SYNOPSIS:
Cattleman Gabby Whittaker [George “Gabby” Hayes] is tried and immediately acquitted of the murder of sheep herder Matt Delaney [John Ince]. Fearing a range war between Ramshead Sheep Ranch and the Whirligig Cattle Syndicate, Frank Wilson [Edward Keane] sends Roy Rogers out to attempt to smooth things over.
Meanwhile, Jill Delaney [Dale Evans] is fuming mad over the invasion of cattlemen on her ranch and vows to return to San Francisco if nothing is done. Rogers attempts to end the feud with Delaney, but her ranch hand Kate [Elisabeth Risdon] isn’t convinced of Rogers’ hospitable nature.
A party is held at the local cantina, where Roy hopes to schmooze with Jill. However, at the same time, some men shoot Hampshire Prince, Delaney’s prized ram. Once this information is relayed to Jill, a brawl ensues in the cantina between the cattlemen and the sheep herders. Jill decides enough is enough and heads into town to meet with lawyer Gregory [Dennis Hoey], but her car goes haywire and falls in to a nearby body of water, with Rogers diving in to save her.
Rogers requests a job on Jill’s range so that he can get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings on the Ramshead. As it turns out, the snake in the grass orchestrating these occurrences is Gregory, who seeks to gain control over the Delaney ranch.
Roy puts all the pieces together and rides off to have it out with Gregory, with the cattlemen giving chase. Rogers catches up with Gregory back at the Delaney Ranch and a battle ensues between the cattlemen and Gregory’s men. Rogers and Gregory stalk each other until Kate intervenes and gets the drop on Gregory.
REVIEW:
It was inevitable that I would get around to reviewing a picture featuring the legendary Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes and “Roll On Texas Moon” did not disappoint – and one does not have to look any further to see why the trio is still revered among western fans today. In the name of full disclosure, I admit that this was not my first exposure to Rogers’ work, but it was my first pleasant experience with the iconic singing cowboy. Rogers was known as the “King of the Cowboys” and it isn’t difficult to see why – he displays ample amounts of charm and charisma and instantly wins one over with the very first scene he appears in.
Rogers, born Leonard Slye, was a multi-talented individual who could not only brawl and ride, which were the basic necessities of a screen cowboy, but he also made for a stellar leading man opposite his future wife Dale Evans, with whom he shares the wonderful title song. Indeed, the two were just as iconic a screen duo as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and were just as talented, if not more. Rogers came to movies in 1935, worked opposite fellow singing cowboy Gene Autry and founded the musical group “The Sons of the Pioneers,” who feature prominently in “Roll on Texas Moon.”
It can be argued that Rogers was the most iconic of the “B” level cowboys as he not only had his own line of action figures, but also had his own novels, playsets and comics. In fact, Rogers was second only to Walt Disney in merchandising. The couple also had their own television series, which always ended with the tune “Happy Trails,” which was written by Evans.
Rogers and Evans were outspoken Christians and were well known for their social outreach and charity programs, which saw them help numerous homeless and handicapped children around the country. Additionally, they also adopted several children. Overall, Rogers was not only a brilliant screen personality, but also a stellar human being offscreen.
Adding to the proceedings in “Roll on Texas Moon” is George “Gabby” Hayes, one of, if not THE most iconic of the western sidekicks. Hayes is delightful and whimsical, even in a grave sequence where he threatens to shoot Evans’ adorable pet lamb Taffy, whom follows him throughout the film. When you think of the “old coots” of the west, you think immediately of Hayes, his white beard and expressions like “yer darn tootin’,” “dadgummit” and “consarn it!” Like Rogers and Evans, Hayes had success on the small screen with “The Gabby Hayes Show,” which lasted for four years on NBC.
“Roll On Texas Moon” features enough slam-bang action to thrill you, while also hosting a bevy of memorable and enjoyable songs to keep your toes tapping. This is golden age material, as good as it gets!