Song of Texas

Back in the 1950s, cowboy shows were the rage. And, because there seemed to be an insatiable desire for them, instead of just making television shows, many of the famous B-western cowboys had their films cut down to fit television time slots. Hopalong Cassidy was pretty astute, as he kept the original versions safe, but this was not the case with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. While most of their film were edited down to television length, the original versions were sometimes lost. In the case of "Song of Texas", I've only been able to find the edited version, and about 15 minutes of the original film are missing.Plus, the print is truly awful...blurry and very dark. I mention this because I just want you to know that this review is NOT for the original film...which might have been better.

The story starts off in a children's ward in the hospital where Roy and Trigger, yes TRIGGER, are there entertaining the kids. Soon the scene switches to a rodeo and Roy is there to compete. He sees Sam Bennett and you learn Bennett used to be a heck of a rodeo star...but those glory years are all behind him. He's now broke, old and pretty much forgotten...but Roy introduces himself and treats the has-been with great deference. Later you learn that Bennett is living a double life. He's pretty much a loser but he's convinced his daughter back home that he owns a ranch out west! When she talks about coming to see him and his ranch, nice-guy Roy offers to help...and his nice gesture comes to bite him on the butt. How? See the film.

A big plus for this film is having Barton MacLane as the bad guy. He was wonderful playing big, nasty jerks in movies and did it many dozens of times....and he never disappoints. I just wish there was more of him in this film.

Overall, a most unusual Roy Rogers film. Most plots of these old B-westerns are very similar...this one sure isn't. See the film and see for yourself why I say this.

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!"

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!

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.

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.