NFR Project: 'Under Western Stars' (1938)

 

NFR Project: ‘Under Western Stars’

Dir: Joseph Kane

Scr: Dorrell McGowan, Stuart E. McGowan, Betty Burbridge

Pho: Jack Marta

Ed: Lester Orlebeck

Premiere: April 20, 1938

65 min.

It is a dicey proposition to think that this Western musical earned its way into the National Film Registry. It is significant only in that it marks the first starring role of Roy Rogers (1911-1998), soon to become known as the “King of the Cowboys.”

Cowboy singing star Gene Autry (1907-1998) was responsible for Roy Rogers’ success. It seems that he was p.o.ed with Republic Pictures head Herbert Yates, who felt that he was solely responsible for Autry’s fame. 

Autry grew up the son of a preacher in Texas. He was a young man who worked as a telegrapher for a railroad, and sang and accompanied himself on guitar to pass the time away.

He finally won a recording contract, and in 1932 hit with his first big song, “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine”. He made it big in the movies in 1935 with his starring role in the bizarre Western/musical/sci-fi serial The Phantom Empire. He made 44 films in five years, and was everyone’s favorite singing cowboy, who could fight and shoot and ride adequately.

At this point in their association, Yates felt that he should get a cut of all of Autry's revenue. Autry, to put it mildly, disagreed.

Yates, feeling he could create another screen cowboy hero out of whole cloth, did so. He picked out a handsome, tuneful young man named Leonard Slye, who was part of the successful, original singing group the Son of the Pioneers. Yates changed his name to Roy Rogers, and stuck him in this film, which Autry was supposedly to play.

The story covers the election of Roy to Congress, where he works to ease the grip the local water company has on his constituents. That’s it. There is little to none of the chases, fights, or shootouts common to the Western B-movie to this point in time. There is a heck of a lack of water, and Rogers exposes other politicaians to the drought to make his point about releasing the life-giving water to his friends and neighbors. Roy is pleasant, winning, and sings like a bird. Even gifted with Autry’s old comic sidekick Smiley Burnette, the results are, shall we say, stultifying.

Well, it was a huge hit, and fostered Rogers’ career in film, on television, and via recordings through the rest of his life. For many, he is the personification of the happy singing cowpoke. He certainly was pleasant, and is attractive here – but he made better films (he racked up 125 before he was done).

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Only Angels Have Wings.