Customer Reviews

Under Western Stars

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This is the first Movie that Leonard Sly starred in as Roy Rogers and rode Trigger. It is a must have for a RR fan and collector. It Premeried in my Hometown Dallas, Texas, 1939. They say Gene Autry did not show up for this, or possibly another, movie at Republic Pictures so Roy was promoted from a member of the Sons of The Pioneers and a bit actor to Star, to give Gene some competition. It didn't bother Gene much, he still made more pictures and recorded more songs that Roy. Obviously I am a fan of them both. Some say Gene was going into the army at this time and flying supply planes. Roy appeare in many of Gene's films previous to this movie.

Alpha Video is following the lead of other public domain distributors and has added watermarks to this movie. This is unacceptable to me. I pay for a theatrical movie and I don't want watermarkes in the film. I will not be purchasing 2009 Alpha products until the watermarks are discontinued. The video transfer of this film is very good, by the way. Who cares, the watermarks ruin the movie for me.

Republic Pictures present "UNDER WESTERN STARS" (20 April 1938) (54 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- relive those thrilling days when Roy Rogers took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement every time --- the Roy Rogers series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s --- don't miss any of the Roy Rogers features loaded with action that will leave you wanting more of his B-Western adventures.

Under Joseph Kane (Director), Sol C. Siegel (Producer), Betty Burbridge (Screenwriter), Dorrell McGowan (Screenwriter), Stuart E. McGowan (Screenwriter), Jack A. Marta (Cinematographer), Edward Cherkose (Songwriter), Alberto Colombo (Musical Direction/Supervision), Jack Lawrence (Songwriter / Composer (Music Score), Johnny Marvin (Songwriter / Composer (Music Score), Charles Rosoff (Composer (Music Score). Peter Tinturin (Songwriter / Composer (Music Score), Les Orlebeck (Editor - - - - - - Our story line and plot, Roy Rogers' first starring role (originally intended for Gene Autry) casts him as a Western Congressman who goes to bat in Washington for "Dust Bowl" victims --- supporting cast of Smiley Burnette and Carol Hughes --- Roy must bring water to the ranchers in his district, but needs the backing of a key congressman --- the inspection party becomes stranded so Roy can show them the true conditions --- some wonderful tunes, "Dust," "Send My Mail To The County Jail," "Back In The Backwoods," "Rogers For Congressman," and "When A Cowboy Sings A Song."

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Smiley Burnette ... Frog
Carol Hughes ... Eleanor Fairbanks
Maple City Four ... Musicians
Guy Usher ... John Fairbanks
Tom Chatterton ... Congressman Edward H. Marlowe
Kenneth Harlan ... Richards
Alden 'Stephen' Chase ... Tom Andrews (as Alden Chase)
Brandon Beach ... Senator Wilson
Earl Dwire ... Mayor Biggs
Jean Fowler ... Mrs. Wilson
Dora Clement ... Mrs. Marlowe (as Dora Clemant)
Dick Elliott ... William P. Scully
Burr Caruth ... Larkin
Slim Whitaker ... Tremaine (as Charles Whitaker)
Jack Rockwell ... Sheriff
Frankie Marvin ... Deputy Pete

BIOS:
1. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Birth Date: 11/05/1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: 7/06/1998 - Apple Valley, California

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 --- Roy was a member of several music groups named the Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws, and his own group, the International Cowboys --- then came 1934 he formed a group with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer called the 'Sons of the Pioneers' --- he was known as Leonard Slye, then Dick Weston, and finally Roy Rogers...in 1937 Roy went solo and made his first starring film in "Under Western Stars" (1938), featuring Smiley Burnette (Gene Autry's old sidekick), Earle Dwire, Jack Rockwell, Earle Hodgins, Jack Ingram and of course Trigger 'the smartest horse in the movies' --- Roy appeared in almost 100 films --- then came television with "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951) ran on CBS television network from October 1951 through September 1964.

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 --- 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 aged 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.

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 deadly 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: 54 min on DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (11/13/2006)

A dispute between Autry and his stidio launched Roy Rogers carrer as a star. Under Western Stars is what I call a New Deal western, and Autry made several of them. The themes concern ranching and other out of door
western businesses, and attempts by Roosevelt to change and modernize
certain traditional but harmful methods. This one concerns itself with the need for federal conrol of water usage in the West. The song "Dust", effectively used in the story, waswritten by Gene Autry and may well be his best. I rate it with Cool Water and Tumbelin Tumbleweeds. After Autry
returned to the fold, Rogers went on with straight westerns, not musicals.