Whispering Smith

1948

1h 28m

Western

List

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Luke "Whispering" Smith (Alan Ladd) is a mild-mannered policeman tasked with stopping a gang of train robbers, led by Barney Rebstock (Donald Crisp). Luke is faced with a conflict of interest when his good friend, Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston), loses his railroad job and, in an act of defiance, joins Rebstock's gang of outlaws. To make things even more complicated, Luke's friendship with Murray's ex-wife, Marian (Brenda Marshall), is becoming romantic.

Read More

Read Less

Audience Member

A fairly standard Western that feels quite modern for 1948. Alan Ladd's gentle charisma is what holds the attention and glues the film together. Only Gary Cooper shared Ladd's combination of an almost passive calm with a thoughtful and somber demeanor. Perhaps Ladd's greatest attribute was his deep velvet- like voice which allowed him to deliver the simplest line with emotional depth. His greeting when he meets his ex flame (Brenda Marshall) is expressed with a melancholy warmth very few actors ever master. His style of acting was often called wooden, but the depth of character was conveyed in the voice. Glorious Technicolor imagery and fine support from character actors Donald Crisp and William Demarest add to the films ease with which it engages the viewer. The film also boasts one of cinema's nastiest bad guys in Mervyn Vye, who seems to have more in common with modern villains; quiet, sadistic and dangerous looking, he is the counterpoint to Ladd's personable protagonist. Definitely worth a watch for Western fans.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The vertically challenged Tom Cruise of his day, Alan Ladd, plays a cowboy railroad agent who runs afoul his shady friend, Robert Preston. It's a pretty standard westerns, but it has plenty of action, a strong cast (which also features Donald Crisp and William Demarest) and solid production values. Certainly not a classic, but well worth watching for western or Ladd fans.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

170420: A surprisingly good film. I never know what to expect from these oldies but this one really satisfied. Good classic acting, decent quality and somewhat fun. Perhaps a bit predictable but happy to have seen it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Railroad western has fine work by Alan Ladd--Playing the Cards that are Dealt!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pretty generic Western melodrama. Alan Ladd isn't the most charismatic.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's a classic old fashioned Western. If Westerns aren't your thing, you probably won't care much for it. The performances from Ladd and Preston are very good. The plot is more believable as well. The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but good nonetheless.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Leslie Fenton

Director

Alan Ladd

Luke "Whispering" Smith

Robert Preston

Murray Sinclair

Donald Crisp

Barney Rebstock

Brenda Marshall

Marian Sinclair

William Demarest

Bill Dansing

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

57%

76%

Streets of Laredo

60%

57%

The Last Sunset

TRAILER

for The Last Sunset

22%

49%

Blueberry

96%

87%

El Dorado

85%

89%

The Man From Snowy River

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Variety Staff

Variety

Alan Ladd inherits William S. Hart's splits in Whispering Smith for wild and woolly stint typical of hoss oprys of the good old days.

Dec 9, 2019

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

As a rootin', tootin' Western, this formula-made Whispering Smith is good make-believe entertainment for those who will take it as such.

Dec 9, 2019

Full Review

THR Staff

Hollywood Reporter

When one sees such conscientious technical work implementing a thoughtful production and thoroughly fine performances one is made vividly aware of how fine a simple entertainment picture can be.

Dec 17, 2018

Full Review

Brian Baxter

Radio Times

The film is briskly handled by journeyman director Leslie Fenton, who brings the story to a rousing, shooting tooting climax.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 9, 2019

Full Review

Virginia Graham

The Spectator

It is all frightfully sad, but not, somehow, frightfully important, and though the tall hills of Wyoming give a certain pleasure to the eye, the ear is profoundly wounded by the banal dialogue.

Jun 13, 2018

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Remains lightly entertaining throughout.

Rated: B

Jul 9, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Luke "Whispering" Smith (Alan Ladd) is a mild-mannered policeman tasked with stopping a gang of train robbers, led by Barney Rebstock (Donald Crisp). Luke is faced with a conflict of interest when his good friend, Murray Sinclair (Robert Preston), loses his railroad job and, in an act of defiance, joins Rebstock's gang of outlaws. To make things even more complicated, Luke's friendship with Murray's ex-wife, Marian (Brenda Marshall), is becoming romantic.

Director: Leslie Fenton
Screenwriter: Frank Butler, Karl Kamb
Production Co: Paramount
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2017
Runtime: 1h 28m