Watch The Big Show For Free

Overrated and overhyped

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

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.

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.

Let's get the plot out of the way first. Gene plays a double role as a bad tempered cowboy star, Tom Ford (who has large gambling debts and a blonde fiancée) and his stunt double. Gene winds up impersonating Ford at the Texas Centennial of 1936, as a cowboy and a singer, even though Ford can't sing. We expect some identity mixups and we get them. The fiancée and the gamblers appear to cause trouble and a final chase scene, but the film mostly centers around the Centennial. It's an unusual Western because it was filmed during the Centennial celebration at Fair Park, where we see many shots showing the abundance of deco buildings and statues. They're all still there, as it is now called the Texas State Fairgrounds. What a setting for a picture! We see a cast of thousands! The parades, the stadium crowds, and the outdoor staged 'panoramas' that were a common part of expositions and World Fairs from before to after the turn of the century, even up to the late forties. We see the Western cavalcade, the Texas Six Flags, and Gene's singing farewell to his 'wounded' horse Champion. It's definitely a musical Western, because the story elements fly by, especially in the 54 minute edited version found in most remainder bins (such as Platinum's 'The Great American Western Volume 5' DVD, which is the version I have.) The performance of 'The Lady Known as Lulu' by the black 'Jones Boys' is missing from the 54 minute versions. The official, restored 71 minute version has 10 songs, but only two are halfway decent (both ballads, 'Mad About You' and Jimmie Davis's 'Nobody's Darlin' But You').Other highlights: Kay Hughes is the female lead. Gene apparently likes wholesome looking girls, since she was also in 'Ride, Ranger, Ride' (1936). She plays Gwen in the first Dick Tracy serial (1937), and the spunky Molly Selkirk in 'Radio Patrol' (1937). Contrary to what most people say, here's a film where Gene actually does kiss the girl at the end of the movie, but with the vocal track still going, he's singing while he does it! Another lowlight: Gene is clearly not a stunt man. In the scenes where he's supposedly stunting for Ford, he can be seen several times carefully, warily, and worriedly looking for his safety hand holds. And of course, he's all too obviously doubled for in the fight sequence in the hotel with the evil gambler Collins (Rex King).William Newell seems to get as much screen time as Gene; his other big role is as Mala's helper Hank in 'Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island' (1936), but after that he went on to a distinguished career as an uncredited bystander in hundreds of movies and TV shows.We get our standard sidekicks Smiley Burnette and Max Terhune (this time doing his ventriloquist act), the Beverly Hillbilles as Gene's backup group, fresh from 'The Phantom Empire' (1935), and the Sons of the Pioneers with the twinkling smile of Roy Rogers (Leonard Slye), a rhythm guitarist in the back row.Full of historical interest, it's an enjoyable diversion despite the weak music, but as a film it's just a four.

Mammoth Pictures star Tom Ford decides to go on vacation, but the studio's press agent Wilson needs to get ahold of him so he can make a scheduled appearance at the Texas Centennial in Dallas. The problem is solved when Wilson convinces Ford's stuntman, Gene Autry (Autry also doubles as Ford here), to go to the event impersonating Ford. The ruse works, but things go wrong when Autry decides to go on the radio singing, which Ford can not do. This ticks off Ford, who comes back to the studio to get Autry fired, but some gangsters are at the Centennial hoping to collect some of Ford's gambling debts from Autry. This film is good, but nothing more than a promo film for both the Centennial and Autry & the singing groups at Republic, as well as the studio itself. There are some pretty good action scenes at the beginning with Autry as the stuntman. Autry as Ford, however, doesn't convince anyone since his thespian abilities were never great (especially this early in his career). Fun to watch. Rating, based on B westerns, 7.