The Ranger and the Lady (1940) User Reviews

So-So Roy Rogers Vehicle

[FightingWesterner · 5/10 · 19 May 2010]

In the days of the Texas Republic, Rangers Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes are sent by a renegade General to collect a toll from travelers just outside Texas' border. In order to prevent bloodshed, the reluctant duo try to collect the money from a female wagon master, using more tactful methods than their replacements would have, causing even more problems.

A fairly lethargic production, the story just doesn't give off much sparks this time around as I would have liked. The action scenes aren't very hot either.

Roy and Gabby are still likable though and leading lady Julie Bishop is very attractive. However, there isn't much chemistry between her and Rogers. George Hayes and old-timer Si Jenks fair much better in that department!

Still, it's not Roy's worst, but he's definitely done a lot better.

But the Santa Fe Trail didn't go through Texas!

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 2 March 2019]

This film could have appropriately been titled "The Santa Fe Trail", but that was the name of an Errol Flynn western released that very same year that had virtually nothing to do with the Santa Fe Trail. Such was Hollywood! The given title is also fine........In contrast to most other reviewers, I liked this film, despite all the historical and geographical misrepresentations, which was pretty much standard for films of this era.........Starting with the villains, as usual, Harry Woods made a charismatic villain, as the hatchet man for the top villain: General Larue: acting president of the Texas Republic in 1836, while Sam Houston was in Washington, lobbying for statehood for Texas. Henry Brandon made a charismatic Gen. Larue, being suitably dark and brooding. I strongly suspect this character represented a highly distorted version of the 2nd president of the Texas Republic: Lamarr. Even their names somewhat resemble each other. Like Larue, Lamarr was an armchair empire builder. He lobbied for an army to take over New Mexico east of the Rio Grande, if not proceeding to the Pacific Ocean! But, a wiser congress nixed this idea, as stretching the limited resources of the fledgling country to thinly was deemed unadvisable. They were more concerned about their disputed southern border with Mexico, and holding onto what they had, since Mexico didn't recognize Texas as a separate entity......Actually, the basic plot strongly resembles that of "The Adventures of Robin Hood", released 2 years before. Thus, Gen. Larue becomes the equivalent of Prince John, while President Houston is the equivalent of King Richard: far from his country on important business. Villain Harry Woods is the equivalent of Sir Guy. Roy is the equivalent of Robin Hood, and Gabby Hayes, of Little John, perhaps, while Julie Bishop, as Jane, fills the shoes of Maid Marian.........Now, as to my review title: Gen. Larue imposes a tax on all wagon traffic traveling through Texas territory on the Santa Fe Trail. Historically, the only problem is that the Santa Fe Trail didn't pass through any confirmed Texas territory. The confirmed republic was much smaller than the present state of Texas, and the Trail didn't even pass through any Texas territory today. Larue was defining Texas as including the substantial disputed areas to the north and west, even well beyond the boundaries of the present state of Texas. Some maps do indicate these regions as being part of the Texas Republic........Old Si Jenks made an interesting second string Gabby. Although sometimes on opposite sides of fence, they had fun teasing each other. Both had spent time in vaudeville.......Roy and Gabby began as Texas Rangers, but quit when LaRue charged them with enforcing his tax on wagons. Larue then charged them with treason, and they were scheduled for a hanging, but fate intervened, as Houston's entourage showed up just in time to combat Larue's forces.......Julie Bishop, as Jane, was itching to get a chance to serve justice on Larue, whom she blamed for the death of her father by a Mexican firing squad. She got this chance when she was in Larue's second story office when Houston's entourage showed up with guns blazing. Larue was about to shoot Houston with his rifle when Jane shot him in the back. She and Roy had their ups and downs during the film, but they ended up strolling together. See it at YouTube.

"Some men never seem to learn".

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 20 March 2010]

Considering Gabby Hayes' usual presence in a Roy Rogers flick as somewhat of a comic relief character, it's a little gruesome here to see him comparing his Indian scalp collection with that of grizzled freighter Hank Purdy (Si Jenks). They have a gimmick of trading Gabby's trail knife back and forth between them based on bets they make along the way.

The main story has Roy and Gabby as a pair of Texas Rangers who attempt to put the squeeze on a seamy stand-in for Texan President Sam Houston, who's off to Washinton to promote statehood. It seemed a bit simplistic for villain Larue (Henry Brandon) to simply declare his authority over territory east of the Rio Grande and start charging a toll tax on anyone coming into Texas. That and forming a trading monopoly on the Santa Fe Trail with Miss Jane Tabor (Jacqueline Wells) at her mere suggestion. Things couldn't have been that easy to pull of, even in the early 1800's, but stuff like this went on all the time in pictures of the era.

We learn early enough in the story that Jane Tabor is really out to avenge the death of her father at the hands of Larue, so the viewer is left on the hook for a while until Captain Colt (Rogers) and Miss Jane team up for real. Sam Houston even shows up at the finale to help the Rangers defeat the bad guys. I got a kick out of that actually, because if you think about it, it would have taken that rider on horseback a couple of months to get to Washington to get hold of Houston, then a few more weeks for him to get back to Texas by stage. Funny, but watching these flicks as a kid back in the day, you never thought about those kinds of things. They would only have gotten in the way of a good time.

While Sam's Away

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 May 2011]

The Ranger And The Lady has Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes as Texas Rangers and they're having a hard time adjusting to the ways of the acting president named Joseph LaRue. While President Sam Houston is away in Washington, DC trying to arrange annexation, this guy LaRue played by Henry Brandon has got real big ambitions for himself and Texas and a nasty henchman in perennial western villain Harry Woods to back them up.

In real and not Hollywood history Sam Houston was the first and third presidents of the Texas Republic and a guy named Mirabeau Lamar on whom LaRue seems to be somewhat based was the second president. He was an actual president a bona-fide elected president not an acting one. He had a lot of ambitions like the LaRue character here, but not the ability to see them through. Good thing he didn't because he wanted an independent Texas Empire all for himself.

Anyway among other things Brandon as LaRue imposes his own tariff on goods passing from Texas to Mexico of which Santa Fe was still a part. Julie Bishop who plays a cowgirl owner of a freight line plays up to Brandon, but has an agenda all her own and it's not incompatible with Roy's and Gabby's.

Nice shootout climax as an attempted assassination of Sam Houston is foiled. History tells us that didn't happen in any event. Roy's singing is down to minimum as the emphasis is on action here.

Sam Houston To The Rescue!

[boblipton · 6/10 · 7 July 2023]

Sam Houston is in Washington D. C., negotiating for admission to the Union. Meanwhile, acting president Henry Brandon is busy building up his own private empire. He orders Rangers captain Roy Rogers to start collecting a toll on the Santa Fe Trail, even those parts in Mexico. When Julie Bishop cuts a deal with Brandon for a monopoly on the Trail, Rogers and Gabby Hayes quit.

It's a well told tale of non-history, with Joseph Kane and his writers still figuring outhow best to present Rogers; the great variety of stories they would tell with him is one of the major strength of his movies. Kane was also quite willing to let small players shine, as here, with Si Jenks out-codgering Gabby at every encounter. The two songs Roy sings are ok. With Noble Johnson, Yakima Canutt, and Spade Cooley on the banjo.

"Gabby" and "Purdy" Steal the Show

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 4 September 2007]

Roy Rogers (as Roy Colt) is the Texas Ranger sent to collect, and Jacqueline Wells (as Jane Tabor) is the Lady who won't pay tolls as they disagree on Texan/Mexican territory status. Mr. Rogers is assisted by his trusty sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes (as Gabby) and Ms. Wells (later more commonly known as Julie Bishop) is assisted by her trusty sidekick Si "Purdy" Jenks (as Purdy).

Though Rogers is said to be smitten with the Lady Bishop, few sparks fly between them. The more entertaining twosome are the sidekicks - Gabby and Purdy, who get to share a bed! - but, relax, Gabby is just in Purdy's bed to hide-out. The old codgers might have could have elevated the film, if their material was better. Gabby does get to call Bishop a "She-male"; later, she shoots two men, then bows demurely when Rogers gets one. "The Ranger and the Lady" doesn't meet expectations.

*** The Ranger and the Lady (1940) Joseph Kane ~ Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Julie Bishop

Made watchable by Gabby and Purdy

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 3 October 2011]

I think if it hadn't been for the characters of Gabby (Gabby Hayes) and Purdy (Si Jenks), this film wouldn't have been very watchable. After all, the plot didn't always make sense. Another thing that didn't make sense was how the old Roy Rogers films were hacked to pieces to shorten them for TV slots. In this particular case, it was worse than usual in this regard, as Roy Rogers and the lady (Julie Bishop) begin hating each other for no reason--because their first meeting was cut out of the film! Seeing her suddenly treating him like dirt made her seem insane to say the least.

The story is set in the Republic of Texas in the 1830s. The President, Sam Houston, is away in Washington. In his place, an crooked despot is ignoring the law and exploiting the masses. And, this jerk hopes to kill Houston when he's returning and make himself the leader of Texas. So, it's up to Roy to defeat him and restore justice.

Does all this sound very familiar? Well, it should. It's the plot to Robin Hood and Ivanhoe re-worked (just a tiny bit) along with an irrelevant and difficult to believer plot involving Biship. It's all quite silly but the film has one thing going for it--the repartee between Gabby and Purdy. I am not trying to be a jerk for saying it, but they seemed just like a couple the way they bickered. And, in the end, when Gabby saw that Roy got the girl, he responds "...better off dead!"--convincing me once and for all that Purdy and Gabby, indeed, had a STRONG gay subtext. I find it hard to believe this was unintentional. But this alone isn't enough reason to seek out this film--it's just not all that good.

By the way, accuracy was never a strong point in Roy Rogers films. In this case, the cowboys all use guns circa 1870 (give or take)--firing bullet after bullet after bullet. For the most part, guns were all single-shot back then. A few RARE revolvers did exist but had to be hand-loaded--a very slow process--especially since a percussion cap needed to be affixed to each chamber as well. So, such gun fights simply weren't possible at that time--not that that ever stopped a B-western! guns were NOT period

Supply Chain Problems In The Early West

[dougdoepke · 27 March 2022]

I love that opening 'whisker-off' between Gabby and Si. So who's chin is hairiest: it's like two fuzzy bushes chomping away at each other. So where else can a former front row kid see such dated nonsense.

The oater's an early entry in the Roger's playbook, and is notable for being more plot-heavy than most. So will freight wagons have to pay a fee to use a part of the Santa Fe Trail that leads through the Texas Republic, 1836. Seems unscupulous General LaRue has seized Texas authority while President Sam Houston's conferring in Washington about possible Texas statehood. Now LaRue's set to get rich. Meanwhile, Roy serves as an officer in the Texas Rangers and smells a rat from above. Nonetheless, he's bound by authority to collect the fees, even as this causes hardship among the freight haulers. So what's he to do, follow conscience or authority.

There's one other distinguishing feature, and that's pretty girl Bishop who serves as more than usual eye-relief for us guys. Instead she's heavily threaded into the plot and thus shows her acting chops in a variety of moods, even dominant ones. (No wonder she was an oater favorite).

Anyway, Roy shares main screen time with other cast members. So don't look for a central focus on him. Also, hard-riding and fast-shooting come mainly at the end, but with few flying-fists anywhere. Nonetheless, it's a nifty Rogers entry, with something of a history lesson to boot. So enjoy.