Search - Under California Stars on DVD

Good Plot - Poor Tecnical Quality

10/28/1999

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This release from UAV (United American Video) has very, very poor visual and sound quality. I suppose that is why the price is so low, but it's not worth watching. Find this good movie released by someone else like Republic Home Video or such."

Be forewarned

Yarby | Medina, OH United States | 03/27/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Be forewarned....the very opening of the movie on this DVD has been truncated. The source for these transfers is evidently a program hosted by Roy and Dale in their later years. While I have no problem with the DVD's containing the intros, I did not pay for a movie that is not in its entirety...COMPLETE opening credits and all.Secondly, the source is not good either. Roan Group did a much better job with their Roy Roger movie transfers. In spite of being "Authorized by the Roy Rogers Estate"...which made me this a safe purchase....these Happy Trails Theatre DVD's are anything BUT high quality."

Fame and Fortune vs. Trigger.

Robert S. Clay Jr. | St. Louis, MO., USA | 04/25/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Nobody made Westerns like Republic. In "Under California Stars," Roy Rogers portrays a singing cowboy movie actor. Truly inspired casting. Roy discovers that evil horse hunters are trapping wild horses on his Double R Ranch. Roy frowns on this bad behavior. He beats up creepy bad guy House Peters, Jr. to stop him from abusing a captured horse. After Roy makes it plain that wild horse hunters are not welcome on his range, the outlaw gang kidnaps Trigger and holds the smartest horse in the movies for $100,000 ransom. The crooks in this little flick are dumber than usual. These B Westerns, filmed in TruColor, were Roy's last series of films before moving to TV in the 1950s. The Sons of the Pioneers pad the script with several musical numbers. Pre-Jingles Andy Devine is the comic relief ranch foreman, Cookie Bullfincher. He inflates the ranch payroll by hiring his lookalike, country bumpkin relatives. Triva Note: Michael Chapin is Lauren Chapin's brother. She was "Kathy" on the "Father Knows Best" TV show. Low-grade VHS editions do not help this film's technical qualities. Regardless, the movie is "G" rated fun for kids and nostalgia collectors. Saddle up and ride, pardner. ;-)"

AVOID THIS HAPPY TRAILS THEATER VERSION.

Richard J. Oravitz | 05/23/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I recently purchased several " HAPPY TRAILS THEATER " Roy Rogers movies on dvd & I'm now doubting my better judgement. It was the AUTHORIZED BY THE ROY ROGERS ESTATE & DIGITALLY RESTORED statements that motivated my purchase...PLEASE, DO NOT FALL for this gimmick advertising. Maybe THE ROY ROGERS ESTATE doesn't know any better...but it should!!!
This is an extremely heavily edited version of a very good Republic Western. The dvd case states approx. 65min. Roy & Dale yak with director William Whitney for at least 10min. of that time cutting the film length to under an hour.
Now I have nothing against Roy & Dale recalling old times, actually I like it, but not if it means I have to watch a choppy version of UNDER CALIFORNIA STARS to compensate for time loss??? on a dvd???
GOODTIMES VIDEO/DVD took an old TV-edited version of Roy & Dale's HAPPY TRAILS THEATER PROGRAM and slapped it onto a dvd without restoring all the missing parts that had been cut out for commercials...you can easily spot the commercial " fades ".
The cuts & jumps were jarring & confusing...
Luckily I have a 20-MOVIE PACK of Roy Rogers films on 4-dvd's from MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT that has a version of UNDER WESTERN STARS listing at 70min. I put this version on right after watching the HAPPY TRAILS version and I must say that results were astounding!!!
MILL CREEK's is most likely as complete a version as you will find. Right from the BEGINNING...HAPPY TRAILS jumps into Roy fighting make-believe on a movie set...MILL CREEK starts the picture off with a great establishing shot of what is most likely REPUBLIC STUDIOS before Roy's intro...& all through the MILL CREEK version you catch a second here, a minute there, several complete scenes here and there. All the songs are intact as well including Roy & THE PIONEERS singing " DUST " at Roy's coming home party ( Roy ends the song with his great line " ...and may the good Lord take a likin' to you."...which, of course is all missing from the HAPPY TRAILS version ). Another missing song, the theme title " UNDER WESTERN STARS " sung duet by Roy & Jane Frazee also appears in the MILL CREEK version. To cut the title theme song is a statement in itself as to HAPPY TRAIL's lack of care in product presentation!!!
As for what version " LOOKS & SOUNDS BETTER ", you would have to be nit-picking to favor HAPPY TRAILS...both look fine for a Tru-Color film & the MILL CREEK version is just as acceptable.
For money value, the MILL CREEK 4-disc set is worth it alone for a MUCH MORE complete version of " UNDER WESTERN STARS " by about 20min & 2 songs.
However, MILL CREEK's version of " LIGHTS OF OLD SANTA FE " runs under 60min & is a cut version...so this is not a perfect world.
HAPPY TRAILS VERSION: 1 star.
MILL CREEK VERSION: 5 stars.
Compare them yourself, you'll see."