by Hans J. Wollstein
review
Although containing no less than nine songs, Back in the Saddle also comes with an unusual amount of violence for a Gene Autry western. In fact, when the dust finally clars, at least four men, including reformed gambler Addison Richards, have bit the dust, a town is more or less burned to the ground and there has been a stampede. Autry usually eschewed such mayhem but this time gentlemanly niceties like shooting the gun out of a villain's hand were abandoned in favor of all out warfare. Despite that -- or perhaps because of it -- Back in the Saddle remains middling Autry at best. Watch for future comedy lead Tom Ewell as a spectator to Gene's city brawl.
