Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
SparkMore
n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
daviddaphneredding
This Republic Pictures production has been a favorite of mine since I've seen it on a DVD for the less few years. Not only did I like seeing Roy Rogers and the appealing Dale Evans together, but I did like seeing Gabby Hayes, who was likable and garrulous as always. Too, it was good seeing Bob Livingston, Don "Red" Barry, Sunset Carson, and two of my favorites-Allan Lane and Bill Elliott. What brought about a lot of joy as well was hearing Bob Nolan and the Sons of The Pioneers. Roy Barcroft must have been born as mean as mean could be, since he played very aptly a scheming crook, as he did in many westerns. It was comical in places, even though it was not actually a comedy, per se.(Naturally, Gabby Hayes contributed to that comic relief.) I did like the excitement in it as well. The story is simple: Sue Farnum (played by Evans) comes from the East to Hollywood after she learns that her late father's circus, and the orphanage he had once had built, might go under because a necessary document cannot be found. Will a show with, again, some of the top cowboys in Hollywood save the circus? That is basically the storyline. Again, it's very exciting and entertaining, and one of my favorite B-rated westerns. Yes, it made for a wonderful cowboy reunion.
Michael_Elliott
Bells of Rosarita (1945) *** (out of 4) A rather original Western has Roy Rogers and Republic Pictures in a small town filming a movie when he gets involved with a young woman (Dale Evans) who is about to lose her property due to a bad debt of her dead father. It turns out that the father actually paid the debt but there's just no proof so Roy comes to the rescue with a bunch of other Republic cowboys (Don Berry, Bill Elliott, Bob Livingston, Sunset Carson, Allan Lane). Say what you want about the "B" Westerns but I think even the most jaded people would have to give this film credit for at least being original and fun. The entire set-up of the movie production added a real twist to an already familiar story and it took this movie to a new level. Had the film simply told the story of a pretty girl being cheated out of her land then that's really nothing new. Added to the story of a movie studio and real actors coming to the rescue was a neat little trick and really sealed the deal. I thought there were some funny moments where the film takes shots at movies, cowboy stars and that type of thing and we even get a funny joke aimed at John Wayne. As you'd expect, Rogers fits his role just fine and comes across very charming during the more tender scenes but also a real action star during the fights. He gets to sing several tunes including the title track, the catchy "I'm Going to Build a Big Fence Around Texas," and a highly entertaining sequence when we get "When the Circus Comes to Town." Evans, as usual, makes for a good lead lady and we get some nice support from the one and only Gabby Hayes. The other Republic cowboy stars just make cameos but it's nice seeing everyone together and it certainly adds to the film. BELLS OF ROSARITA isn't a John Ford masterpiece but it's quite fun with a good story, fun songs and some nice action.
Mike-764
Sue Farnum is in danger of losing her recently inherited circus, so she has a friend Slim Philips come out west with her (along w/ his daughter Patty) to see what can be done. While out west, the group encounters Roy filming his latest movie, and when Roy discovers the plight of Sue, he helps by staging a circus show w/ Republic's biggest B western names (Bill Elliott, Allan Lane, Sunset Carson, Don Barry, and Robert Livingston. John Wayne was out of town). The biggest obstacle is Ripley, Farnum's partner in the circus, who is trying to claim the circus as his own by trying to destroy a receipt that Farnum paid off his share of the circus, even kidnapping Philips to get it. Roy and the gang go to save the day before the show must get on. This B western has everything a fan can want from the genre: Action, Thrills, Humor, Singing, and done so well. Every performer is at the top of their game and it shows, as well as script, directing, and score. Favorite moments for me are the "funeral procession" as well as Roy Barcroft commenting on the crooks hanging around. Rating, based on B westerns, 10.
rsoonsa
Here is a pacey work that employs standard elements to be found in Republic Pictures' contemporary Western films starring Roy Rogers, including the familiar plot artifice of shooting a movie within another, cowboys on horseback chasing motor vehicles bearing villains, musical interludes that interrupt the action at random, et alia, with an additional device utilized herein: "cameos" from cowpoke stars under contract with Republic: Wild Bill Elliott, Robert Livingston, Allan Lane, Don "Red" Barry, and Sunset Carson. Sue Farnum (Dale Evans) has been willed her father's traveling circus but his erstwhile partner Bill Ripley (Grant Withers) intends to take it from her as she cannot locate a receipt confirming that her sire had repaid a loan enabling him to gain title to the big top company, and when she and her employee and friend Gabby Whittaker (Gabby Hayes) accept aid from her dad's pal Slim Phillips (Addison Richards), the three, along with Slim's daughter and troupe entertainer Patty (Adele Mara), entrain to the southern California fictional town of Cabrillo wherein Slim believes he will locate the missing receipt, thereby ending Sue's plight. The Forces of Evil soon kidnap Slim but subsequent events are but ill-explained by a slapdash screenplay that accords space for eight musical numbers (not counting repeats) and while Rogers plainly is tasked, as is his wont, with rescuing a city-bred damsel in distress, he is equally motivated by a primal need to burst into song, a predilection shared with, among others, Evans, Mara, Janis Martin, and the baritone Bob Nolan-led Sons of the Pioneers. This lower case effort benefits from a panoply of Republic casting roster supporting players from whom, despite the film's following the accepted trend of Rogers "B" Westerns, a number of telling performances will be enjoyed from uncredited actors (including dancing girls!); Hayes reprises his wearisome shtick that he displays in each of his movies, even to the phrases, but Evans has a clamp on the acting laurels with a vivacious turn, while able editing supervised by Arthur Roberts makes for a snappily moving although somewhat goofy picture.
