a decent actor, a great singer, and has a certain screen presence. While this film and its story were a bit too simplistic for me, this isn't a terrible movie at all. It simply feels like a "B" movie- one that never really tries very hard.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Under Fiesta Stars, The Singing Hill, Back in the Saddle