The Carson City Kid

Rodgers holds up mail-lines looking for bad guy Bob Steele, in order to settle an old score. Along the way, he tangles with lawman George "Gabby" Hayes and tries to protect young, naive miner Noah Beery Jr., whom Roy's partner (!) and Steele set their thieving sights on.

A great role for Roy, this has a great, above average cast and an irresistible chance to see Rodgers going up against fellow Saturday matinée star Steele (who always looked more like a heavy than a hero) in a rare villainous turn.

A better than average script, that knows what buttons to push and a quick pace also go a long way in helping make this Republic Pictures production worth watching.

The only things that disappoint is the abrupt conclusion and the half-hearted nature of songs.

The masked Carson City Kid and henchman Laramie keep holding up stages, but take nothing except the mail. So what the heck is going on.

Good to see so many matinée stalwarts in the same movie—Rogers, Steele, Hayes, and Beery Jr. It's a pretty good screenplay too. At first, I didn't know whether Jessup (Steele) and the Kid (Rogers) were good guys or bad. But eventually it sorts out. And was there ever a better jovial character than the underrated Beery Jr. Then too, Hayes gets to do his usual toothless grouch. And now I see why Rogers soon went to Technicolor—how much better to show off that magnificent blond palomino Trigger. Even in lowly b&w, he cuts a striking figure. No Dale Evans here, instead it's the comely Pauline Moore as the eye candy. No, the movie never gets out of familiar San Fernando Valley locations, but is still a better-than-average little programmer with a few mild twists.

The Carson City Kid goes after a tin horn gambler who murdered his brother during a shady card game. After finding the gambler, the Kid finds that he has not changed his ways and is out to cheat and frame a pal of the Kid's. Carson must stop this nefarious scheme and keep his own hide intact at the same time while also wooing the girlfriend of the sneaky tinhorn. Good western.

The Carson City Kid (1940)

*** (out of 4)

Roy Rogers plays a man disguising himself as The Carson City Kid who is seeking vengeance on the man responsible for his younger brother's death. He thinks the guilty person is a bar owner (Bob Steele) but along the way he falls for a young woman (Pauline Moore) and tries to help a young man (Noah Beery, Jr.) from the same fate as his own brother. This is yet another good Western from Rogers and company, although no one should confuse this for the work of John Ford. Your tolerance of the "B" Western will certainly factor into how much you enjoy this film but if you're one who can put up with their low-budget charm then this here is a good one. The best thing the film has going for it are the performances of the cast. As you'd expect, Rogers has no problem playing the good guy as that laid back style really comes across and it's just really impossible not to like the guy. I'm really not sure what it is but Rogers is just so calm and collective that you can fall for his charm and get behind his cause. Moore makes for a very good love interest as she's certainly cute enough for the part but her performance is also good enough to make you care for her. The same is true for Beery, Jr. whose character really comes across thanks to his fun performance. Steele always makes for an enjoyable bad guy and that's the case here as well as you really want to hiss at him each time he's in the frame. George 'Gabby' Hayes is also on hand doing his typical great support. The story itself isn't the strongest in the world but it's good enough to keep you interested for a hour. The action is fast, the characters enjoyable and overall this is pleasant enough for a time killer.

This was one of Roy Rogers better B westerns for Republic Pictures. The plot has Roy as a good/badman known as the Carson City Kid. But he's only doing this because he's on a manhunt. Roy's figuring the outlaw guise will afford him better intelligence about the guy he's after.

The trail's taken him to Sonora where he runs into such diverse people as Marshal Gabby Hayes, Pauline Moore, Noah Beery, Jr., and another B picture cowboy, Bob Steele. All of them give a good account of themselves.

Especially Steele as the saloon owner with a number of nefarious sidelines. In B films Steele was usually a good guy. Here he's more like the Steele we saw in such classic Humphrey Bogart films as The Big Sleep and The Enforcer.

Roy only gets one song in this film, a forgettable duet with his leading lady. He hadn't met Dale Evans yet, so he was paired with all kinds of female co-stars at this point in his career. Of course none had the screen or otherwise chemistry Dale and Roy had together.

Fans of the Cowboy King will like it and others will also.