Best movie of this year hands down!

A different way of telling a story

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This film finds Gene Autry playing dual roles--a fat-headed movie actor as well as a nice-guy stuntman named 'Gene Autry'. However, when the actor goes on vacation and cannot be located, the press agent is able to convince Gene to imitate the guy. The problem is that Gene is BETTER than the actor and his singing is very impressive. But, the actor, other than being a jerk, cannot sing and he feels threatened by this. To make things worse, the actor is engaged and Gene's new girl finds out about this girl and thinks Gene is a two-timer. Can Gene extricated himself from this mess? This is an unusual film cause even for a B-western it has a lot of singing. While I usually hate this, the singing is among the best I've heard in a B. And, I was surprised to see the Sons of the Pioneers in the film as well--since they mostly appeared in Roy Rogers films. And, another surprise was having TWO sidekicks--Max Terhune and Smiley Burnett. This is actually the second Autry film with both sidekicks--the other being "Ride Ranger Ride"--which, incidentally used the same theme song you'll find in "The Big Show". Overall, a fun film with a silly plot--but so much fun that fans of the genre won't mind.

For one of eight films that Republic Pictures new singing cowboy star Gene Autry appeared in 1936, the studio did the unheard of thing and filmed part of the story at the Texas State Centennial at their state fairgrounds in Dallas. In fact the centennial was an integral part of the story.In a film with plot elements similar to MGM's Callaway Went Thataway, Gene Autry plays two roles that of himself who is fearless stunt double who happens to sing to Tom Ford, arrogant movie cowboy who doesn't and also played by Autry.In fact Ford has himself in some trouble with gamblers and has to lam out to parts unknown after his last pictures wraps. Which leaves the studio holding the bag because they promised an appearance by their star at the Texas Centennial. Studio head Charles Judel is nursing his growing ulcer as a result.Then studio yes man William Newell gets the idea to get Autry to impersonate Ford and when he sings on the radio and in personal appearances, Mammoth Pictures figures it has a star with greater venues.If you've seen Callaway Went Thataway you know what happens. The Big Show turned out to be one of Gene's better early westerns.A lot of acts get in the act in this film and Gene has two special numbers, Nobody's Darlin' But Mine and Ole Faithful. The latter was a cowboyballad written in England and introduced in America by Bing Crosby on his radio show.Gene gets to romance Kay Hughes and Smiley Burnette and Sally Payne are around for comic relief. One of Gene's better early Republic westerns.

This is an almost archival history film in addition to being a standard "Singing Western" of the Gene Autry genre. It's got 1930's ,movie making, stunt making, classic cars...even an early Greyhound type bus thrown in, streetcars, art deco fair buildings, a radio studio and clothing styles for both men and women of 1936 in addition to a lot of other details,et cetera. et cetera, and so forth, ad infinitum . Republic Studios probably didn't realize that "The Big Show" would be an almost documentary film much later in its life via the VHS.First off, we see movie making, mostly likely in one of the "Movie Ranches" which were located in the Simi Hills area northwest of Los Angeles, complete with cameras and other paraphernalia. (Note that the truck is labeled "Tom Ford And His Wonder Horse Champion" in the opening scenes.)Amusing take off on the Hatfield-Mc Coy Feud in the comic song "The Martins And The Coys" gives Gene a chance to do some singing right at the first.Then we get a glimpse of stunt making, complete with an early camera car. Then back to the "Mammoth Studios" in a caravan of what would be classic auto nowadays nowadays.Next off comes some scenes with Autry and Burnette grooming "Champion"; most likely on an actual back lot at Republic Pictures. Wiliam Newell gets into the act as "Mammoth's" PR Man.Charles Judels turns in a bit hammy performance as the overbearing boss of "Mammoth Studios."About the only nit-pick this veteran nit-picker could find was in the "road scenes". From further research it was found these were filmed in the Saugus, California area and not on highways in Texas. Also if you check out "Dallas-225 Miles", this would place it somewhere around Abeline, and the countryside in the "Longhorn Chase" is nowhere like that shown in the movie.Good scenes in the Texas Centennial Exposition. A lot of those buildings are still standing so the scenes could probably be duplicated today and no one would notice the difference. Harry Worth appears in one of his usual villain type roles. Finally we get some scenes from "The Cavalcade of Texas", which was one of the first of the "Historical Pageants" typical of Fairs of the 1930's. Look closely and you may spot a young Roy Rogers, most likely who was known as Leonard Slye at the time. Also that "Old Faithful" song is a real tear-jerker.Art Linkletter, of later "Truth Or Consequences" fame, claimed he got his start in show business with the "Cavalcade."All in all, it's a bit unusual for a standard "B" Western in that it's got going for a lot of history crammed into 71 minutes. And this reviewer has only skimmed the surface !And in the final scene the truck is labeled "Gene Autry And His Wonder Horse Champion"...and guess who's the stunt man now ? Frog got a good start on his stunt but the horse had other ideas and that familiar "Help !" is heard in the background. And for goodness sake...Gene kissed the girl....and not his horse in the final scene. A really fun movie in addition to all of the above.

The likable Gene Autry plays a dual role and has some good opportunities to use his variety of talents in this enjoyable B-Western. The story is light but entertaining, and it has some good musical numbers plus some comic relief from Smiley Burnette. The Texas Centennial setting also gives it some additional historical interest.Autry plays both a bad-tempered movie star cowboy and his talented, good-natured stunt double, so the setup offers some good lighter moments in its look at the movie industry. The story starts with the stunt double filling in for the star at a public appearance, with numerous complications arising from there. Autry gets many opportunities to sing, and there are also some good action sequences.Most of it works pretty well, because it generally allows Autry to use his strengths. Burnette also gets some good moments, and while the story is mostly used to showcase Autry and the other musical entertainment, it works too as a way of pulling things together.