Very well executed

Truly Dreadful Film

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I've seen several dozen Roy Rogers films and while I cannot say this is among his very worst films, it sure must come pretty close. It just seldom makes any sense and the acting is occasionally pretty sad. The film begins with Roy learning that the Sons of the Pioneers owe $10,000 and he goes off to find them in some traveling show. Along the way, he meets up with a bandit named Rico (also called 'The Gypsy'--Tito Guizar) and a spunky lady who owns the show (Jane Frazee). It turns out the show hasn't made money because where the show has gone, robberies have 'coincidentally' occurred as well--so no one wants the show in their town. The crimes have been blamed on The Gypsy but there are others who have been pinning the blame on this hot-blooded guy. Can Roy get to the bottom of what's really happening? The problems with the film are many but let's discuss just a few. The film has even more songs than usual and none of them are particularly good. There was even a moment when they captured The Gypsy and he agreed to come along peacefully IF they first sang him a song!! There also is a girl who is in love with The Gypsy and Estelita Rodriguez is nearly as stereotypically offensive as the Frito Bandito! I am sure Hispanic viewers would cringe every time she comes on the screen and Miss Rodriguez must have cringed every time she had to utter her fiery dialog. And finally, Rogers' behaviors towards The Gypsy make no sense--at some points he wants to capture him and yet, for no discernible reason, he later tells everyone he thinks Rico is innocent! Overall, this film just isn't that enjoyable. While I will be quick to admit that his films are pretty formulaic, they have a certain charm and likability about them. This one, on the other hand, just never was particularly good and the real baddies were just too obvious.

Sad to say that I saw a truncated version of On the Old Spanish Trail, one that must have been edited for television as a previous reviewer mentioned. And it was black and white.What little I saw convinced me it was a good film with both lots of music and a good plot if you could fill in the blanks.There was a sequence missing, but alluded to in the film I saw about Andy Devine believing he dreamed he saw the villains trying to break Tito Guizar out of jail. If so it must have been a very funny sequence as only the befuddled Mr. Devine could make it.Because we had not only Roy Rogers, but Tito Guizar and pinch hitting for Dale, Jane Frazee there was a lot more singing in this than normal. Great for those who like singing cowboys.I believe Dale might have been on family leave from Republic. She and Roy had only one natural child from their marriage, they adopted two others, and she and Roy both had kids from their previous marriages. (Yes they were married to others, Roy's wife died and Dale was divorced from her first husband). Jane Frazee though is a fine musical performer and fills Dale's cowgirl outfits out just fine. Roy and Dale's child would have been born around the time this and a succeeding film came out. Best song of the picture is the title tune. Both Rogers and Gene Autry recorded extensively from their films, though Gene had far better success as a recording artist than Roy did. If you get to see On the Old Spanish Trail, try to see a full length version.

William Witney directs Roy Rogers as he and Trigger join a traveling carnival in hopes of paying off a $10,000 note he co-signed for the Sons of the Pioneers. There is another source of funds...capture the mysterious desperado known as "The Gypsy"(Tito Guizar). Plenty of action and song. Roy, being the 'Singing Cowboy', of course sings; as well as Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers. There is limited comic relief from Constable Bullfincher(Andy Devine). Also in the cast: Jane Frazee, Estelita Rodriguez and Fred Graham. This is one of my favorite Roy Rogers flicks. I can't really pinpoint why...just the atmosphere I guess. Running 75 minutes, ON the Old Spanish TRAIL is worth your time.

This movie was very corny and fun to watch. I'd never seen a Roy Rogers picture before, but my expectations were not disappointed. The stage chases really seem fast-paced, like a big budget Mummy movie. But really, the stuntmen were very good (with horses). Roy is kind of a dope, but fulfills the classic trusting cowboy a baby boomer would need for a hero. (My dad) Jane Frazee is pretty hot in black and white. But the silver screen was a sexy thing. Tito Guizar's voice is quite beautiful, singing clear melodies that remind me of old, pasty, pre-bugs bunny cartoons and merry old England for some reason. Anyway, it's worth a middle of the night view - and if you're going on your 3rd day of awake, it's entertaining. Dopey happy endings that would make John Wayne's reversable, matching red and blue flannels jealous.