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DramaYear1948Duration1h 28mIMDb6.6

Whispering Smith

DramaWestern

Legendary railroad detective Whispering Smith becomes convinced that old friend and colleague Murray Sinclair has joined a criminal band to loot the railroad.

Trailer

Cast

Leslie Fenton

Director

Alan Ladd

Whispering Smith

Robert Preston

Murray Sinclair

Brenda Marshall

Marian Sinclair

Donald Crisp

Barney Rebstock

William Demarest

Bill Dansing

Fay Holden

Emmy Dansing

Murvyn Vye

Blake Barton

Frank Faylen

Whitey Du Sang

John Eldredge

George McCloud

Ward Wood

Leroy Barton

J. Farrell MacDonald

Bill Baggs

Will Wright

Sheriff McSwiggin

Don Barclay

Dr. Sawbuck

Eddy Waller

Conductor

AC

Ashley Cowan

Train Brakeman

Jimmie Dundee

Karg

Ray Teal

Seagrue

Bob Kortman

Gabby Barton

FB

Frank Butler

Writer

KK

Karl Kamb

Writer

Frank H. Spearman

Writer

Comments

10 Comments

Amzy♥️🥺Mar 12, 2025

source: Whispering Smith

user9846088845112May 30, 2023

user7580536149852May 29, 2023

source: Whispering Smith

Richard kNov 18, 2022

@tufathiam364Nov 16, 2022

Whispering Smith

call me nthambiNov 16, 2022

Copyright 18 February 1949 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. U.S. release: 9 December 1948. New York opening at the Paramount: 14 February 1949. U.K. release: 4 April 1949. 88 minutes. COMMENT: Third re-make of Frank Hamilton Spearman's 1906 novel about a railroad detective has a considerable cult reputation that in my opinion is not wholly deserved. For one thing, I'm not altogether happy with Alan Ladd as Whispering Smith. H.B. Warner in George Melford's 1926 version sounds much more like Spearman's charismatic hero. Nonetheless, the studio has not spared the cash and this version is certainly a colorful period piece and it has been handsomely represented on Universal's DVD. If Ladd is not quite the "Whispering Smith" of the villains' nightmares, the rest of the players are ideally cast. Full marks to Preston and Crisp, but even the smallest bits are just perfect.

Damanta SthaNov 16, 2022

This is one of my favorite movies because it has two of my favorite actors: Alan Ladd and Robert Preston. These two were co-stars in other movies, but they are both used to their best in this one. Preston plays the friend gone bad and Ladd plays the honest cop who also loves his friend. Actually, this plot is reminiscent of "The Virginian" which has always been so popular. The vhs tape is very rare, so if you catch it on TV somewhere, TAPE IT!!

Awa TrawallyNov 16, 2022

Released in 1948, "Whispering Smith" stars Alan Ladd in the eponymous role of a train detective who's starts to suspect that his friend, Murray (Robert Preston) may be involved with a gang that wrecks and loots trains. Murray's wife, (Brenda Marshall), is concerned about her husband hanging with ne'er-do-wells and wishes she had a righteous man, like Smith. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "Whispering Smith." It lacks that goofy humor and wacky characters that plague many old Westerns; plus the ancient score is more bearable than usual. Ladd is stunning as the noble and determined protagonist and so is Preston as the amiable husband gone bad. Can Murray be redeemed or has he gone too far? The film runs 88 minutes and was shot in California. GRADE: A-

Olivia JesayaNov 16, 2022

In "this gun's for hire" ,Robert Preston was Veronika Lake's co-star whereas Alan Ladd was supporting.But when you see that movie today you realize that ,although the credits mention "introducing A.L." ,his part was much more "written" ,more important than that of the lead. In "whispering Smith" ,the roles are reversed:not only Ladd plays the lead ,but he has also the part of the good guy whereas Preston is supporting and gets the role of the villain.It's a routine western with a derivative screenplay:the umpteenth story of the pretty girl who married the wrong guy and see the other one come back into her life.The talents of the actor ,with many fine supporting performances (particularly Donald Crisp and Fay Holden who sings a duet with Ladd) make the movie watchable though.

DBNGOGONov 16, 2022

One of Alan Ladd's first starring films is this entertaining detective western as a railroad investigator assigned to solve the mystery of a rash of train robberies. The detective investigates an old friend whose fine ranch and well-to-do lifestyle are not in accord with his workman's salary, which is the main plot angle. The picture is more of a mystery than a typical western and Ladd's inclination to underplay his scenes gives his character credibility. Ladd's deceptively easygoing portrayals in westerns made him one of the most popular actors of his time. Robert Preston is also good in a role that he seemed to relish, an ethically-compromised man who knew right from wrong but did the devil's work because he thought he could get away with it. Brenda Marshall is lovely as a married woman who still carries a torch for her one-time suitor. The cast is good, as is Ray Rennahan's camera work and Adolph Deutch's music accompaniment.

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