George "Gabby" Hayes Movies
Virtually the prototype of all grizzled old-codger western sidekicks, George "Gabby" Hayes professed in real life to hate westerns, complaining that they all looked and sounded alike. For his first few decades in show business, he appeared in everything but westerns, including travelling stock companies, vaudeville, and musical comedy. He began appearing in films in 1928, just in time to benefit from the talkie explosion. In contrast to his later unshaven, toothless screen persona, George Hayes (not yet Gabby) frequently showed up in clean-faced, well groomed articulate characterizations, sometimes as the villain. In 1933 he appeared in several of the Lone Star westerns featuring young John Wayne, alternating between heavies and comedy roles. Wayne is among the many cowboy stars who has credited Hayes with giving them valuable acting tips in their formative days. In 1935, Hayes replaced an ailing Al St. John in a supporting role in the first Hopalong Cassidy film, costarring with William Boyd; Hayes' character died halfway through this film, but audience response was so strong that he was later brought back into the Hoppy series as a regular. It was while sidekicking for Roy Rogers at Republic that Hayes, who by now never appeared in pictures with his store-bought teeth, earned the soubriquet "Gabby", peppering the soundtrack with such slurred epithets as "Why, you goldurned whipersnapper" and "Consarn it!" He would occasionally enjoy an A-picture assignment in films like Dark Command (1940) and Tall in the Saddle (1944), but from the moment he became "Gabby", Hayes was more or less consigned exclusively to "B"s. After making his last film appearance in 1952, Hayes turned his attentions to television, where he starred in the popular Saturday-morning Gabby Hayes Show ("Hullo out thar in televisium land!") and for a while was the corporate spokesman for Popsicles. Retiring after a round of personal appearance tours, Hayes settled down on his Nevada ranch, overseeing his many business holdings until his death at age 83. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1941
In this western, Rogers and his sidekick Gabby get into all kinds of trouble when they ride into Tombstone and find themselves mistaken for the hired gun and his assistant. The gunslinger was engaged to work for the mayor and for a time Rogers goes along with it. When he discovers that the mayor is a bonafide crook, the "gunslinger" becomes the new sheriff. When the real gunman finally moseys into town, a showdown ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Robin Hood of the Pecos was set immediately after the Civil War, when most of Texas was under the thumb of corrupt northern politicians. Alleviating things somewhat is the presence of a mysterious masked night rider, inclined to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Believe it or not, this latter-day Robin Hood is not played by star Roy Rogers, but by his grizzled sidekick Gabby Hayes! No matter: the plot is resolved when Rogers swings into action against crypto-fascistic local adjutant Cy Kendall. Repeating her "Calamity Jane" characterization from Young Bill Hickok, Sally Payne plays a gun-wielding hoyden, while the more sedate heroine is enacted by Marjorie Reynolds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
Nevada City finds Roy Rogers and his perennial sidekick Gabby Hayes cast as stagecoach drivers. Their boss is Joseph Crehan, an ornery crust who can't abide the notion of the railroad cutting into his business. Roy and Gabby try to establish a détente between Crehan and railroad man George Cleveland, only to be fired for their efforts. Things don't straighten themselves out until a roving band of outlaws force Crehan and Cleveland to work together, which is what our heroes had intended all along. Sally Payne, heretofore a comedy-relief soubrette in the Roy Rogers films, is promoted to leading lady status in Nevada City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
The Strangler is the American title of the British East of Piccadilly. London's Soho district is terrorized by a strangler who favors silk stockings as his method of disposal. All evidence points to American millionaire George Pughe. Thanks to the diligence of girl reporter Judy Campbell, Pughe is condemned to be hanged. But Judy begins to have second thoughts, and together with mystery writer Sebastian Shaw she tracks down the real killer-nearly ending up a victim in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In 1939's Days of Jesse James, the title character was played by Don "Red" Barry, with official star Roy Rogers carrying the brunt of the plotline. Two years later, Rogers was cast as ol' Jesse himself in Republic's Jesse James at Bay. Since Jesse is herein depicted as a "good guy", whose train-robbery rampage is motivated by the chicanery of a crooked railroad executive, someone else would have to handle the film's villainy. That someone was also Roy Rogers, cast as Jesse's lookalike, a local outlaw named Clint Burns. Typical of the anachronisms festooning the script of Jesse James at Bay is the presence of not one but two female newspaper reporters, played by Gale Storm and Sally Payne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
In Old Cheyenne is where the viewer can find Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes this time out. Rogers is cast as frontier journalist Steve Blane, determined to print the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in his weekly rag. But when Steve inaugurates a series of articles about alleged bandit Arapahoe Brown (Hayes), he finds he's been misled: Arapahoe is innocent of the crimes attributed to him. The instigator of this outrage is town boss Sam Drummond (George Rosener), who hopes to use Brown as a scapegoat for his own misdeeds. Steve manages to show Drummond up as the no-good he is, pausing every so often to serenade heroine Dolores Casino (Joan Woodbury) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
In this WW II propaganda film, a German doctor, highly praised by his Nazi employers, finds it increasingly difficult to support the oppressive, increasingly brutal movement. At first he does nothing as his friends are persecuted and his wife becomes increasingly enamored with the party's misguided philosophies. Eventually he enlists the aide of an engineer and creates a secret radio station where he broadcasts condemnations of Hitler and prays for a "better" Germany to arise out of the ashes of his ruined country. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, (more)
- 1940
In this British WW II era espionage film a Nazi spy purloins a secret cartridge in Paris and must make it back to Germany. He is pursued by Allied agents who, with the help of an English lass and a German general's son, try to get it back. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Radford, Thorley Walters, (more)
Set in the years leading up to the Civil War and its outbreak, Dark Command tells a fictionalized version of the story of William Clarke Quantrill, the schoolteacher-turned-renegade, whose raids -- ostensibly on behalf of the Confederacy -- turned Kansas into a charnel house. John Wayne plays Bob Setton, a young Texan who arrives in Lawrence, KS, in 1859 on his way west, partnered with George "Gabby" Hayes. He meets Marie McCloud (Claire Trevor) and her younger brother, Fletch (Roy Rogers), and takes a liking to them, especially Marie. His only competition for her is William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon), the local schoolteacher, who has big ambitions in life. He is nominated for town marshal and seems a shoo-in, especially as his only rival is Bob Setton, who admits he knows nothing about the law and can't even read, but Setton wins with his honest, unpretentious speech. At the time, Kansas is riven by strife, as settlers from the North opposed to slavery and those from the South supporting it pour into the territory, and Setton has his hands full. His most difficult personal moment comes when he must arrest Fletch for shooting an anti-slavery farmer (Trevor Bardette) to death. Cantrell leads a campaign of terror against the jury, however, which finds the young man not guilty just as the Civil War breaks out. In the months that follow, Setton and his posse go after the raiders who are stealing and destroying huge amounts of property in Kansas on behalf of the Confederacy. He suspects Cantrell is their leader, but can't prove it, and has to tread carefully. As the raids worsen, and the war drags on -- even Marie's pro-Confederacy banker father is murdered during a run on his bank -- their conflict comes to a violent end as Cantrell launches an attack on Lawrence, vowing to destroy the town, with only Bob Setton and Cantrell's own mother (Marjorie Main) standing in his way. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Trevor, John Wayne, (more)
- 1940
Brothers end up on opposite sides of the law in this Western set during the Civil War. Posing as a Union officer, Don Mason, aka Don Burke (Milburn Stone), attempts to divert the Union troops from the struggle with the Confederacy by arming the Colorado Indian tribes. Unbeknownst to Don, however, his younger brother Jerry (Roy Rogers) is assigned by President Lincoln to investigate the uprisings in the territory and the youngster arrives just as Don is preparing to marry Lylah Sanford (Pauline Moore). With the aid of grizzled sidekick Gabby (George "Gabby" Hayes), Roy manages to disarm the crooked Indian commissioner (Arthur Loft) but Don slips away with Lylah as his hostage. Roy is wounded in the ensuing shootout and is nursed back to health by Lylah, with whom he has fallen in love. There is the inevitable showdown between the brothers but rather than face the hangman, Don makes a daring escape and is shot and killed by Sheriff Harkins (Fred Burns). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
The Ranger and the Lady stars Roy Rogers and Jacqueline Wells (aka Julie Bishop) in the title roles. Captain Colt (Rogers) of the Texas Rangers finds himself at odds with territorial administrator Kinkaid (Henry Brandon), left in charge of the Lone Star Territory while President Sam Houston is in Washington on important business. Kinkaid immediately begins acting like a sagebrush dictator, levying huge taxes on his fellow Texans and using an army of strong-arm thugs to enforce his restrictive new laws. Though loyal to Houston, Captain Colt eventually realizes that Kinkaid is hardly the right man for the job, leading to a noisy and violent denoument. Unlike the standard simpering western ingenues, heroine Jane (Wells), owner of a trading-service, fights side by side with Colt against the despotic Kinkaid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Beautifully restored to its original theatrical length of 84 minutes by the Gene Autry Foundation, Melody Ranch is a bright, tuneful, and at times quite action-packed piece of B-Western extravaganza, Republic style. The victim of both a drop in ratings and a tardy leading lady, radio star Gene Autry is only too happy to oblige when old friend Pop Laramie (George "Gabby" Hayes) proposes that he return to his hometown of Torpedo as honorary sheriff during the upcoming Frontier Day celebration. With leading lady Julie Shelton (Ann Miller), city slicker announcer Cornelius Courtney (Jimmy Durante), and bemused sponsor Tommy Summerville (Jerome Cowan) in tow, Gene takes Torpedo by storm. That is, everyone except the Wildhack brothers (Barton MacLane, Joe Sawyer, and Horace MacMahon), old enemies who take umbrage to Gene's lampooning them on his daily broadcast. Julie, meanwhile, falls in love with the Wild and Woolly West in general and Gene in particular, and when the crooner proposes to leave show business and run for the office of sheriff for real, she decides to stay as well. The Wildhack brothers, meanwhile, attempt to sabotage the election, but Gene and his pals persevere against the odds. Produced at a cost of 500,000 dollars, Melody Ranch was the first Autry Western to be booked into first-run theaters, which had been Republic Pictures' goal all along. Autry, Ann Miller, Jimmy Durante, Mary Lee, and Bob Wills and His Playboys perform "Melody Ranch," "We Never Dream the Same Dream Twice," "Call of the Canyon," My Gal Sal," "Torpedo Joe," What Cowboys Are Made Of," and "Rodeo Rose," all by Jule Styne and Eddie Cherkose, and a good time is had by all. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, (more)
- 1940
In this western, two disparate twins ride the range. One is a real troublemaker while the other is a government agent. When the bad brother is sent to prison, the good one begins posing as him so he can capture two outlaws. He does so, but then finds himself accosted by an angry dance-hall girl who says that he (the bad brother) had promised to marry her. The good brother's girl friend has a thing or two to say about that and romantic mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, Anita Louise, (more)
This Roy Rogers vehicle was based on a Zane Grey story, previous filmed twice in the silent and early-talkie era. Rogers stars as young doctor Steve Kells, who after leaving New York in disgrace (it wasn't his fault) takes up residence in Idaho territory. Here he redeems himself by taking on a deadly outlaw gang, headed by a surly gent named Gulden (Joe Sawyer). Just so the audience knows that this is a "typical" Rogers picture despite its pedigree, the producers cast Gabby Hayes as Steve's sidekick Honest John Whittaker. Carol Hughes, who'd recently played Dale Arden in the third "Flash Gordon" serial, is Rogers' leading lady in this one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Carolyn Hughes, (more)
This Roy Rogers vehicle is a followup (though not a sequel) to 1940's Young Buffalo Bill. Definitely a "premature anti-fascist", singing frontiersman Bill Hickok (Roy Rogers) tries to thwart the takeover of West by foreign invaders. John Miljan is frontier fuhrer Nicholas Tower, who hires a gang of storm troopers-er, henchmen-to do his dirty work. Southern belle Louise Mason (Jacqueline Wells) initially aligns herself with Tower because he is ostensibly anti-Damyankee, but she finally turns against him when she realizes what he's up to. Calamity Jane also appears in the person of comic actress Sally Payne, while Gabby Hayes shows up as a character named-but of course-Gabby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Young Buffalo Bill was one of a brief series of Roy Rogers "historical westerns" of the early 1940s. Per the title, Rogers plays the youthful Bill Cody, here depicted as an assistant land surveyor in old New Mexico. The villains plot to get their hands on valuable mineral deposits in the region, and to that end enlist the aid of a hostile Indian tribe. But Young Buffalo Bill saves the day, with a bit of assistance from the ever-on-time US Cavalry. George "Gabby" Hayes is around for his traditional comedy relief, while the aristocratic Spanish-American heroine is played by winsome Pauline Moore, Republic's "answer" to Margaret Sullavan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Roy Rogers plays an outlaw out to avenge the murder of his brother in this fine Republic Western directed by one of the masters of the genre, Joseph Kane. Learning that the man he believes to be the killer, Lee Jessup (Bob Steele), is running a gambling establishment in Sonora, the Kid manages to obtain a job body guarding Jessup's saloon and its star attraction, Joby (Pauline Moore). But although intent on biding his time, the hero cannot stand idly by while Jessup is taking advantage of a naïve prospector (Noah Beery Jr.) and is forced to show his hand. One of Rogers' better early vehicles, The Carson City Kid is enlivened by a couple of good songs, including "Are You the One?" and "Sonora Moon," both by Peter Tinturia and performed by Rogers and Moore (who later admitted to having been dubbed). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1939
Roy Rogers got himself a new sidekick in the disheveled, toothless person of George “Gabby” Hayes in this fine Republic western, a partnership that would last until 1946. Roy and Gabby play veterans of the Confederate Army who inherit half-ownership of a Texas ranch. Unfortunately, the other half belongs to Colonel Denbigh (Wade Boteler), a Union officer with whom they had an unpleasant experience during the past war between the states. Denbigh, however, is appointed military governor of the district and when a police squadron under the command of one Captain Jeffries (Arthur Loft) is revealed to consist of outlaws, it is Roy and Gabby who come to Denbigh’s rescue and restore peace to the territory. When not fighting the nasty Arthur Loft and his gang of cutthroats Rogers performs such numbers as ”Headin’ for Texas and Home”, ”Hope I’m Not Dreaming Again” and ”Keep Awalking the Other Way”. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Mary Hart, (more)
- 1939
Man of Conquest was the first "super production" from Republic Pictures, a studio not known for its lavish budgets. This time, however, no expense was spared in recreating the career of Texas empire-builder Sam Houston. Richard Dix portrayed Houston, heading a gigantic cast of character players impersonating such historical figures as Jim Bowie, Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett and General Santa Ana (who is depicted as a Hitler-like oppressor!). The film's two major highlights are the Battle of San Jacinto and the siege of the Alamo, both featuring the remarkable stuntwork of Yakima Canutt. Though often juggling facts to make a better story, Man of Conquest is an impressive achievement for so small a studio as Republic. Stock footage from the production would show up for years in the studio's more economical westerns and serials. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, (more)
- 1939
Originally filmed in Sepiatone, Let Freedom Ring is a satisfying Nelson Eddy musical with patriotic overtones. Set in the years following the Civil War, the story focuses on the battle of wills between Harvard-educated idealist Steve Logan (Eddy) and bullying railroad magnate Jim Knox (Edward Arnold). Launching a newspaper aimed at combatting Knox's engulf-and-devour tactics (could the villain be intended as a frontier Hitler?) Logan is disowned by his wealthy family and frozen out by his society friends. But with the help of woman-of-the-people Maggie Adams (Virginia Bruce), Logan sticks to his guns and perserveres. Let Freedom Ring goes out of its way to erase Eddy's "Singing Capon" image by having him engage in as much virile physical activity as possible, including a well-staged fistic bout with the gargantuan Victor McLaglen. Fey comedy relief is provided by Charles Butterworth, who does the most with the least material. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nelson Eddy, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1939
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
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Donald Barry plays the legendary outlaw of the title in this Roy Rogers Western which, needless to say, plays fast and loose with history. Returning to Missouri from the gold fields of California, Gabby Whittaker (George "Gabby" Hayes) is persuaded by his granddaughter, Mary (Pauline Moore), to deposit his earnings in the Northfield bank, which is then promptly robbed. Assigned by the Bankers' Association to track down the presumed culprits, Jesse James and his brother Frank (Harry Worth), Roy Rogers soon learns that the Jameses are innocent in this particular crime, which was instead committed by the bank's greedy president, Sam Wyatt (Arthur Loft). Before Rogers can capture the wily banker, he must contend with the interference of Captain Worthington (Harry Woods), a railroad detective more interested in pocketing the 50,000-dollar reward than see justice done. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1939
Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) once again embarks on a mild romance with a mature woman in this average Western filmed at Lone Pine, CA. The woman in question is one Mary Joyce (Charlotte Wynters), who calls herself a widow. But there is a husband lurking in the background, Smokey Bob Joslin (Russell Hopton), an escaped jailbird Mary would rather forget. Joslin is in cahoots with a gang of cattle rustlers and it is up to Hoppy and his two sidekicks, Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden) and Windy (George "Gabby" Hayes), to take care of business before Mary's young son, Joey (Sonny Bupp), learns the demoralizing truth about his ne'er-do-well father. As a nod to the then so popular singing cowboy Westerns, Renegade Trail features two songs, "Lazy Rolls the Rio Grande" and "Hi That, Stranger," both written by Foster Carling and Phil Ohlman and performed by Eddie Dean and the King's Men quartet. This was the final Hopalong Cassidy entry to feature George "Gabby" Hayes, who left the series over a contract dispute. Hayes was eventually replaced with veteran slapstick comic Andy Clyde. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William "Hopalong" Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1939
A Bar-20 cattle drive ends in rustling in this fine Hopalong Cassidy Western from producer Harry Sherman. Windy (George "Gabby" Hayes) makes the mistake of accusing the buyer, Lazy-J owner Tom Hamilton (Frederick Burton), of the theft, but Lucky (Russell Hayden) suspects the foreman Dave Talbot (Stanley Ridges). Hamilton is murdered, however, and Talbot has the perfect alibi: He was playing cards at the Mirage Bar where Hoppy (William Boyd) had gotten himself a job under the guise of being the noted gambler Bill Thompson. With Talbot not able to be in two places at the same time, the marshal (Jack Rockwell) has no choice but to arrest Lucky for murder. Silver on the Sage was Hopalong Cassidy series entry number 25. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The United States Air Force dropping bombs on decent, taxpaying ranchers is perhaps not your standard B-Western theme but that is exactly what happens in In Old Monterey. It's 1939 and war is breaking out in Europe. Fearing a possible invasion, the air force feels the urgent need to test its weaponry but the locals, lead by Gabby Whittaker (George "Gabby" Hayes), refuse to relocate and the government dispatches army attaché Gene Autry to contribute his special blend of musical persuasion. The patriotic populace is one thing, however, but Gene and sidekick Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) must also contend with greedy borax mining magnate Stevenson (Jonathan Hale) and his foreman Gilman (William Hall, who have a vested interest in keeping things exactly as they are. In the end, the villains are willing to commit murder to keep the military from taking over. Gene, Smiley and a hayseed congregation calling itself The Hoosier Hot Shots perform "It Happened in Monterey", "Born to the Saddle", "Little Pardner", "My Buddy", "The Vacant Chair", "It Looks Like Rain" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" in this uneven music Western/propaganda film restored by Gene Autry Entertainment in 2001. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
