Veteran of eventually hundreds of motion pictures, Raymond Hatton was often over-playing and far too exuberant, but in "Rolling Home," he was nigh onto perfect as an old rodeo performer.
It is fun to watch this frequent ham underplaying and looking slim and fit and riding like the long-time cowboy he was, at least in films.
This is a story about his character, and a small-town preacher sought after by a grasping widow, played by the lovely Jean Parker, and a horse and a young grandson.
Russell Hayden gives his usual performance, which is OK, but he seemed often to have trouble enunciating, as if he had badly fitting dentures. He was nearly always likable, but sometimes hard to understand.
"Rolling Home" is finally a pleasant movie, one that lets its viewers feel good about life, especially motion picture life, and that is as much as we usually need to ask of a movie.
I found this by accident on YouTube and once again was seriously irritated by the moronic commercial interruptions. No, the commercials were not themselves so bad, but they popped up often right in the middle of a scene, right in the middle of a speech sometimes, and that is inexcusable.
Still, "Rolling Home" is a good enough movie to put up with the rudeness of the commercial breaks. I recommend it.
