ROY ROGERS-SONG OF THE PIONEERS (DVD) NLA DVD

Bells of San Angelo
The Bells of San Angelo was the second Republic Roy Rogers western to be filmed in the "new" Trucolor process (actually the old Magnacolor process). Set in the modern west, the story involves a silver-smuggling racket headed by rotten Rex Gridley (John McGuire). In a novel scripting touch, Roy Rogers doesn't outwit the villains-and in fact is soundly beaten by the bad guys halfway through the film. It's up to heroine Lee Madison (Dale Evans), a writer of fanciful cowboy novels, to save the day! By taking Roy Rogers off his "King of the Cowboys" pedestal, Bells of San Angelo succeeds in humanizing this western icon, and the film is all the better for it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Colorado
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

Robin Hood of the Pecos
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

Young Bill Hickok
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

Cast Roy Rogers as Himself Dale Evans as Lee Madison Andy Devine as Cookie John McGuire as Rex Gridley Olaf Hytten as Mr. Lionel Bates David Sharpe as Gus Ulrich Fritz Leiber as The Padre Hank Patterson as The Old Timer Eddie Acuff as Bus Driver Roy Rogers as Jerry Burke George "Gabby" Hayes as Gabby Pauline Moore as Lylah Sanford Milburn Stone as Capt. Stone Maude Eburne as Etta Mae Hal Taliaferro as Weaver Vester Pegg as Sam Fred Burns as Sheriff Harkins Lloyd Ingraham as Sanford Roy Rogers as Vance Corgin George "Gabby" Hayes as "Gabby" Hornaday Marjorie Reynolds as Jeanie Grayson Leigh Whipper as Kezeye Sally Payne as Belle Starr Eddie Acuff as Sam Starr Robert Strange as Cravens William Haade as Capt. Morgan Jay Novello as Stacy Roscoe Ates as Guffy Roy Rogers as Bill Hickok George "Gabby" Hayes as "Gabby" John Miljan as Nicholas Tower Sally Payne as Calamity Jane Archie Twitchell as Phillip Monte Blue as Marshal Evans Hal Taliaferro as Morrell Ethel Wales as Mrs. Stout Jack Ingram as Red Monte Montague as Major

Crew Joseph Kane - Director Les Orlebeck - Editor Cy Feuer - Musical Direction/Supervision William Nobles - Cinematographer Joseph Kane - Producer Olive Cooper - Screenwriter Norton S. Parker - Screenwriter Joseph Kane - Director Les Orlebeck - Editor Cy Feuer - Musical Direction/Supervision William Nobles - Cinematographer Joseph Kane - Producer Olive Cooper - Screenwriter Norton S. Parker - Screenwriter Joseph Kane - Director Les Orlebeck - Editor Cy Feuer - Musical Direction/Supervision William Nobles - Cinematographer Joseph Kane - Producer Olive Cooper - Screenwriter Norton S. Parker - Screenwriter Joseph Kane - Director Les Orlebeck - Editor Cy Feuer - Musical Direction/Supervision William Nobles - Cinematographer Joseph Kane - Producer Olive Cooper - Screenwriter Norton S. Parker - Screenwriter

Bells of San Angelo
(not reviewed)
 

Colorado
Although forever compared to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers was much more the action star than a musical performer, at least in his earlier vehicles which were usually set in the historical West as opposed to Autry's contemporary arena. He sings only one song in Colorado, a rather anonymous ditty by Peter Tinturin, and the occasion, recovering from a gunshot wound, seems natural enough. It is still a very green Roy Rogers that appears in Colorado but producer-director Joseph Kane surrounded him with a host of well-known Western players, some of whom, including Fred Burns, Vester Pegg, and Hal Taliaferro, dated back to the silent era. The latter dies with his eyes open, usually a no-no that somehow escaped the otherwise so vigilant Production Code Administration. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
 

Robin Hood of the Pecos
(not reviewed)
 

Young Bill Hickok
(not reviewed)
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo Additional Features: none specified DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: All Content Length: 234 min Part of Series: Vintage Movie Classics   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. The Night Rider [14:58] 2. Citizenship & Marital Law [12:40] 3. Trial of Purvis County [16:05] 4. Justify Martial Law [9:21] 1. San Francisco Harbor [9:05] 2. Gang Broken Up [5:54] 3. Overland Raiders [15:43] 4. The Gold Robbery [23:26] 1. Investigation [10:40] 2. Mr. Lee Madison [17:56] 3. Monarch Mine [10:35] 4. Return to the Mine [36:02] 1. Loyal American [10:37] 2. Union Gun's [9:54] 3. Trouble Around the Territory [8:23] 4. Searching for Evidences [24:16]