Search - Happy Trails Theatre: Sunset in el Dorado 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.

EARLY ROGERS AND EVANS MOVIE BEFORE TEAMING AS DUO.

11/07/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A WESTERN TRAVEL AGENT'S CLERK (IN NEW JERSEY 1940'S)DISSATISFIED WITH HER POSITION DREAMS OF TAKING A TOUR OUT WEST ON HER OWN. THAT DAY COMES AND SHE RUNS AWAY FROM HER JOB AND RELATIVES TO HEAD WEST. THEY CATCH UP WITH HER IN ARIZONA AND SHE DISABLES THE CAR SO THEY CAN'T TAKE HER BACK. A COWBOY JUST HAPPENS ALONG TO LEND A HAND. HE RELUCTENTLY TAKES THEM TO THE GHOST TOWN OF EL DORADO. WHERE THE CLERK MEETS UP WITH AN ADMIRER OF THE DANCE HALL QUEEN OF 40 YEARS AGO. THE CLERK IS THE QUEEN'S GRANDDAUGHTER, THROUGH THE MIRACLE OF FLASHBACK WE GO BACK TO THOSE DAYS ONCE AGAIN AND RELIVE THE HAPPY ENDING OF THE STORY."

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."

"Roy Rogers B-Western Series ... Sunset in El Dorado (1945)

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 10/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Republic Pictures presents "SUNSET IN EL DORADO" (29 September 1945) (64 mins/B&W) (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 Frank McDonald (Director), Louis Gray (Producer), Leon Abrams (Short Story Author), John K. Butler (Screenwriter), William Bradford (Cinematographer), Morton Scott (Musical Direction/Supervision), Tony Martinelli (Editor), Frank Hotaling (Art Director), Larry Ceballos (Choreography) - - - - Our story line and plot, Dale Evans has a double role in this feature that includes a dream sequence in which she portrays her fictional grandmother, Kansas Kate --- In both sequences she has an eye for Roy Rogers who in the dream foils a gang of gold mine thieves --- Though lesser known, this has some of the best performances by Dale Evans, often scene stealing from Roy and Gabby --- Watch for two of my favorite B-Western character actors Roy Barcroft and Tom London, who never fail to give 100% in every B-Western film --- 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, BELLE OF EL DORADO -- LADY WHO WOULDN'T SAY YES -- GO WEST, YOUNG MAN -- THE CALL OF THE PRAIRIE -- IT'S NO USE -- THE QUILTING PARTY -- I'M AWFULLY GLAD I MET YOU.

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
George 'Gabby' Hayes ... Gabby
Dale Evans ... Lucille Wiley / Kansas Kate
Hardie Albright ... Cecil Phelps / Cyril Earle
Margaret Dumont ... Aunt Dolly / Aunt Arabella
Roy Barcroft ... Buster
Tom London ... Sheriff Gridley
Stanley Price ... Henchman Lyle Fish
Robert J. Wilke ... Henchman Curly Roberts (as Bob Wilke)
Ed Cassidy ... The Marshal
Dorothy Granger ... Switchboard Operator
Bob Nolan ... Bob
Sons of the Pioneers ... Musicians
Hank Bell ... Stage Driver Hank
Ken Carson ... Sons of the Pioneers Band Member
George Chesebro ... Drunk Prospector
Edmund Cobb ... Prospector
Frank Ellis ... Deputy
Hugh Farr ... Sons of the Pioneers Band Member
Karl Farr ... Sons of the Pioneers Band Member
Shug Fisher ... Sons of the Pioneers Band Member
Terry Frost ... Reporter
Jack Kirk ... Bill, the bartender
LeRoy Mason ... Voice
Frank Mills ... Waiter
Bud Osborne ... Prospector
Jack O'Shea ... Croupier
Tim Spencer ... Sons of the Pioneers Band Member

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. 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 --- 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), 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: 64 min on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (11/04/2003)"