Whispering Smith (1948)

Director:

Leslie Fenton

Writers:

Frank Butler (writer)
Karl Kamb (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Smith as an iron-willed railroad detective. When his friend Murray is fired from the railraod and begins helping Rebstock wreck trains...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Railroad Detective | Romantic Rivalry | Morality | Outlaw Gang

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Alan Ladd	...	Luke 'Whispering' Smith
Robert Preston	...	Murray Sinclair
Brenda Marshall	...	Marian Sinclair
Donald Crisp	...	Barney Rebstock
William Demarest	...	Bill Dansing
Fay Holden	...	Emmy Dansing
Murvyn Vye	...	Blake Barton
Frank Faylen	...	Whitey Du Sang
John Eldredge	...	George McCloud
Ward Wood	...	Leroy Barton
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Bill Baggs
Will Wright	...	Sheriff McSwiggin
Don Barclay	...	Dr. Sawbuck
Eddy Waller	...	Conductor (as Eddy C. Waller)
Ashley Cowan	...	Train Brakeman

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The railhead town site was constructed on the Paramount lot adjacent to the neighboring RKO Pictures studio. It became the basis for what would go on to become Paramount's famous western town set as seen in TV's "Bonanza" (1959) and numerous other TV shows and movies. Prior to 1948, Paramount didn't have a western set on its studio lot. A short line of track was laid down that allowed a working period locomotive to pull into town.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just after 23 minutes into the film, Whispering Smith is given a harmonica, the box of which he drops to the ground, only to have it immediately reappear in his hand.

Quotes:

Murray Sinclair: Barney heard you'd been shot up. He asked after ya.
Bill Dansing: Yeah, he seemed mighty disappointed when he heard you wasn't buried yet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Living Steam: Virginia and Truckee Then and Now at the Nevada State Railroad Museum (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Laramie

Alan Ladd's first western has handsome production values but dull story...

Too bad Paramount couldn't have found a better script on which to lavish good Technicolor and handsome sets for ALAN LADD's first western.

It's really a below average western story about a good railroad man (Ladd) who resumes friendship with an old friend from his past (ROBERT PRESTON) who is married to Ladd's former childhood sweetheart (BRENDA MARSHALL). The set-up is predictable once Ladd starts to see through Preston's villainous behavior after Preston has joined a train robbery gang headed by DONALD CRISP.

WILLIAM DEMAREST does his usual dependable job as Ladd's friend, while Crisp is only slightly menacing in his bad guy mode. FRANK FAYLEN plays a squinty-eyed albino with a poker face and is supposed to be chilling as a merciless gunman. Unfortunately, his make-up is ridiculous.

ALAN LADD makes a handsome hero and plays his role in usual low-key style. ROBERT PRESTON does okay as the loutish friend turned bad guy, while BRENDA MARSHALL makes very little impression in a weak supporting role.

Summing up: Below average western is enhanced by gorgeous Technicolor.