South Of Caliente has Roy Rogers cast as a man who has a horse transport business and in this film he does business with Dale Evans who has a declining stable of thoroughbred horses. To meet payroll and expenses Dale is selling her prize mare Miss Glory whose a fast horse and has a come hither glance that gets Trigger's mojo going.
What she doesn't know is that there's a scheme afoot to hijack Roy's truck and kidnap Miss Glory for any number nefarious schemes. The leaders are her own foreman Douglas Fowley, neighbor Frank Richards, and gypsy Ric Roman with various members of his tribe for the grunt work.
It all goes off successfully unfortunately stable boy Willie Best in his farewell big screen performance is killed defending the thoroughbred. Willie Best has not come down with the best reputation for some of the roles he did in his prime, but I have to say here that his attempted defense and homicide being killed because he could have identified Dale's betrayers was a touching scene.
Also killed is Charlita who made a number of appearances in Roy Rogers Republic features. She plays a gypsy fortune teller who tries to warn Roy about her tribe leader's plans and pays with her life.
Playing the official sidekick part is Pinky Lee and the former burlesque comedian and future children's show host was maybe the worst sidekick Roy ever had. What possessed Republic to cast him as western sidekick God only knows, but he just doesn't cut it in the part.
Featured here in this film really earning his billing is Trigger. Always billed as 'the smartest horse in the movies' Trigger could easily have added most romantic in the movies. Nothing was going to keep him from his lady love, not bandits, not international borders, nothing I say. Trigger was a horse with a mission.
No really good songs come from South Of Caliente, but lots of action to be sure for the Saturday matinée kids who would soon be seeing Roy on the small screen.
What she doesn't know is that there's a scheme afoot to hijack Roy's truck and kidnap Miss Glory for any number nefarious schemes. The leaders are her own foreman Douglas Fowley, neighbor Frank Richards, and gypsy Ric Roman with various members of his tribe for the grunt work.
It all goes off successfully unfortunately stable boy Willie Best in his farewell big screen performance is killed defending the thoroughbred. Willie Best has not come down with the best reputation for some of the roles he did in his prime, but I have to say here that his attempted defense and homicide being killed because he could have identified Dale's betrayers was a touching scene.
Also killed is Charlita who made a number of appearances in Roy Rogers Republic features. She plays a gypsy fortune teller who tries to warn Roy about her tribe leader's plans and pays with her life.
Playing the official sidekick part is Pinky Lee and the former burlesque comedian and future children's show host was maybe the worst sidekick Roy ever had. What possessed Republic to cast him as western sidekick God only knows, but he just doesn't cut it in the part.
Featured here in this film really earning his billing is Trigger. Always billed as 'the smartest horse in the movies' Trigger could easily have added most romantic in the movies. Nothing was going to keep him from his lady love, not bandits, not international borders, nothing I say. Trigger was a horse with a mission.
No really good songs come from South Of Caliente, but lots of action to be sure for the Saturday matinée kids who would soon be seeing Roy on the small screen.