Roy Rogers Movies

In this countrified musical, a farm boy and his girl head for the big city to find fame on the radio. When he becomes popular their relationship is strained and the two break up and begin pursuing other relationships. Fortunately, they are reunited in the end. Look closely for a brief appearance by Roy Rogers who appears under his real name Leonard Slye. Songs include: "Moonlight in Heaven," "Somehow I Know," "The Plowboy," and "When the Old Age Pension Check Comes to Our Door." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Bing Crosby's only western (outside of the 1966 version of Stagecoach), Rhythm on the Range stars Crosby as a casual cowpoke on his way back to the Wide Open Spaces after an eastern visit. He meets a young train stowaway (Frances Farmer), whom he regards as a hoydenish vagabond until learning that she's the owner of the ranch where he works. Farmer resists Crosby's charms until he rescues her from a gang of rustlers. Among the supporting cast is Mischa Auer, Bob "Bazooka" Burns, and, in her film debut, 19-year-old Martha Raye. The film also introduces the song hit "I'm an Old Cowhand", which is sung at one point or another by everyone in the cast, including Russian-born Mischa Auer. Rhythm on the Range was remade in 1956 as Pardners, with a few minor alterations--notably the casting of Jerry Lewis in the Frances Farmer role! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A typical Gene Autry everything-but-the-kitchen-sink musical Western, The Old Corral featured the spectacle of Autry getting robbed at gunpoint by his future rival, Roy Rogers. Rogers, who was then known as Dick Weston, and his fellow highwaymen (the singing group the Sons of the Pioneers) go about their illegal activities like true gentlemen, of course, refusing to rob female passengers Nora Cecil and Hope Manning. The latter, playing Eleanor Spencer, is wanted by both the authorities and the Chicago mob after witnessing gangster Mike Scarlotti (John Bradford) murder rival Tony Pearl (Buddy Roosevelt). En route to Los Angeles by Greyhound bus, she hooks up with small town saloon owner Martin Simms (Cornelius Keefe) who offers her a job singing in his Turquoise City establishment. Both Simms and Turquoise City sheriff Gene Autry, however, recognize Eleanor as the key witness in the Pearl murder case and the former is quick to notify Scarlotti. Arriving to silence the girl for good, the Chicago mobsters are met by Sheriff Autry, Deputy Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette), and their erstwhile prisoners, the O'Keefe brothers (Rogers, Bob Nolan, and the Sons of the Pioneers, the brothers having taken a break from harmonizing in their cell). The outcome, of course, is a given and the entire gang is soon behind bars. Milburn Morante, a veteran silent screen comedian who was rarely very funny, is actually amusing this time around as a farmer with car troubles, and Lon Chaney Jr. is well cast as Simms' lumbering henchman. Leading lady Hope Manning later signed with Warner Bros., changed her name to Irene Manning, and starred as Fay Templeton opposite James Cagney's George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Aside from all the aforementioned pleasures, The Old Corral is probably the only chance to see silent screen cowboy star Buddy Roosevelt playing a tuxedo-clad mobster. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Big Show is a modestly budgeted but elaborately turned out Gene Autry western. Autry plays "himself," a famous cowboy star, and his own stunt man. When Autry-the-star reneges on a agreement to make a personal appearance at Dallas' Texas Centennial (represented through newsreel shots), Autry-the-stunt man takes his boss' place. This causes confusion with the ladies, and with a gang of mobsters who were hoping to extort money from Autry-the-star. Ever protective of his own image, Gene Autry saw to it that both of his cinematic alter egos prove worthy of their salt in a climactic fist-fight with the villains. Also appearing in The Big Show is a radio aggregation called the Sons of the Pioneers, featuring future Gene Autry rival Roy Rogers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In an effort to compete with Republic's popular songfest Westerns, fours music numbers -- including Tumbling Tumbleweeds -- were added to The Old Wyoming Trail, an otherwise average Charles Starrett vehicle. No singer, Starrett left the vocalizing to his sidekick Donald Grayson and the popular Sons of the Pioneers. En route to purchase a herd of cattle, Bob Patterson (Starrett) and his sidekick Sandy (Grayson) get in the way of a scheme to defraud the local ranchers of their possessions. Aware of the coming railroad, the villains, Lafe Kinney (Guy Usher and Slade (Dick Curtis plot to take over Jeff Halliday's (Edward J. Le Saint) ranch. When Bob and Sandy get suspicious, the villains kidnap Halliday's daughter Elsie (Barbara Weeks). A posse is formed and in desperation, Slade demands that Bob meet him unarmed if Elsie is to be saved. In the ensuing shoot-out, Slade is killed and Bob is free to continue his romance with Elsie. Like many of the Starrett Westerns, The Old Wyoming Trail was filmed at the Andy Jauregui Ranch at Placerita Canyon, California, Jauregui himself appearing as a member of the posse. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This Roy Rogers starrer is set in motion by a range war between ex-partners Brower (William Farnum) and Jackson (Stanley Andrews). Adding to Brower's headaches is the fact that Jackson is a crook who's not above stealing cattle to suit his purposes. When Jackson manages to frame Brower on a trumped-up criminal charge, that's when hero Rogers swings into action. Roy's leading lady this time out is Lynne Roberts, herein billed as Mary Hart, reportedly because Republic wanted its own "Rogers and Hart" team. The 1944 Warner Bros. musical Shine on Harvest Moon bears no relation to this 1939 Republic oater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An enjoyably silly Gene Autry romp, this music Western had an early ecological message: Horse-power instead of tractors. Or at least tractors manufactured by greedy Thornton Farming Equipment. Having lost his horse-trading business to Thornton (Ivan Miller), Autry signs with Helen Valkis' local Grainville radio station. But unbeknownst to the singer, the program is sponsored by none other than Thornton, and when the farmers cannot live up to the greedy manufacturer's finance plan, they blame Autry. In typical Autry style, Autry not only bests Thornton on the business front, but also receives more attention at the local fair than the Thornton-sponsored Big City entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Hot on the heels of Frontier Pony Express came the equally exciting Roy Rogers vehicle Rough Riders' Roundup. In the first film, Rogers was an express rider during the Civil War era; in the second, he's a veteran of the Spanish American war (ubiquitous fellow, isn't he?) With several of his fellow Rough Riders, Rogers joins the Texas border patrol, where he almost immediately clashes with a villain named Arizona (William Pawley). While maintaining a respectable facade, Arizona and his minions rob the stagecoaches and express offices, divesting the local prospectors of their hard-earned gold. With the help of grizzled old sidekick Rusty (Raymond Hatton)-not to mention the rest of the Rough Riders-Rogers crushes Arizona's operation once and for all. The film boasts two leading ladies: Rogers' usual vis-a-vis Mary Hart, and former silent star Dorothy Sebastian, here making a comeback attempt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this excellent western, Roy, Trigger and Gabby ride out to stop angry Confederate terrorists from harassing Missouri residents because they voted to side with the Union in the days leading up to the Civil War. Roy plays a Union captain who is faced with a difficult situation when he is ordered to execute his best friend, one of the terrorists. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Despite its tantalizing title, Wall Street Cowboy must rank as one of the lesser Roy Rogers films. The story is set in motion by a crooked cartel of stock marketeers who hope to swindle Rogers out of his ranch. It seems that his property is rich with the valuable mineral molybdenum, which the villains want to use for their steel-mining activities. Unable to pay his mortgage thanks to the chicanery of fiancier Niles (Ivan Miller), Roy must rely on the help of an old enemy-turned-friend named Hammond (Pierre Watkin). With a plot that seems more suitable to Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas than Roy Rogers, Wall Street Cowboy is a major disappointment when compared to the star's promising earlier efforts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a young businessman is forced to dig with a pick for a day after he almost caused a fire. While toiling away, he discovers a major coal vein on the Weaver's land. The greedy fellow then begins to slyly buy up their land. His incautious digging then causes a forest fire. Fortunately the Weaver family is there to help him out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Frontier Pony Express is a fast-paced Roy Rogers program western which could stand up on its own with any big-budgeted "A" picture. Per the title, Rogers plays an express rider, working the California-to-Kansas City route. While the Civil War rages in the East, our hero must contend with Yankee and Rebel forces who've encroached upon his home turf, both trying to win California over to their side. Meanwhile, businessman Lassiter (Edward Keane), ostensibly on the Confederate side, is actually a mercenary who hopes to play one army against the other so that he can move in and take over the territory himself. There's an awful lot of plot in this 58-minute oater, but Roy Rogers still finds time to serenade leading lady Mary Hart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide