Customer Reviews

Home in Oklahoma [VHS]

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Home in Oklahoma, 1946 film

The story begins with a song while the credits roll. Cowboys herd Hereford cattle. [Too many for this small herd?] Does a cow steal the scene between Gabby and Miss Jan? "Ricky is drowning!" A St. Louis newspaper is sending a reporter to Hereford Heaven. A modern diesel-electric engine with a "Railway Express Agency" wagon stops in town. The reporter detrains. An old printing press publishes their small weekly. Paying a bill with chickens. Editor Rogers gives reporter Connie Edwards a ride to the "Flying T" ranch. Sam Talbot made a will two months before his accident. Orphan Duke Lowery inherits the bulk of the estate! [Implications about his parentage?] Is there a clue in an old hymn book? [Who there reads it?] Are Jan and Steve in cahoots? "They can't prove anything."

Then there is a song for the audience. Shots ring out, two men outside Duke's window shot at him! They are pursued. One man is shot dead. Who is he? Tom Center was known to the sheriff. Will reporter Edwards go to jail? There is a song at the Breakfast Club. Duke rides Sam Talbot's white horse. What frightened this horse on the trail? Connie finds a clue about the time of death. Deboriah heard a whistle. Was this around the time of death? The Coroner doesn't like being questioned. The fight has some comedy. "We shore did." Jan learns what happened at the Coroner's office. The Hereford bulls are auctioned off at high prices. The men search for Duke. Jan deals with the undertaker. Can Roy and Gabby arrive in time to save Duke? There is a chase for action. Shots are fired at the Holloway ranch. There is a final conversation between Jan and Steve. Then Jan talks to Roy and Gabby. Can Roy catch the train and Steve? The sheriff arrests the guilty. Ricky recovers. There is a song to end the story.

Gabby has a more important role in this story. Roy Rogers played a wider range of characters in his movies. The use of a murdering villainess seems unusual for this series. Was it inspired by "Double Indemnity"? Murder for inheritance was rare in this series.

This I think is one of the better Roy Rogers B Westerns. But for my money I have viewed the Synergy print and it is not as good as the Marengo print which is offered as a double feature.Your best bet is Marengo Films in this case.

Republic Pictures presents "HOME IN OKLAHOMA" (8 November 1946) (72 mins/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 William Witney (Director), Edward J. White (Producer), Gerald Geraghty (Screenwriter), William Bradford (Cinematographer), Joseph Dubin (Composer (Music Score), Jack Elliott (Songwriter), Morton Scott (Musical Direction/Supervision / Composer (Music Score), Tim Spencer (Songwriter), Les Orlebeck (Editor), Frank Hotaling (Art Director), John McCarthy (Set Designer), Earl B. Wooden (Set Designer), Adele Palmer (Costume Designer), Bob Mark (Makeup) - - - - Our story line and plot, Roy as a small town newspaper editor, works with big city reporter Dale Evans to track down the killers of a local rancher --- William Witney's direction is evident in the fight scenes, especially the finale when roy and the villain battle on a rolling freight car --- Fistfight, Shootout and Chase all at the same time, makes for an exciting ending to a classic Rogers oater --- some wonderful tunes, MIGUELITO -- HOME IN OKLAHOMA -- I WISH I WAS A KID AGAIN -- THE EVERLASTING HILLS OF OKLAHOMA -- COWBOY HAM AND EGGS -- HEREFORD HEAVEN -- JAILHOUSE SONG -- BREAKFAST CLUB SONG.

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
George 'Gabby' Hayes ... Gabby Whittaker
Dale Evans ... Connie Edwards
Carol Hughes ... Jan Holloway
George Meeker ... Steve McClory
Lanny Rees ... Duke Lowery
Ruby Dandridge ... Devoria
George Lloyd ... Sheriff
Arthur Space ... Coroner Jud Judnick
Frank Reicher ... Jason (lawyer)
Flying 'L' Ranch Quartet ... Singers
Bob Nolan ... Bob Sons of the Pioneers
Sons of the Pioneers ... Musicians, Ranch hands
Doye O'Dell ... Doye, Sons of the Pioneers
Pat Brady ... Pat, Sons of the Pioneers
John Daheim ... Henchman
Hugh Farr ... Ranch hand / Violin player Sons of the Pioneers
Karl Farr ... Ranch hand / Singer Sons of the Pioneers
Lloyd Perryman ... Lloyd, 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

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "THE ROY ROGERS BOOK: A REFERENCE TRIVIA SCRAPBOOK" (Paperback) --- reference trivia scrapbook of Roy Rogers written by Western film historian David Rothel whose accounts of thrilling adventures of B-Western heroes during the Saturday matinees of yesteryear takes us back to our childhood, family and friends --- this is a wish come true, reliving those wonderful years from the past through the pen of David Rothel --- Roy was a top box office draw for Republic Pictures when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said --- plenty of thrills, action and hard riding with a song or two thrown in for good measure --- Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers" and elected again in 1988 as Roy Rogers "King of the Cowboys" --- Roy got his horse "Trigger" in 1938 and rode him in every one of his films and TV shows after that --- "Trigger" died in 1965 age of thirty-three --- Roy's dog's name was "Bullet" and appeared in almost as many of his films as "Trigger" did --- Roy's theme song, "Happy Trails", was written by Queen of the West and his wife Dale Evans --- inducted (with his wife Dale Evans) into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1976 --- inducted as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1995 just three years before his death --- Don't miss this one --- now appearing on Amazon and Empire Publishing --- Don't hesitate - rush out and pick up your copy today --- Great reading in the days and weeks to come --- I guarantee it!

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), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under DVD Com) 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: 72 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (9/20/2007)