Saga of Death Valley

Yikes. "Roy Rogers" gets assassinated. Why didn't I know? Oh no, wait - it was the senior version! The junior version returns many years after to find his murderer "Tasker" (Frank M. Thomas) is holding the ranchers to ransom over the water supply and that his enforcer is none other than his own kid brother "Jerry" (Don Barry). Fortunately, "RR" also has the ever-reliable "Gabby" ("Gabby" Hayes) on his side as his incognito attempt to rally the other ranchers gathers an increasingly perilous momentum. As a kid, I was not a fan of "Roy Rogers" and that was because the crooning just doesn't belong in a western (well not unless it was Dean Martin) but here, luckily, there is a good deal less of that and more of a story to unfold than you might expect, only with a few hiccups along the way and even the tiniest bit of romance threatening for "Gabby" with the redoubtable "Miss Minnie" (Fern Emmett) and her ever so frilly gowns. There's more action here than usual too, and the gun totin' livens up nicely towards the conclusion of quite a busy little hour of reconciliation and revenge. No, you might never recall watching it afterwards, but it passes the time amiably enough and with a bit more of Hayes to get our teeth into, this one is worth a gander.

"Saga of Death Valley" begins many years earlier...when Roy Rogers was a kid. His father is murdered by the local baddie, Tasker, and he's seen doing it by Roy's little brother...so Tasker kidnaps the boy. But although a thug, he hasn't the heart to kill the boy so he raises him...and the boy grows into manhood (Red Barry) and thinks 'Uncle Ed' is his uncle. He's also his uncle's henchman who often does much of Tasker's dirty work.

After a long absence, Roy returns to town....and goes by the name Roy Reynolds. He is, of course, coming to investigate what happened to his father as well as to establish himself in the local community. While he appears to be a peace-loving man and is willing to put up with Tasker's huge fees for water, on the sly (get it?) he leads a group who call themselves the Riders of Death Valley...and they vow to stop Tasker. But what will Roy do about Tasker's henchman? After all, Roy recognizes him and realizes he's his long lost brother.

The location for this shoot is Lone Pine, California...in the Sierras and near Mt. Whitney. This was actually the location for nearly 1000 films....mostly, but not exclusively westerns. This isn't very far from Death Valley....although one reviewer erroneously said that the film has nothing to do with THE Death Valley. I've made a few mistakes in my many reviews...so I understand that these things happen.

Overall, a better than average Roy Rogers film due to the interesting plot. Additionally, the film is a bit grittier than his later movies...something I really appreciate.

SAGA OF DEATH VALLEY (1939) is a lean, action-packed B-western about a land grabber in a generic ranch valley (no relation to the real Death Valley) who comes up against a new ranch owner who's willing to fight back. Roy Rogers stars as Roy Rogers, whose father owned the Circle R Ranch and was killed by land baron Ed Tasker (Frank M. Thomas) when Roy was an adolescent. Tasker had snatched Roy's younger brother, Tim, and raised him to be an outlaw, leading raids on other ranchers' stock and forcing all the ranchers in Death Valley to pay protection to Tasker. When Roy comes back to the valley as an adult he forms the Death Valley Riders to combat Tasker's efforts. This gets him into a confrontation with his own brother, although neither knows their family connection. Roy also hooks up with Ann, his childhood sweetheart (played by Doris Day, an actress who left movies five years before the more famous Doris Day turned up at Warner Bros. in 1948). Because of the complicated family history at the root of the film's drama there is a richer subtext than usual for a Rogers western and a more tragic ending.

The film is beautifully photographed by Republic Pictures house cameraman Jack Marta, much of it on location in the area around Lone Pine, California in the foothills of the Sierras. The action is fast and furious and the cast includes lots of Republic Pictures regulars, most notably Gabby Hayes as Roy's ranch foreman. Donald Barry plays Jerry, who's secretly Roy's brother Tim. Barry would next co-star as Jesse James with Roy in DAYS OF JESSE JAMES (1939) and went on to forge a notable career as a B-western star in his own right. He didn't sing and had a darker quality than most western heroes, making him, in all likelihood, the first B-western anti-hero.

When Roy Rogers was a boy, his father had owned a ranch in Death Valley. But fellow rancher and owner of the only source of water, Frank M. Thomas, had gunned his father down and and taken Roy's brother as his 'nephew'. Now Roy has returned under a fake name, with only Gabby Hayes to recognize him, to buy back the old spread and begin a war against Thomas, who's also running 'protection' against cattle rustling, under the charge of Roy's unremembering brother, Don Barry.

Rogers starred in nine movies for Republic in 1939, so he must have been pretty busy. That said, it's a good outing, well written by Karen DeWolf, and directed by the indefatigable Joseph Kane. That's the best way to become a star: good work and lots of it. Plus some decent songs, including "Peeping Through The Knothole."

The shocking opening sets the stage when Rogers Sr. (Lane Chandler) refuses to falsify an assayer's report on water rights and is killed by Ed Tasker (Frank M. Thomas). Toddler Don 'Red' Barry is a witness and is kidnapped and raised by Tasker. So it's brother seeking brother and lover seeking lover where Doris Day comes in. She's not as famous as the later era Doris Day but just as beautiful. Rogers ups the ante against the villains when he forms a vigilante group from among his cowhands. Great roles played by the best sidekick ever, Gabby Hayes and the best henchmen sidekick ever, Jack Ingram. Look for a great scene at the dam with Hal Taliaferro and a dazzling dance scene with Gabby and Fern Emmett.