Romance on the Range (1942)

Fur theives are looting the traps on the ranch where Roy is foreman and they have murdered one of Roy's friends. To complicate matters, the ranch owner, unknown to Roy, arrives with her ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writer:

J. Benton Cheney (original screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Sally Payne

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roy Rogers	...	Roy Rogers
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Gabby
Sally Payne	...	Sally
Linda Hayes	...	Joan Stuart
Edward Pawley	...	Jerome Banning
Harry Woods	...	Henchman Steve (as Harry L. Woods)
Hal Taliaferro	...	Sheriff Wilson
Glenn Strange	...	Stokes, Henchman
Roy Barcroft	...	Pete, Henchman
Sons of the Pioneers	...	Musicians, Cowhands
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Nolan	...	Bob Nolan

Storyline

Fur theives are looting the traps on the ranch where Roy is foreman and they have murdered one of Roy's friends. To complicate matters, the ranch owner, unknown to Roy, arrives with her girlfriend posing as a member of the lonely hearts club. Roy gets a tip on the outlaws but it's a trap and Roy and the boys soon find themselves in jail with the townspeople and trappers on the way to lynch them.

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Plot Keywords:

horse

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Justiça de Vaqueiro

Filming Locations:

Lake Sherwood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min 63 min (original) 54 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

While singing "O-o-h, Wonderful World," Pat takes his horse's bridle off the hitching post and tosses it on the ground two times in succession.

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Quotes

Roy Rogers: Keep an eye on him, Gabby.
Gabby: Get over there, you sidewinder, or I'll let daylight through your hide!

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Connections

Edited into Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (1976)

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Soundtracks

"O-o-oh, Wonderful World"
Written by Tim Spencer and Sam Allen
Performed by Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes and the Sons of the Pioneers

User Reviews

"Just like in the Western Gun Stories!"

Don't be fooled by the slightly silly-sounding title - 'Romance On the Range' is one of the very best of Roy Rogers' films from the early '40s. There's nothing terribly unusual about the plot, but all of its elements - tight scripting, great cast, good direction, beautiful cinematography and excellent music - come together in just the right way to make it a solid and entertaining B-Western.

The villains in this instance are fur thieves looting the traps on the ranch where Roy, Gabby Hayes and the Sons of the Pioneers work as foreman, camp cook and cowhands, respectively. Roy & Co. take a personal interest when another cowhand (noted stuntman Henry Wills in an uncredited bit part) is murdered after stumbling onto the gang at work. Meanwhile, the ranch's absentee owner (Linda Hayes, in the best of her three roles opposite Roy) also takes an interest in the case and decides to come West incognito to do some investigating of her own, posing as a friend of her excitable maid Sally Payne, who coincidentally has been corresponding with ranch hand Pat Brady through a Lonely Hearts club.

The good guys take the requisite amount of time to realize who the bad guys are, leaving plenty of room for fun, mishaps and music along the way. George 'Gabby' Hayes is at his very best as the cantankerous ranch cook, especially in one absolutely hysterical sequence where he tries to scare the girls away from the ranch by playing on their fear of wild animals. There's also an exceptional line-up of villains in this one - besides brains heavy Edward Pawley we have Glenn Strange, Roy Barcoft, who provides a humorous running gag with a taste for sleight-of-hand and tricky 'gadgets,' and an especially nasty Harry Woods. As the icing on the cake, Roy and the Sons are in fine voice, performing five outstanding musical numbers, of which the highlight is the irresistibly toe-tapping showstopper 'Sing As You Work.' Altogether, a must-see for fans of Roy's, B-Western enthusiasts or just anyone who likes a fun and well-crafted little film.