San Fernando Valley

Mr. Kenyon is having problems. His employees mostly sit around singing with his young daughter (Jean Porter)--a problem typical to most ranches. So, he fires his employees and his older daughter (Dale Evans) hires a bunch of woman to run the place. At the same time, Roy has come into town and gets run over by Dale and conked over the head and robbed. So, his trail naturally is to the Kenyon spread--to woo Dale and find the thieves.

This film has a lot in common with Roy Rogers' other movies. It's set out west--but in a weird modern one with cars, telephones and the like. When Dale meets him, she hates him--only to eventually be won over by the rugged and virtuous Rogers! He also has a dopey sidekick--though instead of the familiar Gabby Hays, he's got the more larcenous but equally unattractive Edward Gargan. Gargan isn't the women-hater that Gabby usually plays but he's enjoyable nonetheless. And, of course, there's Trigger who manages once again to save the day. Familiar...but also enjoyable.

In the 1950s, most of Roy Rogers' films were hacked apart in order to make them fit into a one-hour time slot. Because of this, many of his films (particularly those in the public domain) have been truncated severely. Oddly, in many cases they left in all the songs--making the pacing of the films rather poor. Fortunately, "San Fernando Valley" is not one of these shortened films--and the pacing is much, much better. Instead of the usual song-chocked movie, this one actually has a bit more story and doesn't seem so rushed. It's not at all a great film but (the acting and writing are rather broad) it's a bit better than the average Rogers film. For fans of the genre, it's well worth seeing. For others, it might seem a bit silly and predictable (which they are....but that's part of their old fashioned charm). Plus, the weird orange dance number at the end is pretty weird--and something that might throw off potential fans, as it's MEGA-weird now that I think about it!!

On a review of another of the co-starring westerns of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans I remarked that the banter between the two of them was a kind of red state Tracy and Hepburn. Some of the comedic banter here is a bit more forced and the comedy more physical in San Fernando Valley. It was more like Cagney and Davis in The Bride Came COD. Not that that was bad.

Remembering that this was a film made for the kiddie trade so some of the goofiness of the plot is somewhat forgivable. Dale Evans and Jean Porter are the granddaughters of Andrew Toombes and Jean's one flirtatious young lady. Instead of doing their work, the cowhands on the ranch played by Sons of the Pioneers are busy serenading her. So Toombes loses patience and fires the whole lot of them, including a pair of no goods played by LeRoy Mason and Charles Smith.

Well Dale decides to strike a blow for feminism and to replace the Sons of the Pioneers with some female cowhands led by Dot Farley. Remember this was the war years of Rosie the Riveteer and I can imagine this film must have really struck a responsive note with the swingshift crowd.

Of course Jean misses the guys and decides on a scheme where the Sons of the Pioneers steal Toombes's horses and then the idea is to recover them so everyone can see how valuable the men are. Of course Smith and Mason decide to take advantage of the scheme for their own profit and its up to Roy Rogers to stop them.

Even Trigger gets into the act when Rogers tackles two bad guys jumping off of Trigger. Trigger keeps one at bay while Roy subdues the other. What a horse.

Roy and Dale are in great voice singing the title song and a host of others. The big hit record of Gordon Jenkins's classic was done by Bing Crosby, one of Der Bingle's biggest wartime sellers.

And Roy and Dale even get their first screen kiss here to the consternation of millions of kids out there who thought Roy violating the cowboy code as set down by Gene Autry.

During this period a lot of Roy's films were given big musical productions, as big as Republic and Herbert J. Yates would have them. The seven minute finale includes the title song and others from the score and has singing and dancing you might more associate with Busby Berkeley.

Now that definitely violates the cowboy code.

In order to enjoy San Fernando Valley you must watch the uncut version. It is a shame that they cut Roy's movies to 54 minutes for TV. Most of the time they cut out some great musical numbers and songs. This movie has Dale Evans (her first year in the Roy Rogers movies), Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers, Jean Porter and of course Trigger. They have an excellent musical number at the end with loads of catchy tunes and dancers. Most of Roy's movies are available uncut but you must search for them. Don't watch the 54 minute versions. One highlight of the movie is when Roy sings "How Could Anyone Be Sweeter Than You" To Dale and the Pioneers singing "Over The Rainbow Trail" to the girls around the swimming pool.

The plot's mostly incidental to the characters, mainly about baddies stealing horses so men can replace women as ranch hands, after the guys have been fired and replaced by gals. Naturally Roy goes after the stealers, that is, when cutie Porter's not making big-eyes at him. If that sounds like a wacky plot, it is, wacky but fun.

That Hollywood opening of dancers on a sound stage had me wondering if I'd hit the wrong button. But the narrative quickly and cleverly recovers. No, it ain't a formula oater, but it is lively with lots of eye-candy for the guys. And that's along with lots of hard riding and flying fists, but little fast shooting. In fact, Roy's minus guns and holsters for the most part.

Nonetheless, things move along at a rapid clip, along with some nice touches. There's Trigger winning a fist-fight proving hooves are tougher than fists, plus a burly, loud mouth woman (Farley) who sent me under the bed, and that's along with a clever blending of old west and new.

Anyway, it's a fun way to pass an hour with Roy, Dale, Trigger, and teenage Shirley Temple look-a-like, Jean Porter. So giddy-up horsey, let's go.