Viewers and fans of Roy Rogers films will find a few unusual elements in "Eyes of Texas", making it somewhat out of the ordinary for a Rogers flick. For starters, Andy Devine is on board in a generally serious role as a country doctor, even though he's using the name Cookie Bullfincher. Devine's other portrayals using that name were usually done to comic effect. Instead, the comedy relief duties here were given to Pat Brady, Roy's eventual sidekick in his TV Western series of the early 1950's. Not only that, but Pat gets to strut his stuff in a musical number, with vocals on 'Killer Diller' while playing guitar. Later on, he strums a bass violin as the Sons of the Pioneers perform another number.
Roy also shares heroics in the film with his animal co-stars - Trigger and Bullet. In fact they have a scene together where Trigger tries to calm down a wild dog left wounded when a pack of German Shepherds was dispatched to attack an elderly rancher. In the story, the shepherd is given the name Lobo, and Bullet himself isn't credited for the role. I guess he hadn't signed on with Trigger's agent yet.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the story takes place when Roy takes a swing at Dr. Bullfincher, at which point he almost looked like a heel. The explanation offered involved Roy getting stripped of his Marshal's badge so he could investigate the outlaws as a civilian, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. That was almost as much of a head scratcher as old Thad Cameron (Francis Ford) signing over a blank will to the crooked attorney Hattie Waters (Nana Bryant). Talk about asking for trouble!
Hey, keep an eye on that scene when Roy gets into a scrap with henchman Vic (Roy Barcroft) and the rest of his rowdies. The tear on the back of Roy's shirt changes size and shape throughout the fight.
Of course, Roy triumphs by the end of the story, exposing the crooked attorney and the phony heir she brought in to steal Camp Cameron out from under the orphan boys whose fathers were killed during the War. Given the historical setting of the story, it was unusual to observe the downtown street scenes populated about equally between men on horseback and those in automobiles.
Roy also shares heroics in the film with his animal co-stars - Trigger and Bullet. In fact they have a scene together where Trigger tries to calm down a wild dog left wounded when a pack of German Shepherds was dispatched to attack an elderly rancher. In the story, the shepherd is given the name Lobo, and Bullet himself isn't credited for the role. I guess he hadn't signed on with Trigger's agent yet.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the story takes place when Roy takes a swing at Dr. Bullfincher, at which point he almost looked like a heel. The explanation offered involved Roy getting stripped of his Marshal's badge so he could investigate the outlaws as a civilian, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. That was almost as much of a head scratcher as old Thad Cameron (Francis Ford) signing over a blank will to the crooked attorney Hattie Waters (Nana Bryant). Talk about asking for trouble!
Hey, keep an eye on that scene when Roy gets into a scrap with henchman Vic (Roy Barcroft) and the rest of his rowdies. The tear on the back of Roy's shirt changes size and shape throughout the fight.
Of course, Roy triumphs by the end of the story, exposing the crooked attorney and the phony heir she brought in to steal Camp Cameron out from under the orphan boys whose fathers were killed during the War. Given the historical setting of the story, it was unusual to observe the downtown street scenes populated about equally between men on horseback and those in automobiles.
