2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very Little From The Western Genre Larder Is Left Out Of This Lively Work., February 5, 2008
This review is from: Rough Riders Roundup [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The fifth film in which Roy Rogers is given the leading role, this low-budget Republic Pictures production places Roy and a group of comrades, all freshly mustered from the United States Army in 1899, following service in Cuba with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, and still bulging with aggressive energy, as they join en masse the (not yet in existence) United States Border Patrol, assigned to the wild and woolly Arizona territory. Since this is, after all, a Roy Rogers picture, i.e., one that includes musical interludes, the entire contingent of stalwarts breaks into an a cappella rendition of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" as they first appear at a Border Patrol outpost where their station commanding officer assigns his new charges with effecting the apprehension of a mysterious "Arizona Jack" and his gang who are preying upon Territorial businesses and then fleeing across the international border into Mexico. The plot is pleasingly intricate and director/producer Joseph Kane, at the helm for his initial Rogers movie, includes as much as he can of Jack Natteford's screenplay before the dollars run out, with a viewer being treated to a well edited, crisply-paced affair, loaded with gunplay, fisticuffs, skillful horsemanship and stuntwork; there is even an abducted heroine. Scenes of dramatic action are halted twice to allow for musical interludes, first as Roy sings "Ridin' Down the Trail" and, later while behind bars, he serenades the lady he loves (Lynne Roberts playing as Mary Hart) who is confined to an adjacent cell, warbling "Here on the Range With You", accompanying himself by strumming upon a guitar. Raymond Hatton is Rusty Coburn, playing as Roy's sidekick, having succeeded Smiley Burnette for that honour, he himself soon supplanted by Gabby Hayes. There are numerous familiar Western genre players to be seen here, with George Chesebro being a particular standout as Arizona Jack's primary henchman. Kane's able direction provides for effective and vivid narrative pacing. Originally 58 minutes long, the film was competently edited down to 54 minutes for its television showings and video releases.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Roy Rogers Series ... Rough Riders Round-Up (1939) ... Republic", June 30, 2009
Republic Pictures presents "ROUGH RIDERS ROUND-UP" (13 March 1939) (58 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 the production staff of:
Joseph Kane - Director & Associate Producer
Jack Natteford - Screenwriter
William Lava - Original Music
Joseph Nussbaum- Original Music
Jack A. Marta - Cinematographer
Lester Orlebeck - Film Editor
Our story line and plot, When Roy (Roy Rogers), Rusty (Raymond Hatton), and Tommy (Eddie Acuff) join the Border Patrol, Tommy gets killed in a saloon fight by Arizona Jack (William Pawley). Suspended from duty, Roy and Rusty cross the border looking for the killer --- Arizona Jack and mining engineer Lanning are running a gold smuggling racket and when Roy and Rusty find Arizona's hideout, his gang captures them and they are slated to be killed --- Roy Rogers has the uncanny ability to walk into any situation, no matter how grim, and pick up a guitar to sing a song. This happens twice in Roundup - first in the unfriendly environs of the local cantina, and then again when captured and secured in Arizona Jack's bandit hideout --- Scenes of dramatic action are halted twice to allow for musical interludes, first as Roy sings "Ridin' Down the Trail" and, later while behind bars, he serenades the lady he loves (Lynne Roberts playing as Mary Hart) who is confined to an adjacent cell, warbling "Here on the Range With You", accompanying himself by strumming upon a guitar --- Raymond Hatton is Rusty Coburn, playing as Roy's sidekick, having succeeded Smiley Burnette for that honor, he himself soon supplanted by Gabby Hayes. There are numerous familiar Western genre players to be seen here, with George Chesebro being a particular standout as Arizona Jack's primary henchman. Kane's able direction provides for effective and vivid narrative pacing.
the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
Lynne Roberts ... Dorothy Blair (as Mary Hart)
Raymond Hatton ... Rusty Coburn
Eddie Acuff ... Tommy Ward
William Pawley ... Arizona Jack Moray
Dorothy Sebastian ... Rose
George Meeker ... George Lanning
Guy Usher ... Mr. Blair
Hank Bell ... Border Patrolman
Fred Burns ... First Stage Driver
George Chesebro ... Henchman Mosby
Jim Corey ... Henchman
Art Dillard ... Rough Rider
Frank Ellis ... Waiter
Al Haskell ... Henchman
I. Stanford Jolley ... Cantina Barfly
Jack Kirk ... Jim Horn
Chris-Pin Martin ... Ramon
John Merton ... Border Patrolman Messenger
Art Mix ... Patrolman
George Montgomery ... Post Telegrapher Joe
Bud Osborne ... Henchman
Fred Parker ... Post Clerk
Pascale Perry ... Cantina Barfly
Duncan Renaldo ... Don Enriguez - the Alcade
Jack Rockwell ... Captain Grover Harrison
Glenn Strange ... Henchman Boggs
Eddy Waller ... Undetermined Role
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. Raymond Hatton (aka: Raymond William Hatton)
Date of Birth: 7 July 1887 - Red Oak, Iowa
Date of Death: 21 October 1971 - Palmdale, California
If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western features by Roy Rogers:
ROY ROGERS WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT:
Vol 1: Under California Stars & Bells of San Angelo (VCI #8345)
Vol 2: Arizona Kid & Ridin' Down the Canyon (VCI #7214)
Vol 3: In Old Cheyenne & Robin Hood of the Pecos (VCI #7239)
Vol 4: Far Frontier & Yellow Rose of Texas (VCI #7258)
ROY ROGERS WESTERN FEATURES FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT:
1. BELLS OF ROSARITA (VCI #7216)
2. HOME IN OKLAHOMA (VCI #7217)
3. IDAHO (VCI #7211)
CLASSIC WESTERNS -SINGING COWBOYS FOUR FEATURE:
1. Colorado Sundown, The Big Show, Come On Rangers, Wild Country (VCI #5525)
Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above titles as many are not available on Amazon as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment...if you enjoyed this collection, why not pick up other copies of Roy Rogers Double Features.
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), Buck Rainey (The Life & Films of Buck Jones) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow Western Classics --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 58 min on DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (05/15/2007)
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