Heldorado
Heldorado
G | 15 December 1946 (USA)
Heldorado Trailers

Roy Rogers, a Nevada State Ranger Captain in charge of the Rangers Reclamation Service, makes a trip to Las Vegas for the annual Heldorado Frontier Days Festival, as he wants to help his old friend Gabby Whittaker who originated the idea (at least, in this film).In Las Vegas, Roy meets heiress Carol Randall, who has been selected as the Queen of the Heldorado. Roy is informed that the F.B.I. wants an immediate investigation of the counterfeit thousand dollar bills that are being passed over the gambling tables at the casino.

Reviews
Hellen

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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Megamind

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

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PiraBit

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

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Keeley Coleman

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

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JohnHowardReid

Copyright 11 December 1946 by Republic Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 15 December 1946. Australian release through British Empire Films: 26 February 1948 (sic). 6,503 feet. 72 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Although the actual credit title and all advertising material uses the name Heldorado, the picture is actually centered around "Helldorado Day" at Las Vegas, Nevada. A perfect opportunity for black marketeers to unload some of their hard-earned cash is thwarted by Ranger Rogers (with more than a slight assist from Deputy Sheriff Evans).NOTES: Frank McDonald directed the Hoover Dam sequences, part of the Treasure Hunt episode and some studio scenes involving Rogers, Evans and Hayes before being replaced by William Witney. This film bears no relationship whatever to the 1934 film, "Helldorado", directed by James Cruze, starring Richard Arlen, Madge Evans and Ralph Bellamy. PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Two directors, but thanks to the skill of Republic's behind-the- camera team, no seams show in the finished product.COMMENT: Director William Witney really put his stamp on this one by using a camera crane in the Helldorado sequences to present a brilliant series of sweepingly effective photographic shots that are really most unusual for Republic. Witney's laudable attempts to spice up a somewhat routine, even lackluster plot also pay off in the all-action climax. Though the dull inserts with Gabby Hayes were directed by Frank McDonald, Witney handled the hell-for-leather riding, the fast car chase and especially the slug-fest climax in the baggage room. In fact, I'd venture to say that all of Hayes' scenes were directed by McDonald. Certainly Hayes and Witney did not hit it off. Witney took over all the Rogers' output at this point, while Hayes left the series, never to return. "Heldorado" was the last of the black-and- whites for Rogers in the 1940s. Thereafter all his pictures until 1951 were filmed in Trucolor. One pleasing aspect of the otherwise ho-hum script is that it does provide for some splendid run-ins between Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, whose spirited rivalry gives an entertainment boost even to the three obligatory but so-so songs. Bob Nolan, on the other hand, despite his single-frame credit, is handed what can only be described as a raw deal. He's hardly in the movie at all.

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MartinHafer

I was less than enthusiastic about this Roy Rogers film because it featured Dale Evans in one of her typical 'dumb woman' roles. Now I am not insulting the memory of Miss Evans. It's just that in most films she made with her husband, she played really annoying women--REAAAALLLY annoying ones. To put it succinctly, he played obnoxious and stupid characters. And, while the character in "Heldorado" isn't as bad as many, she still is one annoying lady! You'd think that once she married Roy that her parts would improve, but this wasn't the case.As to the title (which is often spelled "Helldorado"), it's named after the Helldorado Days--an annual rodeo created in the 1930s outside of Las Vegas in order to entertain the men working on Boulder Dam (now called 'Hoover Dam'). I am still not quite sure why they chose this title--especially since folks' sensitivities and censorship meant changing the title by dropping an 'l' to make it more acceptable.This film once again finds Roy, Gabby, Trigger and Dale in the leads. And, as usual, Roy plays an agent investigating crime (this time counterfeiters) and Dale plays a rich lady who is super-annoying. Throughout the film, Roy actually seems on the verge of smacking her! But, despite Dale's histrionics, they do manage to save the day by the end of the film AND sing a bunch of songs (some by the ubiquitous Sons of the Pioneers). All in all, a slightly below average B western. For fans of Rogers films, it's fun and entertaining, for those who aren't, try finding a non-Dale film (such as "Idaho") first.

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Michael_Elliott

Heldorado (1946) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Roy Rogers plays a Nevada State Ranger in Las Vegas for some relaxation but he's quickly recruited to help locate some counterfeiters passing around fake money at the Helldorado convention. While the story is certainly lacking, I still found this to be much better than its reputation. The film certainly isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination but I think there's enough charm in it to make it worth viewing for fans of "B" Westerns. The majority of the fun comes from Dale Evans who plays somewhat of an airhead who gets an honorary job with the police but she takes it a step further by becoming a Sherlock Holmes and trying to solve the case by herself. This leads to some of the best moments as she and Rogers are constantly going after one another as they keep getting in each other's way. The chemistry between the two is certainly very high and it really helps keep the film moving. Rogers, as normal, has no problems playing the good time but by this time he could have done that in his sleep. George 'Gabby' Hayes appears for the final time with Rogers but it's strange that the two really don't have much to do together. Hayes' role isn't the best of his career but he does get a few funny bits. The action doesn't happen all that often but we do get a couple nice shoot outs to also help keep the film moving. The story itself isn't anything we haven't already seen countless times but I think the charm of the actors at least keep it entertaining and the short running time doesn't hurt either.

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bkoganbing

Heldorado finds Roy Rogers as a Nevada State Ranger who gets pulled into a most modern of rackets, money laundering though it wasn't called that back in those days. Impoverished playboy Brad Dexter in only his second film is working out this racket in the casinos there. When he's discovered they find his body at Boulder Dam. For the Saturday matinée crowd Roy was finally getting in enough action to satisfy them. Some of his films in the Mid Forties could more properly be classed as musicals. Still he gets a few numbers in here.Dale Evans plays a society girl visiting out in Las Vegas and she's made an honorary deputy sheriff. Which title she takes most seriously when her friend Dexter is murdered. She annoys Roy all to Heldorado with her interference, but actually does have some good instincts.When I wrote a review of Home In Oklahoma which is my favorite Roy and Dale film, I said the two of them exhibited a chemistry that was very similar to Tracy and Hepburn. I could also cite Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck for the films they did together. Of course Roy and Dale didn't have the benefit of the writers that these folks had working for the major studios. Heldorado most definitely shows the same kind of chemistry that Home In Oklahoma did.Herbert J. Yates opened his tight fisted pocketbook and splurged for location shooting in Las Vegas and at Boulder Dam. Remember this was Las Vegas before Ben Siegel and Meyer Lansky opened the Flamingo and made it what it is today. So for a look at Las Vegas before the Mob got there, this is a good film to view it.Roy and Dale are in top form in Heldorado.

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