Hoping to secure drilling rights to the oil rich Vega ranch, wildcatter Roy Rogers discovers a scheme hatched by members of a gambling operation to cheat the Vegas (Russ Vincent and Donna Martell) out of their oil rights. Roy teams up with new found sidekick Alkali and tugboat owner Billie Colby (Olin Howland and Dale Evans) to bring down the criminal racket of Reed Calhoun (George Meeker) who runs his operation from a floating casino which resides just out of jurisdiction offshore. This was Roy's first movie after the departure of Gabby Hayes who as they say, left to pursue other opportunities. Without an apparent backup plan in place the studio plugged in veteran character actor Olin Howland for his one and only pairing as Roy's saddle pal. Actually Howland did a pretty good job. It makes you wonder why he never found a niche in this kind of sidekick role. Apache Rose is another of Roy's films that was chopped to bits for television. The original 75 minute runtime was cut to 54 minutes. This left close to a third of the movie on the cutting room floor making it almost indecipherable. Apache Rose is still readily available in the full uncut format. It is highly recommended before watching or buying a DVD that you get the unedited version. Neither one of Roy's best or worst movies. Probably most fans will enjoy though.5 of 10*

Apache Rose finds Roy Rogers giving up the cowboy life and becoming an oil wildcatter although he still dresses like a cowboy and rides Trigger. He's on the Pacific shores in this film and in some beach caves finds evidence of oil. Not too hard since it's oozing right up from the ground, wouldn't need a geologist to see this one.The oil is on an old Spanish land grant ranchero owned by Russ Vincent who is in some deep debt to gambler George Meeker. He owns the ranchero but in partnership with cousin Donna Martell. She has to be eliminated before Meeker can squeeze Vincent.Dale Evans is in this and it would surprise a lot of fans to know that Dale was only in about half of Roy's films. Those are of course the best of the Rogers films, they do have a nice chemistry. On another of their films I said that they were a kind of red state Tracy and Hepburn and that holds true for Apache Rose. Character actor Olin Howland had the sidekick role in this one and while he's all right, you do miss Gabby Hayes or Andy Devine.Definitely one for fans of Roy and Dale.

Roy Rogers is an oil prospector who wants to get rights to drill for oil on a promising piece of land. Dale Evans (as Billie) sails a local tugboat named "Apache Rose" and Olin Howlin is Mr. Rogers' lovable old codger friend "Alkali". Bob Nolan and the "Sons of the Pioneers" are around when necessary. Gamblers aboard the boat "Casino Del Mar" aka "S.S. Casino" are the main adversaries, led by nasty George Meeker (as Reed Calhoun). This film is very poorly performed and presented by Rogers and company. Ms. Evans is absurd as a disguised Senorita, and her song "There's Nothing' Like Coffee in the Morning" looks like a breakfast commercial try-out. Mr. Howlin's quickly disappearing "black eye" might have been better placed on the entire disjointed production. * Apache Rose (2/15/47) William Witney ~ Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Olin Howland, George Meeker

Songs not so western-sounding; Dale and Roy initially at odds; coastal setting; believable, interesting story with intelligent humor - elements of this film which favorably impressed me, without a "try-too-hard-to-be-different" result. "Apache Rose" is the name of a small boat, skippered by Dale. Oil prospector Roy dislikes Dale's delivery plans for his equipment, but, eventually, they warm up to each other, with disguised Dale actually assisting to apprehend the villainous Reed Calhoun, who operates a casino-boat and covets oil-rich land owned by Dale's suitor - the gambling-indebted Carlos Vega, and his sister from out-of-town, Rosa. Some of the comic relief is aptly provided by the bumbling, years-worn, Roy-admirer, Alkali. After twelve years of pretty-much formulaic Roy Rogers movies - which, by this time numbered around 75 - it's nice to see one which is not quite the same as many of them, but doesn't overdo the uncharacteristic.