This one has all the look and feel of one of Gene's TV Westerns, not surprising since it was made during that show's run. Gene and Pat use their real names in the story, and Gail Davis also appears as Dell Middler, daughter of a Union Army Colonel. It's set in 1861 at the start of the Civil War, but that conflict has minimal bearing on the story. Instead, Rebel sympathizers under the leadership of Wade McQuarrie (Jim Davis) conduct raids on Federal supply lines, stealing silver and rustling horses to disrupt the Union cause. Gene and Pat Buttram are sympathetic to the Union and both intend to enlist in the Army. However Major Weatherly (Stanley Andrews) convinces Gene he would better serve his country by trying to uncover McQuarrie as a civilian. Trouble is, while this was going on, Pat actually does enlist, so he winds up being a deserter when he tags along with his pal!
I got a kick out of Pat Buttram with all his knick knacks, a rabbit's foot, shamrock pins and other assorted trinkets to bring good luck. He almost got waylaid by crossing paths with a black cat, but managed to counteract the incident with a ritual of his own. Pat and his horse decked out in camouflage was also a nifty touch.
There must have been something about sending the movie's hero to the guardhouse to make him break out in a song. The same thing happened with Roy Rogers in the 1939 film "In Old Caliente". Both cowboy heroes managed to keep their good humor and spirits in stride, knowing that the good guys always win. This one is a bit unusual however; even though McQuarrie is eventually fingered by Gene in the guise of the phony Captain Fleming, all the bad guys meet their end buried under an exploding mountain rock pile - McQuarrie should have had a rabbit's foot!
I got a kick out of Pat Buttram with all his knick knacks, a rabbit's foot, shamrock pins and other assorted trinkets to bring good luck. He almost got waylaid by crossing paths with a black cat, but managed to counteract the incident with a ritual of his own. Pat and his horse decked out in camouflage was also a nifty touch.
There must have been something about sending the movie's hero to the guardhouse to make him break out in a song. The same thing happened with Roy Rogers in the 1939 film "In Old Caliente". Both cowboy heroes managed to keep their good humor and spirits in stride, knowing that the good guys always win. This one is a bit unusual however; even though McQuarrie is eventually fingered by Gene in the guise of the phony Captain Fleming, all the bad guys meet their end buried under an exploding mountain rock pile - McQuarrie should have had a rabbit's foot!