1936's "The Old Corral" was the second of two Gene Autry Westerns to costar Lon Chaney Jr., not the main villain as in "The Singing Cowboy" but a secondary henchman who still gets a great deal of screen time. Autry comes to the rescue of yet another damsel in distress, songstress Hope Manning the sole witness to a gangland slaying that forces her to go incognito singing at a New Mexico saloon. Chaney's Garland is assigned to keep tabs on her, the big boss hoping to collect a nice reward for delivering her to the Chicago culprits. The best scene arrives early, Autry falling victim to a holdup spearheaded by none other than Roy Rogers, who at least assists in capturing the villains for a happy ending. Chaney's next Western, "Cheyenne Rides Again," would pit him against hero Tom Tyler, both actors feted to become wrapped up in their work at Universal in various sequels in the Mummy franchise.
Review of The Old Corral
