TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD

Roy sings to dog Bullet

TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (1950). Director: William Witney. Filmed in TruColor.

Retired actor Jack Holt, playing himself, hopes to sell a batch of Christmas trees at cost so all the little children can have one. Businessman Aldredge (Emory Parnell) sees this as a good way for him to lose money, so his daughter Toby (Penny Edwards of That Hagen Girl) goes out west to see what she can do. She can't convince Holt to change his methods, and comes into conflict with Roy Rogers (Roy Rogers), who heads the Soil Conservation Service. When Jack is injured in a bad fire, little Sis McGonigle (Carol Nugent of Vice Raid) rounds up a bevy of cowboy stars to bring the Xmas trees to market even though the bridge out of town has been set on fire!

Rex Allen yells at Sis to move her ass -- sort of

Republic studios would occasionally bring together many of its western stars in one movie but fans must have been greatly disappointed -- as I was -- to see how little screen time they get in this, which is, after all, a Roy Rogers and Trigger picture. Monte Hale doesn't even get a close up, although Rex Allen and Allan "Rocky" Lane have a little more to do (but not much). Lesser lights such as Tom Tyler, Crash Corrigan, Tom Keene, and Kermit Maynard at least get a little dialogue. Rex yells at Sis to go ahead and plough over the bridge even though it's on fire and collapses just a second later -- good idea, Rex! 

Jack Holt

Jack Holt appeared in only two more movies and died the year after Trail was released. He had started out in silent films in 1914 and amassed nearly 200 credits, including the serial Holt of the Secret Service. George Chesbro, who was a bad guy in many of Holt's movies, also appears in Trail. The title of this flick makes no sense as there's no Robin Hood, and it's stretching things a bit to suggest that Holt is like Robin Hood in his giving his Christmas trees to the poor. The dog Bullet also appears in the movie, and there's a talented turkey named Galahad who is spared the carving knife. Gordon Jones, who played The Green Hornet, is cast as Sis' big brother, and Clifton Young, who began as a child actor in "Our Gang" comedies, makes an impression as the bad guy Mitch McCall. Young was especially notable in Dark Passage with Bogart.

Verdict: Boo! Hiss! Let's see more of Monte Hale! **. 

ROMANCE ON THE RANGE

Roy Rogers

ROMANCE ON THE RANGE (1942). Director: Joseph Kane.

Roy Rogers (Roy Rogers of Arkansas Judge) is the foreman of the Arrowhead ranch. One of his buddies is murdered by poachers who are out for furs. The owner of the ranch, Joan Stuart (Linda Hayes), at first wants to hire a private detective to investigate, but instead goes out west, incognito, with her maid, Sally (Sally Payne), who has been corresponding with Roy's pal, Pat (Pat Brady), through a lonely hearts club. Pat and Sally are happy to finally meet, but Roy, not realizing that Joan is his boss, makes some tactless remarks about spoiled city women with too much money and no common sense. But meanwhile, he and his buddies have to capture the bad guys.

Linda Hayes with Roy

The trouble with Romance on the Range, a Republic Roy Rogers programmer if ever there were one,  is that there isn't much romance and most of the picture consists of fairly dull horse chases and shoot-outs that are not done nearly as well as in the classic Republic serials. Rogers gets by, as usual, on his looks and charm, and he doesn't have a bad voice when he warbles some unmemorable country ditties with the Sons of the Pioneers.  Linda Hayes appeared in a couple of "Mexican Spitfire" movies and did a number of westerns; this was her penultimate feature. Sally Payne amassed 57 mostly minor credits.

Gabby Hayes 

Pat Brady basically played himself in 73 movies and TV shows, most if not all with Roy Rogers. Ditto for Bob Nolan. Edward Pawley [Thirteen Women] plays the head bad guy, Jerome Banning, in this, and serial specialist Roy Barcroft is also in the cast. And we mustn't forget -- although we should certainly try to -- Gabby Hayes [From Broadway to Cheyenne], Rogers' grizzled, old and somewhat misogynous sidekick whose antics have not worn well with time. He did manage to get one -- only one -- laugh out of me, however. Romance on the Range is a "modern-day" western -- it does not take place during the days of the Wild West.

Verdict: Not much to this cheap oater but Rogers is always pleasant. *1/2.