Customer Reviews

Along the Navajo Trail [VHS]

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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Although the box lists this title as a 60 minute video, it is actually a full length version with a running time of 65 minutes. That makes this video unique in this regard as previous releases have been the 54 minute TV version. Although not quite as good as some of the other Republic video releases in this series, the picture quality is above average with very good sound quality. This 1945 release is in the era when "Gabby" Hayes and Dale Evans co-starred with Roy. Highly recommended for the Roy Rogers' collector.

The end of the War and the movie industry starts booming.Roy's Movies now pickup a more mature stories,that show how the singing cowboy help rid the U.S.A. of unsavory characters.Indians come to Roy's rescue because he is one of them also. Lets look at the cast,Gabby,Dale, Estelita,Barcroft,the Sons of the Pioneers,when this movie first got rated it only received a three star rating. Review this movie and tell me it don't rate a FOUR STAR RATING.

I bought this DVD looking forward to hearing the songs in it but alas no music. Even the Gypsy scene was cut short and no music. This is supposed to be the authorized version by the Roy Rogers Estate and there's no music? Very disappointing. What a waste of money.

My husband and I grew up with Roy Rogers as our hero. We especially like the song "Cool Water", which the description said was one of the songs on this DVD. It was NOT! Nowhere on this DVD was "Cool Water"!!

All in all, I would have to say we still enjoyed the movie and all of the extras that came with it and we would not return it for anything. We loved every minute of that DVD and will watch it many times in the years to come.

This classic Roy Rogers tale also stars Dale Evans. In this DVD version you even have an intro scene where these two talk about the movie and a few parts of it that they enjoyed.

Roy is a US Marshall trying to track down wrong-doers. He hangs out at a local ranch, falling for the rancher's daughter. In the meantime, a group of gypsies come into town, and the usual cat-fight erupts between the rancher girl and the gypsy girl over the handsome marshall. There are numerous jokes at the gypsies expense.

Roy eventually figures out who the bad guys are, and what they are up to. He saves the day in a manly yet kid-friendly manner.

These are classics in terms of being family friendly, with a light comedy aspect and little actual bloodshed or cursing. That all being said, for a "Navajo Trail" title, where are the Indians? Where are the Mexicans? All you have are very clean cut Westerners, and a few Spanish Gypsies. I would have loved the story to include more cultures, more of the melting pot of this region. I realize that Roy Rogers was "clean cut fun" - but there's no harm in a movie being a bit educational, too, about the region it covers. It was almost like the Disney World version of what the Wild West was all about.

Republic Pictures presents "ALONG THE NAVAJO TRAIL" (15 December 1945) (62 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye) moved to California in 1930, at the age of 18 --- played in such musical groups as The Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws and his own group, the International Cowboys --- In 1934 he formed a group with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer called "Sons of the Pioneers" --- While in that group he was known as Leonard Slye, then Dick Weston and finally Roy Rogers --- Their songs included "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" --- They first appeared in the western "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), starring Bing Crosby --- In 1937 Roy went solo and made his first starring film in 1938, "Under Western Stars" (1938) --- He made almost 100 films --- then came television, "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951) ran on CBS from October 1951 through September 1964.

Under the production staff of:
Frank McDonald - Director
Gerald Geraghty - Screenplay screenplay
William Colt MacDonald - novel "Sleepy Horse Range"
Edward J. White - Associate Producer
William Bradford - Cinematographer
Tony Martinelli - Film Editor

The story line and plot, U.S. Deputy Marshal Roy Rogers investigates the disappearance of a government agent who has come to Dale's father's Ladder A Ranch --- Now the heavies in our film want the land the ranch sits on because they know an oil pipeline is planned through this location --- Watch two great actors in B-Westerns Roy Barcroft and Douglas Fowley do their worst to keep Roy and the Sons of the Pioneers on their toes --- Not to mention some beautiful scenery with Dale Evans and Estelita Rodriguez to keep our minds off some of the action --- Listen to the wonderful tunes, COOL WATER -- ALONG THE NAVAJO TRAIL -- HOW'RE YOU DOING IN THE HEART DEPARTMENT -- SAVIN' FOR A RAINY DAY -- IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME -- TWENTY ONE YEARS IS A MIGHTY LONG TIME -- FREE AS THE WIND

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
George 'Gabby' Hayes ... Gabby Whittaker
Dale Evans ... Lorry Alastair
Estelita Rodriguez ... Narita
Douglas Fowley ... J. Richard Bentley
Nestor Paiva ... Janza
Sam Flint ... Breck Alastair
Emmett Vogan ... Roger Jerrold
Roy Barcroft ... Rusty Channing
David Cota ... Lani
Ed Cassidy ... Sheriff Clem Wagner (as Edward Cassidy)
Bob Nolan ... Bob Nolan (leader, Sons of the Pioneers)
Sons of the Pioneers ... Musicians (as Bob Nolan and The Sons of the Pioneers)
Doye O'Dell ... Doye, Sons of the Pioneers
Hank Bell ... Old-timer
Budd Buster ... Telegrapher
Ken Carson ... Sons of the Pioneers
Hugh Farr ... Sons of the Pioneers
Karl Farr ... Sons of the Pioneers
Shug Fisher ... Sons of the Pioneers
Tim Spencer ... Tim, Sons of the Pioneers

BIOS:
1. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Date of Birth: 5 November 1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of Death: 6 July 1998 - Apple Valley, California

2. Dale Evans (aka: Frances Octavia Smith)
Date of Birth: 31 October 1912, Uvalde, Texas
Date of Death: 7 February 2001, Apple Valley, California

3. George 'Gabby' Hayes (aka: George Francis Hayes)
Date of Birth: 7 May 1885 - Wellsville, New York
Date of Death: 9 February 1969 - Burbank, California

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") -- as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with musical adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Amazon where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 62 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (6/24/2003)