I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Best movie of this year hands down!

Pretty Good

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

While growing up, Roy Rogers was my hero, and I even got to see him live at a rodeo at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. For many years, this film was the one I most remembered of the many that showed up on television in the 1950s, usually on Saturday afternoons. So I was delighted when Encore showed the film, apparently in its entirety not too long ago; few of the Roy Rogers films survived the butchery to fit them in 60 minute slots on television.As another of our reviewers pointed out, this is probably the best of Roy's films. After all, you can't go wrong with a Cole Porter lead song and a stellar performance by the best sidekick of them all -- Gabby Hayes. In fact, Hayes is the focus here -- as an old supposedly dead and buried outlaw. The ruse is foiled by Dale Evans, a magazine reporter. But then Gabby (Wildcat Kelly) is shot as an investigation begins into what happened to the reward money which the state paid out when he was supposedly shot dead.It's all great fun, with the Sons Of The Pioneers along for the ride, with a short version of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" thrown in for good measure. Roy does well here...as he usually did. And, for a change, I actually enjoyed Dale Evans' performance here; in fact, it wouldn't have worked without her role. And Gabby Hayes is at his best, with a particularly funny funeral scene! This may be Hayes' best film performance...and it's pure Gabby!

Big city photographer Dale Evans (as Toni Ames) is sent west to investigate whether or not notorious outlaw "Wildcat Kelly" is really buried in the grave bearing his name. In "Twin Wells", she meets salty sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes polishing his tomb, then singing cowboy pal Roy Rogers (as Roy Rogers). There is much pleasant singing by Mr. Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers, with an emphasis on the swaying title song. In an early appearance with her future husband, Ms. Evans looks uncommonly sexy, showing every allowable inch of her legs. The film is softly plotted, breezy, and tuneful.***** Don't Fence Me In (10/20/45) John English ~ Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Robert Livingston

In the George Eells biography of Cole Porter it comes out that Porter while writing the music, did in fact purchase the lyric 'from an antediluvian character' while out west. Probably not unlike Gabby Hayes and the character he plays in the film Don't Fence Me In. The song isn't like any of the sophisticated numbers we normally associate with Porter. Roy Rogers introduced the film in Warner Brothers Hollywood Canteen where no doubt Jack Warner paid Herbert J. Yates at Republic some real big bucks for his cameo. So it may have evened out that Yates got the rights to Don't Fence Me In for a title song for one of Roy's films at his home studio. It turned out that this was one of Roy Rogers best westerns with Republic and in it he plays the proprietor of a dude ranch where he keeps the secret of Gabby Hayes, a harmless old codger who spins a lot of tall tales in the Gabby Hayes fashion. But Gabby is really a notorious outlaw from the old west, one Wildcat Kelly who has been presumed dead for almost 40 years. There's a grave for him in the local cemetery.But the fact that news of his death was greatly exaggerated and that brings Lois Lane type reporter Dale Evans out west for the story. Dale gets that and more including Roy.Again Roy and Dale really have spark as a screen team, not as sophisticated as Bill Powell and Myrna Loy, but definitely their dialog is pretty good. And the situations are hilarious like Dale hitching a ride in the stagecoach boot with Roy throwing in some Limburger cheese for company and her tossing him in the swimming pool in response.But besides Roy and Dale's chemistry, Don't Fence Me In has one of the best musical scores of any Rogers film. Besides the title song, Jack Warner apparently threw in My Little Buckaroo which Dick Foran introduced in one of his westerns at Warner Brothers. Roy also sings Along The Navajo Trail which he sang in a previous film of the same title. All three of these songs were big hits by the way for Bing Crosby. The mystery of Wildcat Kelly is quite an interesting one. I highly recommend Don't Fence Me In as one of the Rogers/Evans best screen team efforts.

GoodTimes has a set of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans DVDs out there under the name of Happy Trails Theatre. Although Don't Fence Me In was shortened a bit for this DVD, I'd still like to recommend the Happy Trails DVDs to you. I was fortunate to pick up several brand new ones at a local flea market. Each one has some of the same information but each also has new information about Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and their crowd. If you are a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans fan like me you will totally enjoy all the extra footage showing Roy and Dale going to parades and visiting children in hospitals, the story of Roy proposing marriage to Dale, and more inside info also about the family. Each movie starts out with Roy and Dale seated on a small stage back around 1987 talking about the movie they are showing. They also have guest surviving guest stars visit, like Iron Eyes Cody and others. Sometimes there is Dusty Rogers (Roy Rogers Jr.) who does a great Gabby Hayes imitation. The song playing about Roy and Dale is sung by Dusty and I had no idea he had such a good voice. Then there is a Sidekicks Feature about Gabby Hays and other who worked with Roy and Dale and also a Museum Tour. I don't mind that the movie may be shorted a bit (don't know why though with DVD technology) since I am getting all the extra info and footage. As far as Don't Fence Me In, I think it was one of their best. It starts out with Dale pretending to be a showgirl dancer (really a reporter) on a table at a political meeting, with other girls going around the table kissing the men. Mild to what is shown today, but pretty racy for those days. Wonder how they got by the censors? But it gave Dale a chance to show off her singing and acting talents and she was excellent as a hard boiled newspaperwoman who starts to soften over time when she meets Roy (probably not too far from real life as a cautious Hollywood actress who gets a proposal from the famous Roy Rogers). She heads to the West to cover a story and meets the Sons of the Pioneers and Gabby Hayes. Gabby was great (as usual) and played his character to the T. The bad guy in this was Moroni Olsen who played Mr. Tewitt in another favorite movie of mine - The Long, Long Trailer. He also played Robert E. Lee in Santa Fe Trail plus plenty of other movies. He had a menacing way about him and fit the part well. Another bad guy was played by Marc Lawrence who always played the gangland type. Ray Teal had a small part as a State investigator and Western fans will remember him as Sheriff Roy Coffee on Bonanza. And of course our favorites Bob Livingston, Bob Nolan and others. Wonderful acting, singing and great fun! Don't miss this one!