Bells of San Angelo

It's been years since I've saw several number of Roy R.'s movies made in the late 40's and 50's, when they were made in color, and got this lately to see again. It always has bothered my acceptance to suspend reality to believe that practices of the pioneer days of the old west was continued, as related in the plots as still practiced in the 1940's: having buses and modern autos involved and yet chasing around on horses shooting at each other. In other words, mixing the to time period's just didn't fit and somewhat ruined some of it all for me. It made it slightly "hokey(?)" At least this movie restrained from using certain elements in the plot, which therefore made it barely feasible that all this possibly could have happened in the more modern times. Overall, I liked it and when over, I felt rather "uplifted" partially because of the good songs it contained.

Roy Rogers and sheriff/sidekick Andy Devine investigate the death of an alleged thief, who was supposedly shot in the act of ripping off a villain's silver-mine. Meanwhile, western-fiction writer Dale Evans comes to town under an assumed name and has to deal with Roy's patronizing of her work.

A mildly entertaining, loosely plotted Roy Rodgers picture, Bells Of San Angelo is good fun, with high production values (at least for a Republic Pictures Saturday matinée western).

The well photographed desert landscapes look nice in exaggerated Technicolor, as do Dale and Roy's spiffy outfits and good songs are the perfect antidote for slow spots, with Roy, Dale, and Bob Nolan taking turns singing with The Sons Of The Pioneers.

Here, a feistier than usual Dale Evans gives one of her best performances, stealing nearly every scene she's in! Playing the local priest is character actor Fritz Leiber, who's lookalike, also-named son was one of the great sci-fi writers of the twentieth-century!

This is one of the last good Roy Rogers films, before they started recycling stories and churning them out a mile a minute. The plot is interesting and keeps you interested. The film isn't too long (about 1h20) and doesn't drag at all. The songs aren't too bad, and the absolutely *adorable* Dale Evans has lots of screen time;) Andy Devine was amusing as the sheriff, much more amusing than many of the later comic relief sidekicks, and Roy Rogers was at his best, in voice and in character.

Overall: One of the few colour Rogers films worth seeing; not the best of them, but most certainly nowhere near the worst (though I'm not much of a fan of the genre;). Entertaining, and worth seeing at least once. And, of course, Andy might be Devine , but Dale Evans is *divine*!!;) 7/10.

Bells Of San Angelo finds Roy Rogers working as a border 'investigator' on the USA/Mexico border. Assisting him is sheriff Andy Devine of the county. There have been some murders of some Mexican nationals on the American side in and around a mine that John McGuire and David Sharpe run.

This is far from the Mexican border today where we are preoccupied with illegal immigration. At this time in the Hollywood modern west, people just seem to be coming back and forth across the border at will with no one really asking questions. Roy's very good friends with Catholic Padre on the other side, Fritz Lieber. In fact it is Lieber who comes to Roy asking him and Devine to look into the murders.

We've got two more complicating factors in the plot. A western writer is coming to town with the highly androgynous name of Lee Madison and Roy and the Sons of the Pioneers think its some tenderfoot who just wants to stick his nose in for material. They don't need no tenderfeet tagging along on a serious investigation and resolve to do something about it.

Of course Lee Madison is the pen name for Helen Clifford who is played by Dale Evans and she keeps her identity a secret to play along with the gags Roy and the boys are cooking up. I said in another review of one of their films that Roy and Dale play like a pair of red state Tracy and Hepburn. The dialog ain't classic, but all in all it's not too bad either. It was part of their appeal on the screen.

The other complication is Olaf Hytten arriving from Great Britain looking to locate some missing person who turns out to be Andy Devine. Not knowing exactly what he wants, Devine is scared about revealing himself, but Roy guesses right away something's afoot.

All this plot is packaged rather nicely into a 78 minute running time for Bells Of San Angelo. Of course Roy finds out exactly what the story is and the culprits are brought to justice. But as for what the racket was and what happens with Dale and Andy you have to see Bells Of San Angelo.

You'll love the fox hunt the gang arranges for Hytten.

To all of my learned comrades that posted comments insulting the late, great Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, I say from the bottom of my pea-picking, reminiscing-good old days heart, PPPPPPTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL! I honestly do realize that the color quality isn't exactly top shelf, most of the acting is sub-par & the plots are tissue paper transparent, but who gives a horses saddle bag? I love each and every dusty one of them. And this includes the 50s TV show with sidekick Pat Brady and Nellie Belle the jeep. Yes, Gaby Hayes is the best sidekick ever! I grew up watching R.R. He brought to the youth of my time, "truth, justice & the American way"! I stole that quote, by the way. It brings me back to my childhood, which I guess was worse than these movies were. Maybe that is why I enjoyed them so much. PapaLarry H