Roll on Texas Moon

When a neighboring sheep rancher is found murdered on his property, by sheep-hating cattleman Gabby Whitaker, hostilities begin to heat up between the local factions. Cattleman Roy Rogers is quickly dispatched from the home office in Chicago to diffuse the situation and find the culprits. Evidence leads him to the sheep ranch where he joins forces with the murdered rancher's daughter Jill (Dale Evans)over the protests of her aunt, old battle-axe, cattle-hater, Cactus Kate (Elisabeth Risdon).

Roll on Texas Moon is the first teaming of Roy and B-western great director William Witney. Over the course of the next 5 years Witney would change the style of the Roy Rogers' pictures from a musically oriented singing cowboy to the Action Cowboy Hero. After watching this one it's clear that Witney was really good at the latter, no so much with the former. Promising action sequences quickly give way to oddly selected and placed musical numbers. One musical interlude has Roy singing a lullaby to Gabby and the title tune, which is introduced in a Gabby dream sequence, has Dale dressed as Little Bo peep, making Betty Boop faces at Roy. The whole number seemed uncomfortably out of place. It should be noted that despite the inauspicious start, Witney righted the ship in their next film "Home in Oklahoma", a film very similar in substance and plot.

While you can occasionally see in this movie what was eventually to come of the Roy Rogers / William Witney collaboration, Roll on Texas Moon wasn't one of the pair's better efforts. Recommended for die-hard Roy Rogers Fans only.

Roy Rogers (as Roy Rogers) has to mediate a "war" between the Sheep Herders and the Cattle Ranchers. George "Gabby" Hayes (as Gabby) is followed around by a Little Lamb. Dale Evans (as Jill) needs saving. Bob Nolan and the "Sons of the Pioneers" are around. After a promising, scenic opening, with Elisabeth Risdon effective (as Kate), the film falls apart… while the camera follows the Little Lamb… who is following Gabby... The title song is sung to the Lamb. The film includes Lamb Songs and a Mexican Jumping Bean Song. The highlight is when Evans' out-of-control car plunges into a river; after Rogers fishes her out, the duo sweetly sing "Be a Friend of Mine".

** Roll on Texas Moon (1946) William Witney ~ Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Dale Evans

Roll on Texas Moon employs many of the standard plot devices of the popular B Western to wring out plenty of action and humor in the course of its brief running time. Paragon of truth, honor and virtue Roy Rogers finds himself smack dab in the middle of a turf war between the regional cattle ranchers and sheep herders (the social implications of which are occasionally fascinating to ponder) which has been manufactured by a secret evil-doer trying to gain control of a major ranch. Roy's invaluable sidekick, the legendary Gabby Hayes, proves indispensable to the film: not only is he accused of murder, he also provides the comic relief, as an adorable lost lamb develops a fixation and dependence on Gabby that the grizzled cattleman desperately tries to hide from his pals. Dale Evans, playing Jill Delaney, is a well-meaning and good-hearted sheep rancher who, like Roy, does not want the bitter dispute to tear apart the community. Before all the secrets can come to light and reveal the true villain, the audience is treated to a rousing set piece in which Jill's out of control, sabotaged auto goes careening off a steep embankment. If you think Roy is able to save her from certain doom, well... you better see Roll on Texas Moon and find out.

This film essentially begins with a cattleman by the name of "Gabby Whitaker" (George 'Gabby' Hayes) noticing that some sheep have wondered onto the land that belongs to the cattle company he works with. So, quite naturally, he chases them back onto the neighboring sheep ranch by shooting his pistol in the air. Needless to say, this attracts the attention of those working on the sheep ranch and when they go to investigate where the shots are coming from that find Gabby standing over the dead body of the owner of that very sheep ranch. Quickly drawing their pistols, they escort Gabby to the sheriff's office to be held for murder. Fortunately, after a quick investigation, they find that the victim was killed by a rifle--and since Gabby didn't have one on him--he is released. Even so, the situation becomes quite tense after that and, fearing a range war between the cattlemen and sheepherders, a cowboy named "Roy Rogers" (Roy Rogers) is sent from the cattleman corporation in Chicago to investigate. Yet in spite of his reputation as a cattleman, Roy soon discovers that it holds little value at this particular time--and things are only going to get worse. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was pretty a standard Western film that one would see at the local theater during this particular time in history with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans (as "Jill Delaney") and George 'Gabby' Hayes being household names to most fans of the genre. And while I would admit that this film is quite dated, it still has a nostalgic appeal to it and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

The plot to "Roll on Texas Moon" is very familiar if you've watched a bunch of B-westerns...and because it's such an overused plot, the film is a bit lazy. It also features a sacchariny-sweet dream sequence...another reason this film could never make a list of my favorite Roy Rogers pictures!

When the story begins, cattleman Gabby (Gabby Hayes) is accused of shooting a sheepherder. However, oddly, this element of the story seems to just stop and once the sheriff takes Gabby, he soon releases him and nothing more is said of this! Soon the scene changes to a meeting with a government official and Roy. Roy is being sent back to investigate the animosity that's sprung up between the sheep and cattle folks....and when I saw that one of the ranch hands at Dale's ranch was Francis McDonald, I KNEW he was one of the baddies. This is because McDonald is one of the most type-cast B-western actors of the day. He ALWAYS played villains...often the trusted #2 man behind the big boss baddie. He also LOOKED swarthy and evil. But who else is behind the growing animosity? See the film and find out for yourself...or not.

The dream sequence was awful. The plot was lazy. But I am not giving the film a lower score because I loved seeing Gabby and his new best friend...these scenes were very cute without being too cloying. Overall, a sub-par Roy Rogers film...mostly because it's all been said and done before by not just Rogers but several other cowboy stars.

By the way, if you want to see this film (and I am not strongly recommending you do), it's on YouTube AND it's the original full-length version, not a trimmed down for television print.