1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
this review applies only to amazon ASIN: B00022LICK, December 14, 2010
This review is from: Out California Way (DVD)
This review applies only to the Good Times Video DVD and its VHS counterpart in the "Happy Trails Theatre" series. The rating applies to the DVD, not the movie itself.
OUT CALIFORNIA WAY (Republic Pictures, 1946) is a singing cowboy western starring Monte Hale in which Roy Rogers and Dale Evans make a brief cameo appearance. It was filmed in TruColor, a primitive color process that today has a certain antique-looking charm. It is the first of 19 TruColor pictures that Roy and Dale appeared in. The film is preceded by the statement "This vintage material has been preserved on DVD in its original form, using the best available elements." That statement is false. The evidence is the transfer itself. Although the DVD is in TruColor and boasts one of Good Times Video's better transfers, the picture quality is dim, muddy, blurry, and appears to be sourced from a dirty, damaged and heavily-used 16mm dupe.
According to the cover art, the film runs 65 minutes. Another false statement. The AFI database and imdb list the correct length at 67 minutes. The actual length of the film on this DVD is 53 minutes, meaning 14 minutes are hacked out of the film, causing distracting jumps in sound and picture, and rendering the continuity senseless. Republic routinely cut their singing cowboy films to 53 minutes for sale to television in the mid-1950s, supplying the networks with hastily developed 16mm dupes shortened to fill an hour-long time slot that also had 7 minutes of commercials. Obviously, Good Times Video transferred the inferior television version to DVD and its VHS counterpart. Hardly "preserved in its original form from the best available elements" while clean, sharp 35mm elements remain carefully preserved in Republic Pictures' vaults. The fact that this was done with the approval and participation of the Roy Rogers Family Trust (his heirs) makes it all the more sad for the fans.
There is no option on the DVD menu to watch "Happy Trails Theatre" apart from the film. This nostalgic chat between Roy, Dale and Iron Eyes Cody, videotaped in the late 1980s starts automatically when you push "play movie." It is used to pad out the running time of the film and to give the misleading impression that Roy Rogers endorses the inferior transfer.
The entire "Happy Trails Theatre" series on Good Times Video consists of cut films and hideous transfers. The series is not up to professional standards. Roy Rogers deserves better, and so do his fans who shell out their hard-earned money. Nothing can destroy the enduring legacy of a star and a role model more effectively than disseminating a product that undermines the quality of his work and makes him look like a cheat.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Roy Rogers B-Western Series ... Out California Way (1946) ... Republic Pictures ", November 2, 2007
This review is from: Out California Way (DVD)
Republic Pictures presents "OUT CALIFORNIA WAY" (5 December 1946) (64 mins/Color) (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 Lesley Selander (Director), Louis Gray (Producer), Betty Burbridge (Screenwriter), Barry Shipman (Short Story Author), Bud Thackery (Cinematographer), Nathan Scott (Composer (Music Score), Charles Craft (Editor), Hilyard M. Brown (Art Director), John McCarthy (Set Designer), Otto Siegel (Set Designer), Adele Palmer (Costume Designer - - - - Our story line and plot, A young cowboy Monte Hale tries to become a film star but encounters opposition from a crooked actor --- Befriending a young boy who has a horse he wants to get into the movies also --- Hale used the horse and eventually becomes a star --- Roy with other Republic western stars makes a guest appearance in this feature --- Roy and Dale are probably the best part of the film when they did a song together and then rode off on their horses --- Allan "Rocky" Lane has a cameo and Don "Red" Barry too, they were a favorite of mine as a kid --- Must recommend the Happy Trails DVD's to you --- Each one has new information about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and each actor or director in the film --- If you are a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans fan like me you will totally enjoy all the extra footage showing Roy and Dale going to parades and visiting children in hospitals, the story of Roy proposing marriage to Dale, and more inside info also about the family --- Each film starts out with Roy and Dale seated on a small stage back around 1987 talking about the sagebrush films they are showing --- some wonderful tunes, RIDIN' DOWN THE SUNSET TRAIL -- OUT CALIFORNIA WAY -- LITTLE BRONC OF MINE -- ROSE OF SANTA FE -- RIDE ON COWBOY -- BOOGIE WOOGIE COWBOY - DETOUR.
the cast includes
Monte Hale ... Monte Hale
Lorna Gray ... Gloria McCoy (as Adrian Booth)
Robert Blake ... Danny McCoy (as Bobby Blake)
John Dehner ... Rod Mason
Nolan Leary ... George Sheridan
Fred Graham ... Ace Carter
Tom London ... Johnny Archer
Jimmy Starr ... Jimmy Starr, Radio Commentator
Edward Keane ... E.J. Pearson
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers ... Boy Choir (as St. Luke's Choristers)
Foy Willing ... Foy Willing
Riders of the Purple Sage ... The Riders of the Purple Sage
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
Dale Evans ... Dale Evans
Allan Lane ... Allan Lane
Don 'Red' Barry ... Donald Barry (as Donald Barry)
Brooks Benedict ... Cameraman
Ed Cassidy ... Dr. Wilson DVM
Jack Kirk ... Tom, movie scene cowboy
Ken Terrell ... Movie Scene Sheriff
Robert J. Wilke ... Nate, Assistant director
BIOS:
1. Monte Hale (aka: Buren Ely)
Date of Birth
8 June 1919 - San Angelo, Texas
Date of Death: Still Living
2. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Date of Birth: 5 November 1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of Death: 6 July 1998 - Apple Valley, California
3. Dale Evans (aka: Frances Octavia Smith)
Date of Birth: 31 October 1912, Uvalde, Texas
Date of Death: 7 February 2001, Apple Valley, California
4. Allan Lane (aka: Harry Leonard Albershart)
Date of Birth22 September 1909 - Mishawaka, Indiana
Date of Death: 27 October 1973 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
5. Don 'Red' Barry (aka: Donald Barry De Acosta)
Date of Birth: 11 January 1912 - Houston, Texas,
Date of Death: 17 July 1980 - Hollywood, California
6. Lesley Selander (Director)
Date of Birth: 26 May 1900 - Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: 5 December 1979 - Los Alamitos, 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: 64 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (7/13/2004)
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