Customer Reviews

Under California Stars [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This release from UAV (United American Video) has very, very poor visual and sound quality. I suppose that is why the price is so low, but it's not worth watching. Find this good movie released by someone else like Republic Home Video or such.

Be forewarned....the very opening of the movie on this DVD has been truncated. The source for these transfers is evidently a program hosted by Roy and Dale in their later years. While I have no problem with the DVD's containing the intros, I did not pay for a movie that is not in its entirety...COMPLETE opening credits and all.

Secondly, the source is not good either. Roan Group did a much better job with their Roy Roger movie transfers.

In spite of being "Authorized by the Roy Rogers Estate"...which made me this a safe purchase....these Happy Trails Theatre DVD's are anything BUT high quality.

Nobody made Westerns like Republic. In "Under California Stars," Roy Rogers portrays a singing cowboy movie actor. Truly inspired casting. Roy discovers that evil horse hunters are trapping wild horses on his Double R Ranch. Roy frowns on this bad behavior. He beats up creepy bad guy House Peters, Jr. to stop him from abusing a captured horse. After Roy makes it plain that wild horse hunters are not welcome on his range, the outlaw gang kidnaps Trigger and holds the smartest horse in the movies for $100,000 ransom. The crooks in this little flick are dumber than usual. These B Westerns, filmed in TruColor, were Roy's last series of films before moving to TV in the 1950s. The Sons of the Pioneers pad the script with several musical numbers. Pre-Jingles Andy Devine is the comic relief ranch foreman, Cookie Bullfincher. He inflates the ranch payroll by hiring his lookalike, country bumpkin relatives. Triva Note: Michael Chapin is Lauren Chapin's brother. She was "Kathy" on the "Father Knows Best" TV show. Low-grade VHS editions do not help this film's technical qualities. Regardless, the movie is "G" rated fun for kids and nostalgia collectors. Saddle up and ride, pardner. ;-)

I recently purchased several " HAPPY TRAILS THEATER " Roy Rogers movies on dvd & I'm now doubting my better judgement. It was the AUTHORIZED BY THE ROY ROGERS ESTATE & DIGITALLY RESTORED statements that motivated my purchase...PLEASE, DO NOT FALL for this gimmick advertising. Maybe THE ROY ROGERS ESTATE doesn't know any better...but it should!!!
This is an extremely heavily edited version of a very good Republic Western. The dvd case states approx. 65min. Roy & Dale yak with director William Whitney for at least 10min. of that time cutting the film length to under an hour.
Now I have nothing against Roy & Dale recalling old times, actually I like it, but not if it means I have to watch a choppy version of UNDER CALIFORNIA STARS to compensate for time loss??? on a dvd???
GOODTIMES VIDEO/DVD took an old TV-edited version of Roy & Dale's HAPPY TRAILS THEATER PROGRAM and slapped it onto a dvd without restoring all the missing parts that had been cut out for commercials...you can easily spot the commercial " fades ".
The cuts & jumps were jarring & confusing...
Luckily I have a 20-MOVIE PACK of Roy Rogers films on 4-dvd's from MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT that has a version of UNDER WESTERN STARS listing at 70min. I put this version on right after watching the HAPPY TRAILS version and I must say that results were astounding!!!
MILL CREEK's is most likely as complete a version as you will find. Right from the BEGINNING...HAPPY TRAILS jumps into Roy fighting make-believe on a movie set...MILL CREEK starts the picture off with a great establishing shot of what is most likely REPUBLIC STUDIOS before Roy's intro...& all through the MILL CREEK version you catch a second here, a minute there, several complete scenes here and there. All the songs are intact as well including Roy & THE PIONEERS singing " DUST " at Roy's coming home party ( Roy ends the song with his great line " ...and may the good Lord take a likin' to you."...which, of course is all missing from the HAPPY TRAILS version ). Another missing song, the theme title " UNDER WESTERN STARS " sung duet by Roy & Jane Frazee also appears in the MILL CREEK version. To cut the title theme song is a statement in itself as to HAPPY TRAIL's lack of care in product presentation!!!
As for what version " LOOKS & SOUNDS BETTER ", you would have to be nit-picking to favor HAPPY TRAILS...both look fine for a Tru-Color film & the MILL CREEK version is just as acceptable.
For money value, the MILL CREEK 4-disc set is worth it alone for a MUCH MORE complete version of " UNDER WESTERN STARS " by about 20min & 2 songs.
However, MILL CREEK's version of " LIGHTS OF OLD SANTA FE " runs under 60min & is a cut version...so this is not a perfect world.
HAPPY TRAILS VERSION: 1 star.
MILL CREEK VERSION: 5 stars.
Compare them yourself, you'll see.

This is a must have for the Roy Rogers fan and collector. It's very suspenseful. It's when Trigger is stolen by a gang of outlaws and Roy and Andy Devine and the Sons of the Pioneers come to Trigger's rescue.

Republic Pictures presents "UNDER CALIFORNIA STARS" (1 May 1948) (70 mins/B&W/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 William Witney (Director), Edward J. White (Producer), Paul Gangelin (Screenwriter), Sloan Nibley (Screenwriter), Jack A. Marta (Cinematographer), Morton Scott (Musical Direction/Supervision / Composer (Music Score), Tony Martinelli (Editor), Frank Hotaling (Art Director), John McCarthy (Set Designer), George Milo (Set Designer), Bob Mark (Makeup), Howard Lydecker (Special Effects), Theodore Lydecker (Special Effects) - - - - Our story line and plot, The release of this film marked Rogers's tenth anniversary as a Western Film Star -- It has Roy and his cowhands wrangling with a gang of rustlers who kidnap Trigger and demand a ransom of $100,000 --- A close viewing of the film reveals a double being used for Rogers's trick horse mounts --- In this oater Roy plays exactly who he is, Roy Rogers, B western star --- Trigger is missing, every kid in America would have been up in arms over this had word got out --- Roy takes things into his own hands in ferreting out the criminals. They are in fact a pretty scurvy lot, busy double-crossing each other as you will see when you watch the film --- There are darker elements serve to counterbalance the song and comic interludes. The lead villains here are authentically crusty, hefty western types, well played by George Lloyd and Wade Crosby --- Andy Devine provides the comedy relief, a role that would be taken by Gordon Jones and Pat Brady in future Rogers westerns. Singer-actress Jane Frazee is the female lead, playing a cousin of Cookie who comes to the ranch to train horses. The catchy title song is heard more than once, culminating in a lovely duet performed by Roy and Jane --- some wonderful tunes, UNDER CALIFORNIA STARS -- ROOTIN' TOOTIN' ROGERS:KING OF THE COWBOYS -- SERENADE TO A COYOTE -- LITTLE SADDLE PAL -- DUST.

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
Jane Frazee ... Caroline Bullfincher
Andy Devine ... Cookie Bullfincher / Alf Bullfincher
George Lloyd ... Pop Jordan (as George H. Lloyd)
Wade Crosby ... Lige McFarland
Michael Chapin ... Ted Carver
House Peters Jr. ... Henchman Ed
Steve Clark ... Sheriff
Joseph A. Garro ... John the Banker (as Joseph Garro)
Paul Power ... Movie Director Paul
John Wald ... KTX Radio Announcer
Bob Nolan ... Bob (Sons of the Pioneers)
Sons of the Pioneers ... Musicians, Ranch hands
Pat Brady ... Pat, Sons of the Pioneers
Hugh Farr ... Fiddler (Sons of the Pioneers)
Karl Farr ... Singer (Sons of the Pioneers)
Doye O'Dell ... Doye, Sons of the Pioneers
Lloyd Perryman ... Singer (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. Andy Devine
Date of Birth: 7 October 1905, Flagstaff, Arizona
Date of Death: 18 February 1977, Orange, California

3. William Witney (Director)
Date of Birth: 15 May 1915 - Lawton, Oklahoma
Date of Death: 17 March 2002 - Jackson, 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) 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: 70 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (5/22/2007)