Fantastic!

Brilliant and touching

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.

Blistering performances.

This 1949 film, just before Roy Rogers and Co. moved on to TV, has some fine color cinematography, particularly of the Iverson ranch (used in countless westerns) and great, sweeping shots of the wild horse herd that figures importantly throughout the film. It's quite lovely in that regard and captures the beauty and speed of the supposedly "untamed" steeds.The plot is a bit more complicated here than in most RR films, with several unexpected turns, all tightly directed. Roy and Dale are engaging as always, though Pat Brady's appeal eludes. There are fewer musical numbers in this film than usual, though the Sons of the Pioneers are featured.See it for the scenery and the beauty of the horses, and for more drama than is usually served in a Roy/Dale flick.

Whoa Nellie! Here's a plot element I haven't seen before - the 'Smartest Horse in the Movies' is framed for murder, and Roy Rogers takes the fall! You know it has to be the movies when the trial is set for the very next day - Roy gets three years in jail and Trigger is out on the range running with diamond smugglers. That all sounds like a lot going on for a simple 'B' Western, but that's the basic premise of "The Golden Stallion", a Republic Trucolor film that fans of Roy and Dale Evans will find certain delight in. I have to say, the idea of a specially made horseshoe with a false bottom built in to hide a cache of diamonds was certainly a novel idea, and it had me wondering if such an idea was ever tried for real.Along with the trick horseshoe, there were a few other elements I hadn't seen before in a Roy Rogers flick. For one, this might have been the first time Pat Brady appears driving his trusted Willys Jeep, although he's portraying a character named Sparrow Biffle. Though 'Nellybelle' isn't specifically mentioned by name, I'm pretty sure Pat yelled 'Whoa Nellie' during that first horse stampede when his vehicle went out of control. Additionally, it appears that Dale's aboard Buttermilk, the pinto she rode in the TV series a few years later.As for Trigger himself, I had some trouble recognizing the real one. That didn't look like the real Trigger at the start of the picture, the one that got in trouble with the Bell Mare and got pinched for Ed Hart's murder. The stallion that grew up to be Trigger Jr. looked more like the real thing, but I guess he could have performed a dual role like human actors often do. Anyway, it left me just a little bit confused.Roy and Dale as always make an engaging couple, even though Dale's character in the picture goes by the name of Stormy Billings. With the color format, it's easy to pick out their costume changes in the story, as each goes through more than a half dozen. I got a kick out of Dale's reaction to Roy's phony death scene - very over the top, and I'm surprised actually that it remained that way in the picture.By the time it's all over of course, Roy brings the outlaw smuggling gang to justice with the help of the Oro City Sheriff (Frank Fenton). Spending a couple years in jail didn't do a lot to help his image as King of the Cowboys, but he spent time behind bars in other Westerns, so it goes with the territory. One thing I did notice though was Roy's tussle with bad guy Ed Hart (Dale Van Sickel) in the early going; it was probably Roy's best and most realistic looking fight I've seen in a few dozen of his pictures. Just another 'Whoa Nellie' moment in Roy Rogers' enduring film career.

This well done b-western, entertaining and with just the right musical touches, has probably the best views of the oft used Iverson Movie Ranch. Tru-color images of this area add to the beauty of this filming location with its famous rock formations, flat stage coach chase roads, just right for the herd of horses to run across; the Iverson ranch, sadly mostly covered today by condos, apartments, and houses at least retains a lot of the rock formations to remind what a great location this once was for filming. Plus Roy, Dale, Estelita, and Pat Brady and the wonderful Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage are great as expected. In my view, the Iverson Ranch and the horses are the real stars of this film.

"The Golden Stallion" actually refers to Trigger Jr., a foal sired by Trigger with the mare who leads wild horses along the Mexican border to have diamonds smuggled across embedded in their horseshoes. Though critics often prefer the earlier "My Pal Trigger" to "The Golden Stallion," fans may prefer the latter. Dale Evans adds just the right touches as the sweetheart Stormy. Both Roy and Dale show their deep love and affection for horses which makes this one a must for kids of all ages. Roy and Dale, though having other mates earlier in life, were made for each other. No married couple in the entertainment field except possibly Burns and Allen were so compatible and so loved by their many fans. For me, this is the best of the Roy and Dale films.Pat Brady, who replaced a young fellow in the musical group The Sons of the Pioneers named Leonard Slye when he became Roy Rogers, is around for the laughs. Pat had a winning personality and was a great singer but not really much of a comedian, though he did have a funny moniker this go around as Sparrow Biffle. His jeep Nellie Belle upstages him. When an inanimate object gets the most laughs, a comic should take notice."The Golden Stallion" is in Trucolor which this time adds to the overall beauty and highlights the golden in the title. Even non-Roy Rogers fans should enjoy this cinematic gem.