Whispering Smith

Starring:Alan Ladd, Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall, Donald Crisp, William Demarest, Fay Holden, Murvyn Vye, Frank Faylen, John Eldredge, Ward Wood, J. Farrell MacDonald, Will Wright, Don Barclay, Eddy Waller, Ashley Cowan, Jimmie Dundee, Ray Teal, Bob Kortman, Broderick O'Farrell, Edgar Dearing
Director: Leslie Fenton
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Model Railroading
Well-directed, railroad detective Western from 1948 with Alan Ladd as "Whispering" Smith
Seven Men from Now
Good story, great script, Alan Ladd excellent!
A Solid, Action-Packed Western With Alan Ladd

Whispering Smith
Starring: Alan Ladd , Robert Preston , Brenda Marshall , Donald Crisp , and William Demarest
Director: Leslie Fenton
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001FVDY6
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Customer Reviews:

Model Railroading.......2007-03-21

Great movie to see rail stock and rail operations in the old West. Great shot of crane cars. Shows under carraige and purpose of chains. Thanks to stop action the senes of rail operaation which go pretty fast you can stop and study how to model a train wreck and many other facets of ralroading. And Alan Ladd one of the good guys is all ways fun.

Well-directed, railroad detective Western from 1948 with Alan Ladd as "Whispering" Smith.......2007-02-05

Railroad detective Luke "Whispering" Smith (Alan Ladd) rides out of the snow covered mountains into the valley below in search of the train robbing Barton brothers, he is ambushed by two of the brothers, losing his horse he sets out to nearest railroad and hitches a ride on the Nebraska & Pacific train, intending on making an unscheduled stop at Coyote Creek to telegraph the sheriff at Medicine Bend. But the Bartons brothers have beaten them to it and attack the train at the station. In the ensuing gunfight Leroy Barton (Ward Wood) and Gabby Barton (Bob Kortman) are killed, whilst the leader Blake Barton (Murvyn Vye) makes good his escape. Smith then collapses from a bullet wound he received during the shoot-out.

Fellow railroad worker Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston) takes Smith home to his ranch. His wife Marian (Brenda Marshall) having known Smith in earlier times nurses him back to health. As a result of a friendly visit by Bill Dansing (William Demarest) Smith learns that Blake Barton is being holed up in William's Canyon under the protection of no-good gang leader Barney Rebstock (Donald Crisp) and his henchman Whitey Du Sang (Frank Faylen). Smith accosts Rebstock and Whitey in Medicine Bend and has a final shootout with Blake Barton.

Sinclair falls out with newly appointed railroad boss George McCloud (John Eldredge) and throws his lot in with Rebstock, together they organise a series of raids on the railroad. Smith is recalled to Medicine Bend to investigate, he meets Marian on arriving in town then has a face-off in the saloon with Murray and Rebstock. Later following a hold-up at Tower "W" a guard is killed. The gang then high tail it for William's Canyon. Whispering Smith heads a railroad posse to round up the gang and bring them to justice one way or the other.

Directed at a fast pace by Leslie Fenton, based on the story by Frank H. Spearman and scripted by Frank R. Butler and Karl Lamb. Alan Ladd is first-rate in the title role the film has a fine opening sequence leading up to the ambush, parts of which look almost "Shane" like, indeed after "Shane" it's probably Ladd's best Western! The romantic interest is Brenda Marshall (Mrs. William Holden) who plays Marian Sinclair. The film is also the last pairing of Ladd with Preston Foster after having made several films together! Look out for Hank Worden (Mose Harper in "The Searchers") as Murray's ranch-hand.

Filmed sixty years ago at Paramount Studios and on location at Paramount Ranch, Agoura, and Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California, USA. Beautiful scenery, Top quality color transfer to DVD no spots or scratches to be seen. (Would they were all like this) Highly Recommended.

Seven Men from Now.......2007-01-20

This was a very good western from the 1950's. I also enjoyed the clarity of the DVD.

Good story, great script, Alan Ladd excellent! .......2005-08-29

Good western scripts are rare. This one is excellent. The acting is very good. Robert Preston delivers his usual complex baddy performance to excellent effect. The character of "Whispering Smith" is tailormade for Alan Ladd. There is great support from all other members of the cast - which means very good direction. The only disappointment is the ending which is something of a let-down.

A Solid, Action-Packed Western With Alan Ladd.......2005-07-01

If you're a railroad thief in the old West and one night you hear a soft voice behind you, it's already too late to draw. Whispering Smith has found you. He's smarter than you, tougher than you, and faster than you.

Luke "Whispering" Smith (Alan Ladd) is a soft-spoken railroad detective. His best friend, Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston) also works for the railroad. Sinclair is a rough-and-ready crew chief who loves the old ways, and that means taking a cut from the goods in train wrecks. He's married to Marian Sinclair (Brenda Marshall), owns a ranch bigger than he should be able to afford, and finally sounds off once too often to railroad management. It doesn't help things when Murray realizes that Smith has long loved Marian. Lurking around is Barney Rebstock (Donald Crisp), a wealthy thief and rustler who now and then arranges for train wrecks. Rebstock's right hand man is a white-haired, squinty-eyed killer named Whitey Du Sang (Frank Faylen).

And it all comes together when Murray, fired by the railroad, outraged over his treatment, resentful of Smith, jealous of his wife, throws in his lot with Rebstock. The number of train wrecks increases, Du Sang kills a railway guard...and Whispering Smith is brought in to end things one way or another. Now the former best friends have to go up against each other.

This is a pretty good western, maybe not A caliber but a strong B-plus. Preston is his usual dynamic, energetic self, yet once again (as in This Gun for Hire) he's overshadowed by Ladd. Alan Ladd, in my view, was an unlikely major star. He had pretty looks and a small stature, and he wasn't a dominating actor. But he also had a great voice, a kind of passive style that hinted at violence, an agreeable screen personality...and something I can't describe that connected seamlessly with a camera. In this movie, as in all his others, he plays the same person, but it works. Whispering Smith is Alan Ladd's movie.

It was good to see Donald Crisp in a bad guy's role. He usually is the kindly granddad or the tough-minded but well meaning father. As Barney Rebstock, he's an avuncular snake. It's always nice to see William Demarest. And Frank Faylen as the cold-blooded killer Du Sang gives a performance that is just inches from being over the top.

All in all, this is an enjoyable action Western with some psychological tensions. It might not be for everyone's collection, but it would be good to have you like older movies, professionally crafted Westerns and Ladd. There's nothing much by way of extras, but the DVD transfer looks good.

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