Song of Texas

Sad to say that I saw the edited for television of Song Of Texas and a lot of the story involving plot motivation was missing. I might have given this film a star or two higher if I had seen the director's cut.

Roy Rogers who is the star performer of the Calvert Brothers rodeo is planning to leave because he does not like the way brothers Barton MacLane and William Haade operate. Especially after he sees the way they treat down on his luck former rodeo star Harry Shannon. Roy and Sons of the Pioneers retire to the ranch they're starting.

But Roy goes overboard in his charity when he finds out that Shannon has a daughter coming to see him who thinks he's an owner of the ranch. Daughter Sheila Ryan who arrives with friend Arline Judge is a savvy businesswoman from the east and she wants the 'partnership' that Roy has with Shannon put on a business basis. Her interference nearly costs Roy and the boys everything they've worked for.

Vocal highlight of the film is Roy at the beginning visiting a Children's Hospital and singing Mexicali Rose to a young visiting girl patient from Mexico. Although Bing Crosby had the hit record of that song, Roy warbles it real pretty.

Not a bad Roy Rogers film, but try to see the unedited version.

When chuckwagon race driver Harry Shannon is injured in Barton MacLane's crooked rodeo, Roy Rogers and the Sons of The Pioneers quit the show and retreat to Roy's ranch. Because Shannon had a letter from his daughter, Sheila Ryan, saying she was coming to visit him on his non-existent ranch, Roy makes out that Bennett owns the ranch.... and Miss Ryan starts ordering things to her business-like mind.

With a start like Capra's LADY FOR A DAY, the Rogers movies are back to having good stories to tell. Even though Pat Brady has to be the principal clown here, he does a workmanlike job of it, and the song selection is among the best: "Mexicali Rose", "Moonlight and Roses", and a handsome production number of "Cielito Lindo". You can spot Yakima Canutt in the rodeo, and the chuckwagon race that caps the show is a corker for stuntwork.

Roy Rogers and pals Bob Nolan and The Sons Of The Pioneers break with some unscrupulous showmen, in order to start their own ranch. Roy then decides to help his old, destitute mentor Harry Shannon by letting him masquerade as the ranch's half-owner in order to impress his daughter. She then takes it upon herself to sell her "father's half" to Roy's enemy.

The title Song Of Texas is a misnomer, as the address on a telegraphed message clearly reads that they're in New Mexico!

As far as the movie itself goes, it's pretty lightweight, but okay if you're in an undemanding mood. However, Shannon's character is pretty dumb and unlikable. I don't quite understand why Roy goes this far out of his way to help. Shannon's daughter is lovely, but unappealing too.

The opening scene has Roy bringing Trigger into a hospital room to visit sick children. As sweet as it was, I don't think they allow that in real life!

I loved the opening scene where he is playing himself in the children's hospital ward. Every detail, even down to the "assistant" who is trying to hurry him along, they are running late on their schedule. it seems almost like today's reality TV, only actually REAL. He seems to genuinely like kids, and it shows through, no acting. (obviously, since he either had or adopted so many of them in real life.) He seems to have been a very nice guy, bringing his horse and all into the children's ward room and getting Trigger to do tricks. Then it flashes back to "the past" where he was a rodeo rider etc and plays out the story, where once again, he plays a decent guy trying to help out a friend; from there it pretty much descends into formulaic B Western, although I did notice the nod to the changing role of women, the friend's daughter is a single, modern, rather pushy girl who works in New York as a bookkeeper for a company that does a "Half million dollars a month turnover!"

If you don't like the roy Rogers style of western film, you'll never like any of his films. But, if you can get into it, this is one of Roy's best. At this point in his career, he looked his best and Republic productions wer at thir peak! Great direction, camerawork and stunts shoit at beautiful Lone Pine CA. Not to mention some nifty songs to boot! The plot is pretty typical of a Rogers film from this period too. But it;s all done as well as it can be done. And a terrific opening sequence at a kid's hospital that mimicked Roy's real life visits to kids wards and the "front-row kids" ate it up too. Enjioy!