Sunset in El Dorado

Here's a sweet little "oater" from Republic that probably entertained the girls in the audience more than their guys. It's really a Dale Evans movie all the way, told totally from her viewpoint and she appears in practically every scene.

The hook is that the entire cast plays dual roles: one in present day, and one in the 1890's in which may either be a flashback or a dream. The plot centers on unhappy career woman Dale who makes a fast break for the country to reconnect with her roots, namely her deceased Grandmother who was a notorious saloon hall songstress. Her aunt Margaret Dumont and her fiancé Hardy Albright follow, and they're not happy when Dale meets flirtatious cowboy Roy Rogers. He gives Dale a tour of the now deserted town of El Dorado, winding up in the saloon where Dale's granny sang. Sleepyhead Dale nods off, and dreams up an alternate reality where she's now playing her own grandmother, and all the cast members are there only with different costumes and names.

There's some shootouts and chases, all handled expertly by Roy Rogers at his athletic best. And of course, between the bullets, he sings a couple songs and two duets with Dale. The supporting cast is great, and it's a joy to see old pros Gabby Hayes and Margaret Dumont playing scenes together. There's a lot packed into the short running time, although the denouement seems a bit rushed.

So Dale Evans really proves that she has star quality in this, and looks fabulous in both the contemporary and gay nineties fashions. And not far away is Roy Rogers, leading Trigger and looking handsome in his trademark cowboy gear.

*** out of *****