Colorado (1940)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Louis Stevens (screenplay) &
Harrison Jacobs (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 September 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Thrilling Adventure In Dangerous Days... As Roy Rogers blazes down ambushed trails to bring justice to an outlaw town!

Plot:

Trouble in Colorado is tying up Union troops needed back east during the Civil War and Lieut. Burke is sent to investigate...

Plot Keywords:

Colorado | Stagecoach | Long Lost Relative | Gunshot Wound | Gambling

Cast

Roy Rogers	...	Lieutenant Jerry Burke
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	'Gabby' Whittaker
Pauline Moore	...	Lylah Sanford
Milburn Stone	...	Don Burke alias Captain Donald Mason
Maude Eburne	...	Etta Mae
Arthur Loft	...	Jim Macklin - Indian Commissioner
Hal Taliaferro	...	Weaver
Vester Pegg	...	Henchman Sam Smith
Fred Burns	...	Sheriff Jeff Harkins
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Henry Sanford

Runtime:

USA:54 min (edited version) | USA:57 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6525) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Jay Novello is listed as a cast member by modern sources, but he was not seen in the movie.

Quotes:

Capt. Donald Mason: You know, in Mexico, they have a way of sparing prisoners of all that. When a fellow is gonna be executed, they give a chance to run for it... and shoot him when he's trying to escape. Ley de Fuga they call it, I think.
Lt. Jerry Burke: I know - the law of flight.

Soundtrack:

Oh! Susanna

Roy helps save the Union

A group of Confederates are posing as Northern loyalists in Colorado where they are sabotaging the help the Union needs in the war. General Grant sends Lt. Jerry Burke to investigate the trouble, but when he arrives he discovers his brother Don, using the alias of Cap. Donald Mason, is one of the ringleaders of this wave of sabotage. The head of the secessionists is Jim Macklin, who is the Indian Agent of the area, who has also been providing the Indians with rifles in hopes of further spoiling the arrival of army troops. Jerry tries to set a trap for Macklin, but is shot by one of the renegade Indians and is nursed back to health by Don, who has grown tired of following Macklin's orders and shoots him in an argument. Fully healthy, Jerry learns of his brothers' actions and goes after him putting his duty above his heart in a battle that only one can leave alive. The film has plenty of action, drama, and suspense, plus a great climax to the film, but the film really weakens by trying to draw out the relationship b/w the brothers and the fact that Macklin is really that great a villain, where the script really could have had him use the brother situation to a better advantage. Moore is given a better role than her other films w/ Rogers really torn between her fiancé (Don) and a blooming love for Jerry. Rating, based on B westerns, 6.