Movie Review: Callaway Went Thataway (1951)

Synopsis: "Smoky" Callaway hasn't been a cowboy star in a decade but a recent decision to air some of his old movies on television has made him a celebrity again and the network wants him to make new films. There's just one problem, nobody knows where Smoky is. Desperate to cash in, advertisers Mike Frye and Deborah Patterson attempt to pass off cowboy "Stretch" Barnes as Smoky. The plan seems to go well until the real Smoky returns.

Who's in it? The movie stars Fred MacMurray, Dorothy McGuire, Howard Keel, Jesse White and Natalie Schafer. 


Review: My wife is feeling under the weather tonight and went to bed early. Since I had some time to myself, I decided to finally watch Callaway Went Thataway, which has been in my movie library for a few weeks. Overall, it ended up being a good film.

The overall plot seemed like something that would be predictable but as it turned out, it was full of surprises. For one, Barnes (Keel) was an intriguing character, basically living the role of the perfect good guy cowboy character while Callaway (also Keel) was the exact opposite, nothing like the guy he played in the movies. This in turn made it a bit more difficult to pull off the ruse even before the latter added the extra complication with his appearance, especially when Barnes had second thoughts.

The film also had a good mix of comedy, especially with MacMurray, who played his character, Mike Frye, perfectly, keeping things serious as needed but being funny when needed. I was also intrigued by what looked to be a possible love triangle involving Frye, Barnes and Deborah Patterson (McGuire). I originally assumed she would be the romantic interest for Frye but that became unclear as she and Barnes bonded. That in turn made me wonder if it would add a complication.

Another thing I enjoyed about this movie were the number of celebrity cameos throughout, featuring top Hollywood stars at the time, like Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Esther Williams and Mae Clarke. There were also a number of other familiar faces, like Glenn Strange, John Banner and Herschel Graham. Some of those were as interesting as the movie itself just from the history standpoint. 

Final Opinion: I wasn't too sure what to expect but this turned out to be a good film that was entertaining from start to finish. It's a film I'd recommend taking the time to watch.

My Grade: A

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