Shine on Harvest Moon

Shine On Harvest Moon, the popular standard made famous by Nora Bayes in vaudeville and the stage, serves as the title song for this early Roy Rogers western. In this film Roy and William Farnum are partners in a ranch in Wyomng that's been having hard times. They've got no cattle of their own, they're just renting out their land for other herds to feed on at the moment.

Farnum has a former partner played by Stanley Andrews who turned bad. Andrews plays Ed Jackson who has a pair of what look like inbred sons and has a valley hideout he calls the 'hole'.

Somebody's giving Andrews some inside information enabling his rustling operation to be always a step ahead of the law. Suspicion falls on Farnum. But you know Roy Rogers wouldn't partner with a crook, so he does some investigating on his home. Roy's spurred on by the fact that Farnum has pretty Lynne Roberts as a daughter who Roy kind of likes.

Shine On Harvest Moon is a pretty good B western, one of Roy's better early ones. And it was nice learning that Shine On Harvest Moon is also identified with another popular performer besides Nora Bayes.

And because I got curious I looked up Jackson Hole, Wyoming and no the area was not named for a famous outlaw hideout.

"Shine on Harvest Moon" is an early Roy Rogers film that, unfortunately, was been trimmed to fit television time slots of the 1950s. Fortunately, it was trimmed less than many of his films (they removed four minutes). And, perhaps there is an original length version out there somewhere...though the two on YouTube were trimmed. The two were also very blurry copies and the prints are badly in need to conservation and cleaning (and yes, I did try watching both just to see if one was appreciably better).

When the story begins, evil Pa Jackson and his two evil sons arrive at the Brower-Rogers ranch. They try to muscle in on the place and Jackson tries to force his old partner, Milt Brower, to throw in with him. Fortunately, his current partner, Roy Rogers, arrives to stop the Jacksons. Then, Pa Jackson announces he's going to destroy everyone and will begin a reign of terror in the area*. Now WHY didn't Roy just shoot them then and there?! Yes, I know cowboy heroes aren't supposed to do this! But at least, why didn't he take the three crooks to the sheriff?! After all, they attacked Brower and made a lot of threats! Sure enough, soon the trio begin shooting up the area and spread a wave of terror around the Tetons in Wyoming. The rest of the film is how they eventually stop these evil jerks who terrorize the territory and claim to be in charge!

This Roy Rogers film is a bit unusual because Roy has no sidekick. This certainly isn't unheard of though I would have loved to have seen Gabby Hayes there to give the story a bit more color. But like most of his films, if not all, there' a bit of singing...and it's pretty enjoyable, though I laugh when I imagine real cowboys singing on the prairie! Overall, a modestly enjoyable film--pretty average for the franchise. My only gripe is listed above...when you are threatened and the baddie tells you what he's going to do after you release him, why release him in the first place?!? It does seem like a serious weakness to the plot.

*The film seems to indicate that Jackson Hole (the valley around Jackson, Wyoming) was named after this rogue. Well, that's not the case....and is a bit of fiction. It was actually named for the trapper and explorer David Edward Jackson...who bore no resemblance to Pa Jackson nor his evil spawn.

Good oater mix, especially the hulking Andrews as baddie Jackson. Catch his rather surprising brawl with Roy, more unpredictable than usual. Seems Jackson's getting inside info on cattle drives so he can rustle them. But who's the snitch. The Cattlemen's Association thinks its Brower (Farnum) but Roy likes and respects him. So if it isn't Brower, who is it. Meanwhile, Jackson and his rustlers are having a field day while Roy tries to get things organized.

It's a youthful Roy, but without dominating screetime that would later come his way. Then too, Mary Hart's enough to turn any cowboy's head, including this geezer's. And that's along with Lulu Belle who's a dead-ringer for the late, great comedic actress Betty White (see what you think). Anyhow, there's plenty hard riding and fast shooting, but not much good scenery. My favorite part is the community's peaceful party in the woods, which also furnishes a good homespun backdrop for the musical array that follows.

No, the flick may not be anything special. Still, it's a solid example of what made the Rogers' series so popular in its time, especially with front-row kids like me. So give it an entertaining look-see.

Cowboy movies and early television shows did more to shape the romantic American view of the old west than any history book, and this early Roy "King of the Cowboys" Rogers flick is a fine example. Interspersed with musical numbers, it's an anachronistic shoot-'em-up tale of cattle rustling and "heading 'em off at the pass." The title tune, sung on a hayride, is an American standard, and Lulu Belle (Myrtle Wiseman) singing "I'm dying to git a nice feller" is worth waiting for.

William Farnum and Roy Rogers' father were partners in the ranch. Now that his father is dead, Roy owns his share. He's also sweet on Farnum's daughter, Lynne Roberts. But last winter was bad, and the ranch is almost broke; only the knowledge that it's fine grazing land makes them stay. In walks Stanley Andrews, Farnum's old partner, who turned out to be crooked, who wants to run stolen cattle over the land. Farnum resists, but knowledge of their former association taints local sympathy; the fact that the head of the cattleman's association, Frank Jacquet, is backing Andrews' operation makes things even tougher.

Roy Rogers' fourth movie as a star is a decent oater with some nice songs and a decent plot, but it's just a pretty good B western. Perhaps it's because Miss Roberts is wasted, or the details of the story get in the way of the fun. Rogers seems callow in this one. Even in the big shoot-out at the end, he doesn't seem to carry much weight.