King of the Cowboys

King of the Cowboys (1943)

*** (out of 4)

Once America entered WWII Hollywood starting throwing everything into a variety of war pictures. The biggest stars were cast in war movies and even fictional characters like Boston Blackie and Sherlock Holmes were placed into war pictures. Roy Rogers had the same fate and this thriller turned out to be one of his best pictures. Rogers is hired by the government to go undercover and try to locate some saboteurs who are blowing up warehouses throughout America. He finally tracks down the bad guy and must get involved in his fair to try and put a stop to him. The title pretty much tells you where Rogers was at during this portion of his career and seeing a cowboy in a WWII film might make you think it wouldn't work but the end result is very effective. Yes, the film still has that low-budget feel but for the most part the film contained a nice story, some fine performances and some great action. In regards to the action I'd say this probably contains more than any other film I've seen from the legend. We get a really exciting fight sequence where Rogers is in the back of a car when two men jump him. There's also an excellent sequence towards the end that I won't ruin but the gunfight is a lot of fun. There's also some fine laughs with a fake clairvoyant. As you'd expect, Rogers has no problem playing the good guy and the American, flag-waving is something is does with ease. The supporting cast includes Smiley Burnette adding great comic relief and Peggy Moran is good as the love interest. KING OF THE COWBOYS is a film that I think even those who hate "B" Westerns would enjoy. There's certainly a lot going on and yes there's some nice songs too.

If you like Roy, you will like this movie.It has a good story line about sabotage and Roy's under cover work to capture the saboteurs.Roy also sings some songs.Smiley Burnett does his usual fine act as a funny sidekick.I was surprised to see Gerald Mohr as a "BAD GUY" in a western.The movies and T.V.I have seen him in he usually plays a sophisticated type of character.If you don't blink your eyes,you will see Eddie Dean as a policeman who has been tied up in his patrol car.

Ya-hoo!

This is probably one of the best of the Roy Rogers Westerns from the 1940s.

By 1942 Roy Rogers' popularity as a "Singing Cowboy" had increased by leaps and bounds. With Gene Autry out of the picture and away on the war-effort in Europe, Republic Studios replaced him with Rogers.

Known as "Poverty Row", Republic took a big chance and doubled their usual skimpy budget on this picture. It was a gamble that paid off handsomely and made Roy Rogers a house-hold name and idol to Western movie fans everywhere.

In King Of The Cowboys, Roy Rogers sings a little, fights a little, and even loves a little. (well, sort of)

Rogers plays a government agent working undercover as a rodeo performer trying to infiltrate a ring of saboteurs. These bomb-crazy scoundrels are a ruthless bunch led by a phony-baloney carnival mind-reader.

All around the state of Arizona these villains are bombing warehouses, left, right, and center. It's now up to Roy Rogers to put a stop to their dastardly deeds.

Can Roy stop these nasty-minded criminals before another crime is committed? Watch and find out why Roy Rogers is called King Of The Cowboys!

And, Happy trails to you.....

Certainly not a western in the usual sense. In fact, horses aren't seen til the end, while there're many more suits than Stetsons. The programmer does manage a good flying fists sequence, but fast-shooting and hard-riding are at a bare minimum. There's little scenery, except for some familiar LA area locations. And likely, wartime restrictions discouraged shooting in Technicolor so we get b&w instead.

It's 1943, and I guess Republic wanted something contemporary having to do with the scheming Axis powers. But reviewer Plankton is right. The script is very poorly done, so it's hard to know who exactly who is up to what and why. There are some good moments such as action on the train trestle and some snappy audience lines during Mohr's psychic act. And that's along with a pretty good selection of western tunes, like Red River Valley. Of course, Mohr makes a first-rate baddie, and it's unusual to see short, stubby Corrigan in a serious part, a departure from his usual addle-pated comedic parts.

In my little book, it's a lesser Rogers entry, apparently before he met up with the sparkling Dale Evans or the golden stallion Trigger. But it should do for Rogers fans if you're not too insistent about your traditional westerns.

Roy apparently earns his title as King of the Cowboys by helping out Governor Russell Hicks of Texas track down a nest of Nazi saboteurs who are wreaking havoc across the Lone Star State. Did Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson know about this?

Herbert J. Yates put the best creative minds at Republic Pictures to work on this and they came up with a script that's a combination of The Thirty Nine Steps and This Is My Affair. Like the Robert Taylor MGM classic where he's a secret agent working directly and reporting to President McKinley because McKinley like Governor Hicks can't seem to trust anyone in his official capacity. And like The Thirty Nine Steps the key is Gerald Mohr with a carnival memory act. If you're going to borrow at least Yates felt you should borrow from the best. You can't do too much better than Alfred Hitchcock.

Roy gets a nice group of songs and I particularly liked the fact that he gets to sing I'm An Old Cowhand which in fact he had a hand in introducing seven years earlier. When Roy was just one of the Sons of the Pioneers who also appear in King of the Cowboys he backed Bing Crosby when he introduced the Johnny Mercer classic in Rhythm on the Range. Now Roy's a star and does a nice solo turn accompanying himself on the guitar.

While Republic's other big singing cowboy Gene Autry was off to war, Roy inherited for a while, Smiley Burnette who does his usual comedy bit.

Sadly though the film that gives Roy the title he was forever known by is a badly dated war propaganda flick that simply doesn't wear well or age well. The King had been better served by his subjects at Republic before and after this film. They'd also done worse by him as well.