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Western

Whispering Smith

- A new Ladd thrills the Old West !

Smith is an iron-willed railroad detective. When his friend Murray is fired from the railroad and begins helping Rebstock wreck trains, Smith must go after him. He also seems to have an interest in Murray's wife (and vice versa).

Release Date : 1948-12-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Whispering Smith

Cast

Alan Ladd

Character Name : Whispering Smith

Original Name : Alan Ladd

Gender : Male

Robert Preston

Character Name : Murray Sinclair

Original Name : Robert Preston

Gender : Male

Brenda Marshall

Character Name : Marian Sinclair

Original Name : Brenda Marshall

Gender : Female

Donald Crisp

Character Name : Barney Rebstock

Original Name : Donald Crisp

Gender : Male

William Demarest

Character Name : Bill Dansing

Original Name : William Demarest

Gender : Male

Fay Holden

Character Name : Emmy Dansing

Original Name : Fay Holden

Gender : Female

Murvyn Vye

Character Name : Blake Barton

Original Name : Murvyn Vye

Gender : Male

Frank Faylen

Character Name : Whitey Du Sang

Original Name : Frank Faylen

Gender : Male

John Eldredge

Character Name : George McCloud

Original Name : John Eldredge

Gender : Male

Ward Wood

Character Name : Leroy Barton

Original Name : Ward Wood

Gender : Male

J. Farrell MacDonald

Character Name : Bill Baggs

Original Name : J. Farrell MacDonald

Gender : Male

Will Wright

Character Name : Sheriff McSwiggin

Original Name : Will Wright

Gender : Male

Don Barclay

Character Name : Dr. Sawbuck

Original Name : Don Barclay

Gender : Male

Eddy Waller

Character Name : Conductor

Original Name : Eddy Waller

Gender : Male

Ashley Cowan

Character Name : Brakeman

Original Name : Ashley Cowan

Gender : Male

Jimmie Dundee

Character Name : Karg

Original Name : Jimmie Dundee

Gender : Male

Ray Teal

Character Name : Seagrue

Original Name : Ray Teal

Gender : Male

Bob Kortman

Character Name : Gabby Barton

Original Name : Bob Kortman

Gender : Male

Eric Alden

Character Name :

Original Name : Eric Alden

Gender : Male

Irving Bacon

Character Name :

Original Name : Irving Bacon

Gender : Male

George Barton

Character Name :

Original Name : George Barton

Gender : Male

Hank Bell

Character Name :

Original Name : Hank Bell

Gender : Male

Danny Borzage

Character Name :

Original Name : Danny Borzage

Gender : Male

John Bose

Character Name :

Original Name : John Bose

Gender : Male

George Bruggeman

Character Name :

Original Name : George Bruggeman

Gender : Male

Paul E. Burns

Character Name :

Original Name : Paul E. Burns

Gender : Male

Nora Bush

Character Name :

Original Name : Nora Bush

Gender : Female

Ann Cameron

Character Name :

Original Name : Ann Cameron

Gender : Female

Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Character Name :

Original Name : Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Gender : Male

Tom Coleman

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Coleman

Gender : Male

James Davies

Character Name :

Original Name : James Davies

Gender : Male

Mike Donovan

Character Name :

Original Name : Mike Donovan

Gender : Male

Lester Dorr

Character Name : Woody, Train Brakeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lester Dorr

Gender : Male

Clint Dorrington

Character Name :

Original Name : Clint Dorrington

Gender : Male

Tom Fadden

Character Name : Telegrapher at Coyete Creek (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Fadden

Gender : Male

Budd Fine

Character Name :

Original Name : Budd Fine

Gender : Male

Terry Frost

Character Name : Wrecking Crew Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Terry Frost

Gender : Male

Gary Gray

Character Name :

Original Name : Gary Gray

Gender : Male

Frank Hagney

Character Name : Frank - Wrecking Crew Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Hagney

Gender : Male

Earle Hodgins

Character Name :

Original Name : Earle Hodgins

Gender : Male

Perry Ivins

Character Name :

Original Name : Perry Ivins

Gender : Male

Roberta Jonay

Character Name :

Original Name : Roberta Jonay

Gender : Male

Jack Kenny

Character Name :

Original Name : Jack Kenny

Gender : Male

Milton Kibbee

Character Name : Train Engineer (uncredited)

Original Name : Milton Kibbee

Gender : Male

Ethan Laidlaw

Character Name :

Original Name : Ethan Laidlaw

Gender : Male

Pat Lane

Character Name :

Original Name : Pat Lane

Gender : Male

Don Lynch

Character Name :

Original Name : Don Lynch

Gender : Male

William Meader

Character Name :

Original Name : William Meader

Gender : Male

Anton Northpole

Character Name :

Original Name : Anton Northpole

Gender : Male

Broderick O'Farrell

Character Name :

Original Name : Broderick O'Farrell

Gender : Male

Ed Randolph

Character Name :

Original Name : Ed Randolph

Gender : Male

Robert St. Angelo

Character Name :

Original Name : Robert St. Angelo

Gender : Male

Chalky Williams

Character Name :

Original Name : Chalky Williams

Gender : Male

Hank Worden

Character Name :

Original Name : Hank Worden

Gender : Male

Fred Zendar

Character Name :

Original Name : Fred Zendar

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Guys like Smitty they don't make anymore! Whispering Smith is directed by Leslie Fenton and co-adapted to screenplay by Frank Butler and Karl Kamb from Frank H. Spearman's novel. It stars Alan Ladd, Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall, Donald Crisp, William Demarest and Frank Faylen. Music is by Adolph Deutsch and cinematography by Ray Rennahan. Famed railroad detective Whispering Smith (Ladd) becomes conflicted when his latest case pits him up against one of his best pals. It's somewhat surprising to find Whispering Smith is not more well known, given that it's Ladd's first full length Western feature and that it's really rather good. With its opening scene of Ladd riding towards camera, with glorious landscape in the background, and the thematics of how Smith operates around women and children, this signposts towards Shane five years down the line. In fact this very much works as a tasty appetiser for that superb 1953 picture. Ladd cuts a fine figure as Smith, giving him the right amount of calm toughness so as to not over play the role, and Preston is on fine form, very ebullient and able to act heaps with only his eyes. Marshall on the surface doesn't impact greatly, in what is a key role, but the character is very shrewdly written and sits in the story as more than a token. The villains headed by Crisp are not very inspiring, while Faylen looks laughably out of place with a blonde wig!, but with Preston erring on the side of badness the good versus bad axis of plotting thrives well enough. Pic is filled with a number of shoot-outs, banditry and awesome locomotive action, all set to the backdrop of beautiful - Technicolor enhanced - California locales. The running theme of railroad progression in the West is interestingly written, managing to not take sides and let the viewer enjoy both sides of the coin, though a moral equation that Smith ultimately arrives at doesn't quite add up. Add in Fenton's unfussy direction, Rennahan's location photography (see also night sequences) and Deutsch's pleasingly compliant score, and Western fans are good to go. This doesn't pull up any tress or have the psychological savvy of what many Oaters of the next decade would explore, but it's very well mounted and engages from the get go. 7/10