I saw the complete black & white version of "Grand Canyon Trail". I say complete because many Roy Rogers films were trimmed in the 1950s to fit television time slots but the one I found on YouTube was complete.
The story is pretty simple. An old silver mine was thought to be depleted but recently there's been some indication that much more could be extracted using modern mining techniques. Cookie (Andy Devine) is so sure this will pan out (get it?) that he invests all of his and Roy's money in this mine. Soon after, the scene switches to the mine owner and his secretary....and he's just received word that the mine is NOT going to be productive and all the investors will be screwed.
Roy goes to investigate and meets one of the worst tropes in these old B-westerns...the know-it-all woman who instantly takes a dislike to him even though Roy is a hero and a swell guy. Much of the movie is spent with her yelling at Roy or sicking the sheriff (James Finlayson...a most unusual casting choice) on him. But there's more to the mine than the stories the mine owner has gotten...and the fact that the workers try so hard to prevent Roy and this super-annoying woman from getting close to it tips him off about their scheme to defraud everyone! What's next? See the film.
This is a pleasant film aside from the woman you want to violently shame and tell to shut up!! That is why although Rogers was fine here, I cannot give the film a score any higher...the trope has been so overused and is so annoying. Plus, it doesn't age well and seems pretty sexist. Still, the movie is worth seeing...just try to ignore her antics.
The story is pretty simple. An old silver mine was thought to be depleted but recently there's been some indication that much more could be extracted using modern mining techniques. Cookie (Andy Devine) is so sure this will pan out (get it?) that he invests all of his and Roy's money in this mine. Soon after, the scene switches to the mine owner and his secretary....and he's just received word that the mine is NOT going to be productive and all the investors will be screwed.
Roy goes to investigate and meets one of the worst tropes in these old B-westerns...the know-it-all woman who instantly takes a dislike to him even though Roy is a hero and a swell guy. Much of the movie is spent with her yelling at Roy or sicking the sheriff (James Finlayson...a most unusual casting choice) on him. But there's more to the mine than the stories the mine owner has gotten...and the fact that the workers try so hard to prevent Roy and this super-annoying woman from getting close to it tips him off about their scheme to defraud everyone! What's next? See the film.
This is a pleasant film aside from the woman you want to violently shame and tell to shut up!! That is why although Rogers was fine here, I cannot give the film a score any higher...the trope has been so overused and is so annoying. Plus, it doesn't age well and seems pretty sexist. Still, the movie is worth seeing...just try to ignore her antics.