Search - Bells of Coronado on DVD

"Roy Rogers B-Western Series ... Bells of Coronado (1950) ..

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 01/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Republic Pictures presents "BELLS OF CORONADO" (8 January 1950) (64 mins/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye) moved to California in 1930, at the age of 18 --- played in such musical groups as The Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws and his own group, the International Cowboys --- In 1934 he formed a group with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer called "Sons of the Pioneers" --- While in that group he was known as Leonard Slye, then Dick Weston and finally Roy Rogers --- Their songs included "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" --- They first appeared in the western "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), starring Bing Crosby --- In 1937 Roy went solo and made his first starring film in 1938, "Under Western Stars" (1938) --- He made almost 100 films --- then came television, "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951) ran on CBS from October 1951 through September 1964.

Under William Witney (Director), Edward J. White (Producer), Sloan Nibley (Screenwriter), John MacBurnie (Cinematographer), R. Dale Butts (Composer (Music Score), Aaron Gonzales (Songwriter), Sid Robin (Songwriter), Foy Willing (Songwriter), Stanley Wilson (Composer (Music Score), Tony Martinelli (Editor), Frank Hotaling (Production Designer), John McCarthy (Set Designer), James S. Redd (Set Designer), Adele Palmer (Costume Designer), Earl Crain, Sr. (Sound/Sound Designer), Bob Mark (Makeup), Howard Lydecker (Special Effects), Theodore Lydecker (Special Effects) - - - - Our story line and plot, In the first of two Cold War Westerns, Roy, as an insurance investigator, looks at the murder of a mine owner and the disappearance of a load of uranium ore, thought to be of interest to foreign agents --- Roy explains the use of the geiger counter --- Must point out director William Witney has always been underappreciated by western genre fans --- Witney made some of the best early westerns out there creating the modernized, choreographed B-Western fight scenes we still see today --- Witney kept the landscapes in the back where they belong and focused on the pure joy, just sit back and soak it up --- Witney is still my favorite Western filmmaker --- Must recommend the Happy Trails DVD's to you --- Each one has new information about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and each actor or director in the film --- 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 film starts out with Roy and Dale seated on a small stage back around 1987 talking about the sagebrush films they are showing --- some wonderful tunes, GOT NO TIME FOR THE BLUES -- SAVE A SMILE FOR A RAINY DAY -- BELLS OF CORONADO.

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
Dale Evans ... Pam Reynolds
Pat Brady ... Sparrow Biffle
Grant Withers ... Craig Bennett
Leo Cleary ... Dr. Frank Harding
Clifton Young ... Ross
Robert Bice ... Jim Russell
Stuart Randall ... Sheriff
John Hamilton ... Mr. Linden, Insurance Company Official
Edmund Cobb ... Rafferty
Eddie Lee ... Shanghai, the Cook
Rex Lease ... Shipping Company Foreman
Lane Bradford ... Henchman Jenks
Foy Willing ... Foy
Riders of the Purple Sage ... Power Co. Linemen / Musicians
George Bamby ... Power Co. lineman (Riders of the Purple Sage)
Duke Green ... Henchman Pete
Post Park ... 2nd Wagon driver
Darol Rice ... Darol (Riders of the Purple Sage)
Loren Riebe ... Henchman
Henry Rowland ... Foreign Smuggler
Al Sloey ... Al (Riders of the Purple Sage)
Ken Terrell ... Henchman

BIOS:
1. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Date of Birth: 5 November 1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of Death: 6 July 1998 - Apple Valley, California

2. Dale Evans (aka: Frances Octavia Smith)
Date of Birth: 31 October 1912, Uvalde, Texas
Date of Death: 7 February 2001, Apple Valley, California

3. William Witney (Director)
Date of Birth: 15 May 1915 - Lawton, Oklahoma
Date of Death: 17 March 2002 - Jackson, California

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "THE ROY ROGERS BOOK: A REFERENCE TRIVIA SCRAPBOOK" (Paperback) --- reference trivia scrapbook of Roy Rogers written by Western film historian David Rothel whose accounts of thrilling adventures of B-Western heroes during the Saturday matinees of yesteryear takes us back to our childhood, family and friends --- this is a wish come true, reliving those wonderful years from the past through the pen of David Rothel --- Roy was a top box office draw for Republic Pictures when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said --- plenty of thrills, action and hard riding with a song or two thrown in for good measure --- Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers" and elected again in 1988 as Roy Rogers "King of the Cowboys" --- Roy got his horse "Trigger" in 1938 and rode him in every one of his films and TV shows after that --- "Trigger" died in 1965 age of thirty-three --- Roy's dog's name was "Bullet" and appeared in almost as many of his films as "Trigger" did --- Roy's theme song, "Happy Trails", was written by Queen of the West and his wife Dale Evans --- inducted (with his wife Dale Evans) into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1976 --- inducted as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1995 just three years before his death --- Don't miss this one --- now appearing on Amazon and Empire Publishing --- Don't hesitate - rush out and pick up your copy today --- Great reading in the days and weeks to come --- I guarantee it!

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with musical adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Amazon where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 64 mins on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (6/24/2003)"