wes-connors "When cowboy star Tom Ford (Gene Autry) disappears, studio publicity man Wilson gets his double, Gene Autry, to impersonate him. Gene, posing as Ford and singing over the radio, is a sensation. Ford hears a broadcast, is peeved, and threatens to sue the studio. Meanwhile, a group of blackmailers demand $25,000 from the studio to keep quiet about the hoax," according to the DVD sleeve description. Autry attempting a dual role, the sometimes derivative (but pleasant) soundtrack, and a timely Texas Centennial location only give "The Big Show" a little bigness. It's nice to see the blinking, exasperated William Newell (as Lee Wilson) play a relatively large role, and odd to see Roy Rogers' profile (screen right, as one of the Sons of the Pioneers) in an Autry picture.**** The Big Show (11/16/36) Mack V. Wright ~ Gene Autry, William Newell, Smiley Burnette, Kay Hughes

Robert Paige 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.

dougdoepke A lot of fun as long as you're not expecting a traditional formula Western. There're more imaginative set-ups in this Republic oater than in most A-pictures. Catch the Light Crust Boys as they roll down the road, or the talking horse a couple decades before Mr. Ed, or a mustachioed Gene acting mean and nasty. No, there's no real plot, but the pace is brisk from one lively set-up to the next. And whose great idea was it to film at the new Texas state fair, a backdrop like no other. Those live panoramas are a taste of big screen pageantry before the big screen. All in all, it's a great little peek at popular history and Art Deco. Then too, catch the clever little spoof of movie-making and tyrannical studio heads. I love the movie love scene that immediately becomes a hate scene once the cameras stop rolling. I guess my one complaint is with the movie as a driver's manual-- Driving down the wrong side of a two-lane highway is not, I repeat Not, a good way to deliver lunch. Anyway, the diverse story elements are neatly combined into a highly entertaining 71 minutes, programmer or no programmer. Thanks Western Channel and Autry Enterprises for the full restoration.

Spuzzlightyear This was almost a guilty pleasure to like. Gene Autry plays.. Gene Autry, a stunt double for the famous cowboy Tom Ford in his movies. When Ford skips town to go fishing, his agent is in a pickle as Ford is scheduled to work the Texas National Exposition1 The agent gets a brilliant idea to send Autry instead, since they are EXACTLY alike. Well almost.. You see when Autry arrives in Dallas for the fair, he is caught singing and is put on the fair's radio for all to hear! This radio station is broadcast everywhere! Everyone hears it! The Hollywood studio where Ford works is amazed and wants to book singing cowboy pictures! Problem is.. Other people hear it too.. Like underworld types Ford owes money to and, well, Ford himself! Again, I have no idea why I found this as enjoyable as it was. Probably the main thing was the originality's of the darn thing. I mean, we find out how cowboy films are made! I wonder if Gene Autry, who is playing a stunt man, had a stunt man for his stunt scenes? (He risked life and death though, playing certain "danger" scenes in front of a laughably fake screen). I also loved the fact that they shot ½ the movie at the actual fair itself. I guess they had a wild west show there. LOVE the song he sings at the show when he sings about shooting his injured horse, Champion. I mean, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!