BELLS OF ROSARITA

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

BELLS OF ROSARITA (1945). Director: Frank McDonald. 

Sue Farnum (Dale Evans) appeals to her late father's good friend, Slim Phillips (Addison Richards), when she realizes that her father's slimy business partner, Ripley (Grant Withers) is trying to cheat her out of her circus. Slim and his daughter, Patty (Adele Mara) travel west to see what they can do. Almost immediately Slim is kidnapped! Filming nearby Sue's property, Roy Rogers, playing himself, gets involved and tries to find Slim with the help of Gabby Whittaker (Gabby Hayes) and Bob Nolan (also playing himself), head of the vocal group Sons of the Pioneers. 

Elliott, Livingstone, Sunset Carson, Allan Lane, Red Barry

Roy also comes through for Sue when he convinces her to put on a show in the nearby town and enlists the aid of the other Republic Studios western stars: Allan Lane [King of the Mounties], Sunset Carson, Wild Bill Elliot [Footsteps in the Night], Bob Livingstone and Don "Red" Barry. These fellows also help round up the ornery polecats who have kidnapped Slim. This must have been quite a thrill for Western movie fans back in the day. There's also a bunch of pleasant tunes, including Roy's "Build a Fence Around Texas" and the very talented Robert Mitchell Boy Choir. Gabby Hayes wears out his welcome rather quickly, however. 

Robert Mitchell Boy Choir

Bells of Rosarita is another "modern-day" Rogers western. The film-within-a-film that Roy is making is also entitled Bells of Rosarita and has something to do with a woman being forced to marry a man she does not love. Although there are some would-be exciting chases in the film, it can't quite escape being a little dull, although it is fun to see all of those handsome Western heroes in one movie. My mind wandered through the movie and I found myself wondering if the one black child in the choir was treated respectfully by the other white boys. It's good that he was included at all, of course. 

Verdict: A fairly typical Roy Rogers western musical with talented cast members. **1/4.    

FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT

Eleanore Tanin and Douglas Dick

FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT (1957). Director: Jean Yarbrough.

Henry Johnson (Douglas Dick) has been trying to overcome a gambling addiction so he can marry his sweetheart, Mary (Eleanore Tanin of The Werewolf). Unfortunately, Fred Horner (Robert Shayne), who lives next door to Henry, challenges him to a card game and Fred winds up dead. Henry insists that he's innocent and goes on the run even as Lt. Andy Doyle (Bill Elliott of Love Takes Flight) and Sgt. Mike Duncan (Don Haggerty) pursue Johnson, and other leads as well. Then it occurs to Doyle that the motel where Johnson and Horner lived has a name very similar to another motel where temporarily resides a businessman, Bradbury (James Flavin of Irish Luck), who always flashes a huge wad of cash ... Could the wrong man have been murdered? Footsteps in the Night is a short, cheap TV-type production that has little to distinguish it, aside from Shayne's good performance as the murder victim. The other cast members are all solid as well.  Elliott was basically a western star who later played cops; this was his last feature film and final credit of many. He did four other movies before this in which he played the same character (although he is named "Flynn" instead of "Doyle" in the first feature.) This movie is so cheap that when a car crashes into a wall at the climax, all we hear is the noise but the crash itself is never shown.

Verdict: Not much to recommend this stale cop drama. *1.2, 

LOVE TAKES FLIGHT

LOVE TAKES FLIGHT (1937). Director: Conrad Nagel.

"Colossalific -- that's what it is!"

During a flight across the country, stewardess Joan Lawson (Beatrice Roberts) catches the attention of movie producer Dave Miller (Edwin Maxwell), who wants to make her a star to replace the difficult Diane Audre (Astrid Allwyn). Joan turns down the offer, but it is accepted by the pilot, Brad Bradshaw (Bruce Cabot), who goes to Hollywood in her stead. Brad begins hanging around with Diane, which causes consternation for Joan, who is in love with Brad. She gains much attention herself by taking well-publicized solo flights, but will Brad interfere ...? Bruce Cabot [Fallen Angel] is good as Brad, Allwyn isn't bad as the bitchy movie star, and Roberts is appealing enough as Joan but not special. Grady Sutton [Hot Saturday] plays a poor sap who keeps asking Diane for a date and getting turned down, and Bill Elliott is a man who dates Joan while she hopes to forget Brad. The movie has a somewhat feminist perspective due to Joan's independent stance, but of course the movie has to cop out at the end with the patronizing Brad taking over her flight. Otherwise, this is not a bad comedy-drama. This was the only film directed by actor Conrad Nagel [All That Heaven Allows], who amassed dozens of credits from the silent era until the late sixties. This was one of Roberts' few leading roles, as in most of her films she had very small parts.

Verdict: Pleasant trifle with some good acting. **1/2.