LouHomey From my favorite movies..

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

classicsoncall This story has a great opening scene in which Roy marches Trigger down the corridor of a children's hospital, then proceeds to entertain the kids with a song and a routine with the Smartest Horse in the Movies. I'm not so sure something like this would have been allowed under real circumstances, but it went a long way to show just what a genuine guy Roy Rogers could be. His interaction with the kids was so natural and appealing that it's no wonder he was a hero to a generation of youngsters.Story wise, there are a few elements that don't quite pass muster either, especially from the vantage point of present day. Sue Bennett's (Sheila Ryan) partnership agreement between Roy and her father (Harry Shannon) would have been suspect right from the get-go with anyone familiar with Roy and his real partners, The Sons of the Pioneers. Then, when she goes ahead and sells her father's share, there should have been red flags thrown all over the place. But this was a simpler time and made for a simpler audience, so the plausibility factor didn't seem to be much of a concern.In addition to a handful of songs, there are a couple of chuckwagon races to bookend the picture that are actually quite exciting, especially the one to close out the story. The prize agreement between Roy and villain Jim Calvert (Barton MacLane) is full ownership of the Pioneers' Ranch to the winner, and it's no coincidence that Roy's team consists of all white horses. There's a head scratcher of sorts though before it's all over; Roy engages in a bit of skullduggery to torpedo one of the rival wagons, but since it was Calvert's entry I guess it was OK.More than any other Rogers flick I've seen that includes the Sons of the Pioneers, this one gives Pat Brady quite a prominent role as a sidekick. Brady offers a fair share of comic relief, and in an unusual move, gets to pair off with Sue Bennett's back East girlfriend Hildegarde (Arline Judge). He really bowled me over with a line he used to win her over at the finale - "For a top hand, my kisses are slow murder!"

bkoganbing Sad to say that I saw the edited for television of Song Of Texas and a lot of the story involving plot motivation was missing. I might have given this film a star or two higher if I had seen the director's cut.Roy Rogers who is the star performer of the Calvert Brothers rodeo is planning to leave because he does not like the way brothers Barton MacLane and William Haade operate. Especially after he sees the way they treat down on his luck former rodeo star Harry Shannon. Roy and Sons of the Pioneers retire to the ranch they're starting.But Roy goes overboard in his charity when he finds out that Shannon has a daughter coming to see him who thinks he's an owner of the ranch. Daughter Sheila Ryan who arrives with friend Arline Judge is a savvy businesswoman from the east and she wants the 'partnership' that Roy has with Shannon put on a business basis. Her interference nearly costs Roy and the boys everything they've worked for.Vocal highlight of the film is Roy at the beginning visiting a Children's Hospital and singing Mexicali Rose to a young visiting girl patient from Mexico. Although Bing Crosby had the hit record of that song, Roy warbles it real pretty.Not a bad Roy Rogers film, but try to see the unedited version.

FightingWesterner Roy Rogers and pals Bob Nolan and The Sons Of The Pioneers break with some unscrupulous showmen, in order to start their own ranch. Roy then decides to help his old, destitute mentor Harry Shannon by letting him masquerade as the ranch's half-owner in order to impress his daughter. She then takes it upon herself to sell her "father's half" to Roy's enemy.The title Song Of Texas is a misnomer, as the address on a telegraphed message clearly reads that they're in New Mexico!As far as the movie itself goes, it's pretty lightweight, but okay if you're in an undemanding mood. However, Shannon's character is pretty dumb and unlikable. I don't quite understand why Roy goes this far out of his way to help. Shannon's daughter is lovely, but unappealing too.The opening scene has Roy bringing Trigger into a hospital room to visit sick children. As sweet as it was, I don't think they allow that in real life!

e_tippett I loved the opening scene where he is playing himself in the children's hospital ward. Every detail, even down to the "assistant" who is trying to hurry him along, they are running late on their schedule. it seems almost like today's reality TV, only actually REAL. He seems to genuinely like kids, and it shows through, no acting. (obviously, since he either had or adopted so many of them in real life.) He seems to have been a very nice guy, bringing his horse and all into the children's ward room and getting Trigger to do tricks. Then it flashes back to "the past" where he was a rodeo rider etc and plays out the story, where once again, he plays a decent guy trying to help out a friend; from there it pretty much descends into formulaic B Western, although I did notice the nod to the changing role of women, the friend's daughter is a single, modern, rather pushy girl who works in New York as a bookkeeper for a company that does a "Half million dollars a month turnover!"