This is my first cowboy movie and now I know why I have avoided them for so long.Everyone who was surprised by Brokeback Mountain must have never seen this because all I learned from this is that cowboys are super gay.Even when they aren't eating pudding.The plot isn't half bad but the acting is terrible.It quickly becomes clear why Roy Rogers is known as the singing cowboy and not the acting cowboy.The best thing about this movie is that it starts with a Mexican saying they are going to lose California to the gringos because the Mexicans just sleep all day and party all night.Very refreshing.Without all the music it could have been a decent movie.

In Old Caliente (1939) *** (out of 4) Good "B" Western has Roy Rogers going to work for a rich, Spanish landowner (Frank Puglia) but when he's killed by Sujarno (Jack LaRue), it's Roy and Gabby that's accused of it. With the help of Gabby's granddaughter (Lynne Roberts) they must try and find a way to prove their innocence while bringing down the bad guy. IN OLD CALIENTE is pretty much what you'd expect from a film like this and fans of the genre should have a good time with it. It gives us some nice action, quick pacing, some nice songs and the story itself is fairly interesting. The story is set before the battle between the states and shows a time when white settlers were heading West and trying to get their part of the land and riches. I thought this was used to good effect as well as all the messages going on in regards to the Spanish owners. As you'd expect, the cast are in fine form with Rogers leading the way. He has no problems playing the cool, laid back good guy and there's no doubt that the actor could do this in his sleep. George 'Gabby' Hayes is also in fine form with his comic touches and especially in some scenes involving the family dog. The sequence with the earthquake is quite funny. Roberts makes a good love interest for Roy and LaRue does his very best as the hissing villain. The film also offers up some pretty good action scenes scattered throughout including the ending, which takes place in the ocean. If you're not a fan of these type of movies then it's doubtful this one will make you change your opinion but fans of the genre should get a kick out of it and there's also a duet between Rogers and Gabby, which is priceless.

This was one of the better B oaters I've seen in a while. Mostly because the story is engaging, relatively complex, and also relatively relevant in that it deals tangentially with racial prejudice and injustice.Roy is the trusted friend "almost like a second son" to Don Vargas, a rich California cattle baron who suspects the influx of white people but trusts Roy on a personal level. When Vargas' henchman frames a wagon train for a robbery and Roy sticks with them, Vargas figures that Roy is untrustworthy and disowns him. It's up to Roy and "Gabby" Hayes (always funny and reliable acting-wise) to discover the real thief (who the audience already knows 5 minutes into the film) and expose him.Many of the elements, including the music and the stunt work, are top of the line for this genre. The only problem I had was that while this movie more or less is designed to send a message of racial tolerance and mutual respect, it features an unabashedly bigoted portrayal of a "half-breed", who is the villain of the film. 2 separate characters in the film say "I should have known better than to trust a half-breed" or words to that effect. The movie clearly went out of its way to single out the "half-breed" and creates the impression that mixed race people are not the moral equals of everyone else. I know this was an old movie, but that just kind of spoiled it for me and I would have to warn just about anybody going into this about it. I would not, for instance, show this to young kids because I just wouldn't want them to get that message. There may be other Roy Rogers films out there with less bigotry, that would be more suitable for kids.

As Americans move westward to California in the mid 1800's, the days of the old Spanish Dons and their vast ranchos are numbered. One such landowner is Don Jose Vargas, who bemoans the loss of his way of life.Roy Rogers is like a second son to Don Jose, but his integrity is threatened when he defends a band of white settlers who are accused of stealing gold earned in the sale of Vargas' cattle by his foreman Sujarto (Jack LaRue). Gabby Hayes is the leader of the settlers, traveling with his niece Jean (Lynne Roberts as Mary Hart). When Roy and Gabby team up to discover the bandits' hideout, they recover the gold only long enough to be framed for the robbery. Brought to Don Jose's estate, they are imprisoned in the Don's cellar, and under grim circumstances, Roy gets Gabby to join him in a duet of "We're Not Coming Out to the Dance Tonight". Things go from bad to worse when the Don's daughter Rita (Katherine DeMille) insists that her father heed a plea from Gabby's niece to hear Roy's side of the story. As the Don is about to free Roy and Gabby, he's murdered by Sujarto, who frames Roy for the killing. Ultimately though, the good guys escape, with Roy literally chasing Sujarto down into the Pacific Ocean.In the closing scene, Roy has joined the settlers, and is presumably ready to settle down with the pretty Jean. Gabby's trusted mutt, sporting whiskers resembling Gabby's own, acknowledges his approval by hiding under the covered wagon.