JohnHowardReid Producers: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank.Copyright 8 November 1951 by Loew's Inc. An MGM picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 5 December 1951. U.S. release: 18 December 1951. U.K. release: 21 June 1952. Australian release: 21 March 1952. 81 minutes. U.K. release title: The Star Said No. SYNOPSIS: When his corny old westerns prove a tremendous hit on television, a former cowboy star is lured back to Hollywood.PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Keel plays two roles, and even fights himself, throwing the first punch by the ingenious use of a traveling matte. The rest of the fight is cleverly carried on by doubles, aided by fast cutting. A split screen is used for the initial confrontation.COMMENT: This gentle satire on TV and Hollywood would be a lot more dramatic if the punches were less lightweight and a whole lot funnier! And if Panama and Frank allowed the MacMurray character to be more cynical and less likable. True, he does have his share of neat put-downs and there are some clever visual gags. More guest appearances would have helped too. However, production values are MGM fulsome all the same. The principal players do wonders with their material and no-one will come away from Callaway feeling that he's wasted his time. A little short-changed maybe, but Callaway is still sufficiently amusing and entertaining to rate at least seven stars out of ten.

blanche-2 "Callaway Went Thataway" is a slight comedy enlivened by some fine performances by Dorothy McGuire, Fred MacMurray, Howard Keel and Jesse White. As television was threatening to take over the film industry, MGM produced this send-up of the TV western hero craze. Smoky Callaway's old movies are being run on TV and are such a hit with kids that an enormous licensing potential develops for Smoky products and endorsements, plus the making of more Smoky movies. One small problem - Smoky done left the corral 10 years earlier and no one - including his agent (White) knows where he went. The ad agency partners (McGuire and MacMurray) find a lookalike, Stretch Barnes, a simple man with simple needs, and convince him to take Smoky's place, claiming that Smoky is dead. All goes well until Smoky's agent finds the real Callaway, a womanizing boozer, and brings him back.This is a fun film for baby boomers who grew up with Gabby Hayes, Roy Rogers, The Cisco Kid, The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers etc. etc. and who used all the products that carried their hero's face: the cereals, the lunch boxes, the toys. Howard Keel is terrific in the dual role of sweet, sensitive, aw shucks ma'm Stretch and the hard-drinking slob Smoky. McGuire is lovely in her role, and MacMurray does well as her less conscience-stricken partner.MGM takes the opportunity to plug its stars - there are cameos of Esther Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, and Clark Gable, and there are lots of future TV stars as well. Besides Jesse White, there's Stan Frieberg, Natalie Schaeffer, and in an uncredited role, Hugh Beaumont. Fun viewing.

proffate It's the early days of television and much of the programming consists of old western movies. Suddenly, the films of Smoky Callaway (Howard Keel) are discovered by a new generation and he becomes a star once again.One problem: the real Smoky Callaway is a hopeless drunk who has disappeared somewhere in Mexico. Enter Hollywood agents Frye and Patterson (Fred MacMurray and Dorothy McGuire), who need to find a replacement to make a new series of westerns and cash in on the merchandising possibilities. They discover an actual cowboy, Stretch Barnes (also Keel) who agrees to impersonate Smoky.There's a Frank Capra feel as simple Stretch turns out in real life to be the white-hatted western hero that Smoky pretended to be onscreen. Things get complicated when the real Smoky returns.The writing team of Panama and Frank (A Southern Yankee, The Court Jester, White Christmas) delivers another warm, funny movie that pokes fun at Hollywood superficialities and contrasts them with the genuine values of hometown America.

willrams This is the first time I've ever seen this 1951 comedy. When Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Malone from Hollywood find this famous Cowboy, Smokey;Howard Keel, to make TV movies and lots of money, they end up hiring a standin, Stretch; Howard Keel. Things get rough and hilarious when con men like Jesse White and his pal get involved; but all comes out well in the end. The scene that impressed me the most was how the heck they filmed the fist fight between Fred and Howard (playing two roles together); does anyone know how they do it? Remember Jesse White, the Maytag man?