Roy Rogers Ropes And Rides Again In Rootin’, Tootin’ Video Collection

Hit the saddle, buckaroos, and ride again with the King of the Cowboys.

Republic Home Video has rounded up eight Roy Rogers Westerns and repackaged them into a dandy boxed collectors set.

Also thrown into the mix is an extra video chronicling the life and career of just about everybody’s favorite sagebrush hero. If that’s not enough to make your spurs jingle-jangle, in addition there are colorful lobby card reproductions of each movie.

For those hombres who moseyed in late, Roy Rogers was one of the most popular box-office attractions during the middle part of this century. From 1938 to 1951, he and his golden palomino, Trigger, galloped across the cinematic plains in 81 Republic outings.

He was the No. 1 Western star from 1943 to 1954, and in a 1950 Life magazine poll, teenagers named him one of the 10 Americans in history they admired the most.

Rogers never claimed to be a great actor. “When they told me to look angry, I’d frown, and when they told me to look happy, I’d smile,” he once said. Still, his easygoing screen presence made him a winner with young and old alike.

Nineteen of the Rogers films were produced in Trucolor, often called a poor man’s Technicolor. But with today’s computer technology, that particular color process never looked better.

Unfortunately, negatives to many of the Rogers color movies were lost because of neglect and decay. Only nine have been officially transferred to videotape, and this collection includes eight of them.

Be advised that the color Rogers films, unlike many B Westerns of the era, were often grim and violent. And the villains were some of the baddest varmints to ever strap on a six-shooter.

Here are the eight features in the collection, which is priced at $79.98:

“Susanna Pass’ (1949): Wife Dale Evans was reunited with Rogers after being absent for several films. For some reason, Republic decided after the two were married New Year’s Eve 1947 that they shouldn’t team up anymore.

But their fans protested, and the studio changed its mind. In this one, Roy brings to justice a newspaper publisher who’s trying to gain control of a fish hatchery so he can claim the oil that lies beneath the bottom of a lake.

“Down Dakota Way’ (1949): Rogers battles a gang that’s trying to sell a herd of cattle before anybody finds out that the steers are infected with hoof-and-mouth disease. Pat Brady’s first appearance as sidekick Sparrow Biffle.

“The Golden Stallion’ (1949): When Trigger is accused of murder, Roy takes the rap and goes to jail. During the course of the film, Trigger Jr. is born, and Rogers corners a band of diamond smugglers.

“Bells of Coronado’ (1950): In this action-packed effort, Roy tracks down a group trying to smuggle uranium ore to a foreign power.

“Twilight in the Sierras’ (1950): Roy helps a judge rehabilitate ex-convicts and also brings a counterfeit ring to justice.

“Trigger Jr.’ (1950): A killer stallion is wreaking havoc on the countryside where Roy’s western carnival is in its winter headquarters. This time Trigger and son ride to the rescue. Gordon Jones’ first appears as Splinters McGonigle.

“North of the Great Divide’ (1950): Roy comes to the aid of Indians who are being mistreated by the owner of a salmon-canning factory. Contains a savage and bloody bullwhip fight.

“Trail of Robin Hood’ (1950): A fun outing. Fellow screen cowboys, including Rex Allen, Rocky Lane and Monte Hale, join Roy to help Jack Holt get his Christmas trees to market in time for the holiday season.

Each cassette also is available separately at $9.98.