Review of Smoky

I am not at all familiar with the Will James novel on which this movie is based as it seems to be unavailable in Great Britain and indeed despite decades of book buying and reading I do not recall ever having seen a copy

Clint Barklay,a man with a past, captures and tames the wild mustang Smoky by kindness rather than force only to lose him thanks to his ne'er do well brother Frank.Clint sets out to track down the animal and return him to the Richards ranch where he works Strong performance by McMurray who was always overshadowed by Fonda and Stewart in all genres and good backup from Cabot as his villainous brother and the stalwart Roy Rowlands as the ranch foreman who is suspicious of but ultimately accepting of Barklay.As an added bonus Burl Ives warbles some folk tunes in pleasant manner

It is nothing to get excited about but a decent professional job and that rarity today a genuine family movie

I was never able to get worked up about the movie but it is proficient and pleasant