Search - Happy Trails Theater: Southward, Ho! on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 6/2/2023...

Roy Rogers - The picture and video quality are so bad that it takes away from the solid old school plotline.

"Roy Rogers B-Western Series ... Southward Ho! (1939) ... Re

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 09/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Republic Pictures present "SOUTHWARD HO!" (19 March 1939) (65 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye) moved to California in 1930, aged 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 Joseph Kane (Director / Producer), Gerald Geraghty (Screenwriter), Jack Natteford (Short Story Author), John Rathmell (Short Story Author), Jack A. Marta (Cinematographer), Cy Feuer (Musical Direction/Supervision), Les Orlebeck (Editor) - - - - - - Our story line and plot, the teaming of Roy and Gabby was a stroke of luck for both actors careers --- returning to Texas after the Civil War two Confederate soldiers Roy and Gabby find there are outlaws robbing and cheating the Texans --- a Union Colonel Denbigh (Wade Boteler) is in command and fair, but Captain Jeffries (Arthur Loft) is responsible for all the trouble they've been having --- can Roy discover the man who is head of the gang before another wartime encounter --- Roy's new sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes association would last until 1946 with some of the best oaters ever to come out of Republic Studios --- some wonderful tunes, "Headin' for Texas and Home", "Hope I'm Not Dreaming Again" and "Keep Awalking the Other Way".

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... Trigger, Roy's Horse
Lynne Roberts ... Ellen Denbigh (as Mary Hart)
George 'Gabby' Hayes ... Gabby Whitaker
Wade Boteler ... Colonel Denbigh
Arthur Loft ... Captain Jeffries
Lane Chandler ... Jim Crawford
Tom London ... Union sergeant
Charles R. Moore ... Skeeter (as Charles Moore)
Ed Brady ... Mears (as Edwin Brady)
Bob Burns ... Rancher who has watch taken
Fred Burns ... Doctor
George Chesebro ... Townsman
Spade Cooley ... Fiddle player
Art Dillard ... Union soldier
Earl Dwire ... Wounded storekeeper
Frank Ellis ... Jones (Union soldier)
Jack Ingram ... Union sergeant
George Montgomery
Bob Woodward ... Gun Guard

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. George 'Gabby' Hayes (aka: George Francis Hayes)
Date of Birth: 7 May 1885 - Wellsville, New York
Date of Death: 9 February 1969 - Burbank, 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.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Scene Selection
2. Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Biography
3. Sidekicks Feature
4. Roy Rogers Museum Tour

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), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under DVD Com) 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: 65 min on DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (11/04/2003)"