The Golden Stallion

I found two versions of "The Golden Stallion" on YouTube. This is because Roy Rogers' films, as well as other cowboy B-movie stars, often had their films cut down to television time slots back in the 1950 when there was a huge craze for cowboy heroes on TV. I watched the original 67 minute, not the trimmed 53 minute one. And, like many of Republic Studios' cowboy films of the late 40s and into the 50s, they filmed this using TruColor stock. It was popular with these B-westerns because it cost about the same as black & white film and Technicolor was much more expensive. But it had limitations...specifically because it was a two-color process. Two-color film tends to result in orangy-red and blue-green hues and you never really get true color despite its name. Yellows and purples, for example, just never looked yellow or purple using TruColor or its rival, Cinecolor. And, over time, both these sorts of films tend to become muddy looking and "The Golden Stallion" is no exception. This colors in this film are very intense...so much that my wife walked by as I was watching and cried out "What's wrong with the colors?!".

The plot to this story is strange. A gang of jewel thieves are apparently moving their stolen merchandise inside the hollowed out hooves of horses!! This seems incredibly unlikely and odd...and there are definitely better means for transporting stolen objects. So, I recommend you suspend disbelief as Roy Rogers and the boys work to right wrongs and capture the baddies. And, on hand are two familiar actresses in Roy Rogers film in his latter period, his wife Dale as well as the Cuban actress Estelita Rodriguez. Roy's sidekick is Pat Brady as Sparrow....not one of his more memorable sidekicks.

So is this film any good? Well, provided you suspend disbelief, yes. Not only is it tough to believe using horse hooves to smuggle, but the film takes a very weird twist when one of the baddies is killed and Trigger is accused of doing it...which, of course, he didn't. But to save Trigger from being destroyed, Roy pleads guilty to killing the man and is sentenced to hard labor!!! I like horses...but cannot imagine anyone taking a murder rap to protect a horse....nor can I imagine them putting a horse to death without some sort of trial. But it's not like Roy Rogers films are the old west but are definitely a Hollywoodization of the west...and a modern west at that. It's all enjoyable but also a bit tough to believe. If you love Roy Rogers films, you'll like it...otherwise you'll probably think it's all pretty weird. Entertaining...but weird.

Wild horses are used to smuggle diamonds across the border from Mexico to the United States. The jewels are hidden in horseshoes. Meanwhile, well-known horse trainer Roy Rogers (as Roy Rogers) goes to work at the "Circle B" ranch owned by singing cowgirl Dale Evans (as Stormy Billings). They make pretty music together, although Mr. Rogers prefers closer companionship with his horse "Trigger". The smartest horse in the movies gets involved with the smugglers by mating with a mare they use to transport their diamonds. The union produces "Trigger Jr." and provides Rogers and his horse with danger and adventure...

Director Quentin Tarantino elevated this "Trucolor" western by citing it for a discussion on films, which makes this an interesting watch. However, "The Golden Stallion" is more ordinary than revelatory. Most Rogers pictures are pleasant, and it's possible to elevate any one of them, at any moment. Here, you have a great scene - where Rogers "takes the rap" for a crime, to save Trigger from a death sentence. Rogers' lie is blatant, but acceptable. Unfortunately, the film leaves the potential for a good morality story right there. Neither Rogers nor Trigger committed the crime, which the script never gets around to resolving.

***** The Golden Stallion (11/15/49) William Witney ~ Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Douglas Evans

This 1949 film, just before Roy Rogers and Co. moved on to TV, has some fine color cinematography, particularly of the Iverson ranch (used in countless westerns) and great, sweeping shots of the wild horse herd that figures importantly throughout the film. It's quite lovely in that regard and captures the beauty and speed of the supposedly "untamed" steeds.

The plot is a bit more complicated here than in most RR films, with several unexpected turns, all tightly directed. Roy and Dale are engaging as always, though Pat Brady's appeal eludes. There are fewer musical numbers in this film than usual, though the Sons of the Pioneers are featured.

See it for the scenery and the beauty of the horses, and for more drama than is usually served in a Roy/Dale flick.

Hard to believe, but this Roy Rogers vehicle is one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. It was directed by prolific B-movie/serial specialist, William Witney, and co-stars Dale Evans and Trigger, "The Smartest Horse in the Movies." The storyline revolves around a diamond smuggling operation in which Trigger is enlisted to replace the stallion of the title when she goes missing. Trigger was separated from Rogers in the first place when he took the fall for his "best friend" following a (false) accusation of murder. Had he not done so, Trigger would have been killed in an instant. Along the way, Rogers and Evans pitch a little woo, the bad guys are outsmarted and Trigger and the stallion produce a foal, Trigger Jr. (star of an eponymous sequel released in 1950).

In the New York Times article, "Watching Movies With Quentin Tarantino" (9/15/00), he discusses the film in depth, finding the relationship between Rogers and Trigger particularly moving: "You know, in some movies, a cowboy might go to jail to save his best friend from being shot down dead. Well, Trigger is Roy's best friend. It's the easiest leap to have him do that here, yet it's so powerful and so unexpected. What's great is that you buy it, you absolutely buy it, and I don't know that I really would buy it from anybody else but Roy and Trigger."

It should be noted that "The Golden Stallion" is one of Rogers' more "mature" efforts, and that it's more of a drama than a musical. Although it doesn't seem to have much in common with his own work, Tarantino fanatics are sure to want to check it out to see why he holds Witney -- along with Rogers, Evans and Trigger -- in such high esteem (see also "The Eyes of Texas" from 1948).

"The Golden Stallion" actually refers to Trigger Jr., a foal sired by Trigger with the mare who leads wild horses along the Mexican border to have diamonds smuggled across embedded in their horseshoes. Though critics often prefer the earlier "My Pal Trigger" to "The Golden Stallion," fans may prefer the latter. Dale Evans adds just the right touches as the sweetheart Stormy. Both Roy and Dale show their deep love and affection for horses which makes this one a must for kids of all ages. Roy and Dale, though having other mates earlier in life, were made for each other. No married couple in the entertainment field except possibly Burns and Allen were so compatible and so loved by their many fans. For me, this is the best of the Roy and Dale films.

Pat Brady, who replaced a young fellow in the musical group The Sons of the Pioneers named Leonard Slye when he became Roy Rogers, is around for the laughs. Pat had a winning personality and was a great singer but not really much of a comedian, though he did have a funny moniker this go around as Sparrow Biffle. His jeep Nellie Belle upstages him. When an inanimate object gets the most laughs, a comic should take notice.

"The Golden Stallion" is in Trucolor which this time adds to the overall beauty and highlights the golden in the title. Even non-Roy Rogers fans should enjoy this cinematic gem.