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Such a frustrating disappointment

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

The title doesn't tell us anything, but this is actually a Roy Roger's double entry with our hero playing both himself and his bad man double. You can't tell the difference, of course, as they look alike and speak alike. I can't help feeling that a great opportunity was lost here, as the double – although referred to earlier – only makes his appearance at the climax (and even then is under-used!) What we have here on The Great American Western DVD is the 53-minutes TV cutdown which seems to be minus at least one of the five songs as well as a bit of background which would help make the boring plot a bit easier to follow. Nevertheless, Rogers is in his usual easygoing form (perhaps a bit too easygoing!) and so, alas, in usual form, is garrulous Gabby Hayes who seems determined to steal the movie from Rogers – and succeeds in that not so admirable endeavor (at least in the TV version which is often all Gabby and little Roy). The movie was directed by Joe Kane in a style that can only be described as a "nothing". And I don't remember any sunsets – or much in the way of desert either! TV cutdown available on a Platinum "Great American Western" disc.

A county has a typical baddie. In this case, homes are being sold out from under folks and the Sheriff is impotent to help. So, when Roy and Gabby come to town, it's their job to right the wrongs and make all the good people happy.This is a decent Roy Rogers film but like many you do have to turn off your brain in order to really enjoy it. Part of it is that weird sort of B-western mixture of the old and new---with folks riding horses AND cars! I can't blame Rogers entirely--Gene Autry films also were filled with odd anachronisms--such as folks calling the sheriff on the phone or chasing down horses with their pickup truck! Another part, and this is clearly the worst, is the use of the WAY over-used cliché of the 'identical stranger'. Now if Roy had a twin brother, that might have worked--but here we are expected that an evil killer looks exactly like good 'ol Roy! This is patently ridiculous, that's for sure. Dumb but enjoyable...and not too many songs!

Roy Rogers used a mistaken identity gimmick in 1938's "Billy The Kid Returns" impersonating the legendary bad man, and does the same here doing double duty as himself and a henchman named Bill Sloane. The set up involves a crooked town lawyer named McCall (Douglas Fowley) who's blackmailing Judge Kirby (Frank M. Thomas) over money purportedly stolen by the judge's brother. The story probably gets a little more complicated than it has to with all the characters involved, but if you pay attention, you should be OK.Gabby Hayes is Roy's partner in this one, relying on that often used gimmick calling on heroic associations from his past. He seems to drift in and out of the action depending on Roy's character. The other familiar face I enjoy seeing in these Rogers' flicks is that of Pat Brady, here in featured singing roles for a couple of tunes with Bob Nolan's Sons of the Pioneers. Oddly, the Pioneers aren't mentioned by name, and even though Bob Nolan himself has some decent screen time, he winds up with an uncredited part, as does Brady.After watching a few hundred of these 'B' oaters, I'm always pleased when an element comes up that I haven't seen before. This one included a 'blind pie auction' where bidders get to win their choice of a home baked cobbler along with a date with the cook.The other unusual scene involved Roy and Trigger racing down a rocky hillside in which Trigger almost lost his footing, and halfway down the slope, Roy dismounts and awkwardly enough stays balanced to remain on his feet. I had to wonder why they tried that difficult maneuver in the first place, but it was probably under way before they could stop it and then just went with the flow. At the bottom of the hill, Roy gets back up on Trigger and continues the chase.Interestingly as well, the story utilizes not one, but two female leads - Beryl Wallace as bad girl Julie Craig, and Lynn Carver as good girl Ann Kirby, the judge's niece. Roy is able to convince Ann of his real identity with an almost flashback technique of singing a tune from their past when they grew up together on the Kirby-Rogers ranch.Whenever these old time Westerns use the dual identity gimmick, I'm always amazed how the good guy and bad guy always show up in the finale wearing the exact same clothes! Same thing here, except outlaw Sloane has a bruised eye to distinguish him from Rogers. In another unusual plot device, look-alike 'bad guy' Sloane winds up getting killed in a gunfight at the finale, taking part in of all places - the OK Corral!

Two Roys for the price of one here! There's "good" Roy - the singing cowboy we all love and admire - and "bad" Roy - or,rather, bad Bill - easy to spot because he's the one with a black eye! Roy, of course, spends most of the film pretending to be Bill in order to bring the real crooks to justice.Sadly, the version of this movie that I watched is the shortened one - I suspect I may have lost one of the musical numbers - but there's still plenty to recommend. As well as Gabby and the Sons of the Pioneers, look out for Roy Barcroft. Although cast as a minor villain, he dominates the screen each time he appears. A really class act!