I don't like westerns in a contemporary setting. Smiley Burnette and Gene Autry have little opportunity to wear their six-guns. And Smiley's routines consist mainly of a very familiar and so-so running gag (daughter is pursuing him, accompanied by her dad who is threatening Smiley with a shot-gun). Even the climax — which in an Autry western can usually be relied upon to provide some excitement — is very tame indeed. The Autry formula also provides a sequence in which the star's double gallops after a runaway, but that too is most lethargically handled here.
At its best, Frank McDonald's direction might merely be designated thoroughly routine. But in Carolina Moon, Mr. McDonald's efforts could occasionally be described as downright incompetent. Photography, as usual, looks flat and appears washed out. Production values stack up less than average. Fortunately, the tedium is relieved by a few songs (though not as many or as lively as we've come to expect).
Long on talk, short on action. Long on stock footage, short on genuine excitement. Long on hammy acting, very short on personable performances. Long on static, one-dimensional, cardboard characterizations, pitifully short on solid plotting. Long on doomed-to-fail attempts at comedy relief, culpably short on production values. Carolina Moon (despite its attractive title song) is one Autry vehicle which even the star's most devoted fans will be thankful to miss.
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