Saga of Death Valley

Ed Tasker kills Roy Rogers, Sr. over a land dispute and the only witness to the crime is his 3 year old son Tim, who is kidnapped by Tasker and led into a life of crime. Years later, Tasker is controlling the water rights for the valley, along with the adopted son, now named Jerry. Rogers' other son Roy, arrives in the valley under an assumed name to reacquire his father's old ranch. When Tasker starts charging Roy and the rest of the ranchers outrageous prices for the water, Roy organizes a group of night riders to disrupt Tasker's plans. Tasker sends out Jerry to stop the night riders leading to a showdown of brother versus brother, even though neither of the two know it. The idea of brothers separated at birth was definitely not new when this B western was made, but so far of the ones I've seen this is definitely the best, obviously helped out by the opposite characterizations performed by Rogers and Barry. Excellent directing by Kane, as well as an interesting characterization by outlaw Taliaferro, contemplating to blow up the dam in the film's shoot out. Rating, based on B-westerns, 10.

"Saga of Death Valley" begins many years earlier...when Roy Rogers was a kid. His father is murdered by the local baddie, Tasker, and he's seen doing it by Roy's little brother...so Tasker kidnaps the boy. But although a thug, he hasn't the heart to kill the boy so he raises him...and the boy grows into manhood (Red Barry) and thinks 'Uncle Ed' is his uncle. He's also his uncle's henchman who often does much of Tasker's dirty work.

After a long absence, Roy returns to town....and goes by the name Roy Reynolds. He is, of course, coming to investigate what happened to his father as well as to establish himself in the local community. While he appears to be a peace-loving man and is willing to put up with Tasker's huge fees for water, on the sly (get it?) he leads a group who call themselves the Riders of Death Valley...and they vow to stop Tasker. But what will Roy do about Tasker's henchman? After all, Roy recognizes him and realizes he's his long lost brother.

The location for this shoot is Lone Pine, California...in the Sierras and near Mt. Whitney. This was actually the location for nearly 1000 films....mostly, but not exclusively westerns. This isn't very far from Death Valley....although one reviewer erroneously said that the film has nothing to do with THE Death Valley. I've made a few mistakes in my many reviews...so I understand that these things happen.

Overall, a better than average Roy Rogers film due to the interesting plot. Additionally, the film is a bit grittier than his later movies...something I really appreciate.

Yikes. "Roy Rogers" gets assassinated. Why didn't I know? Oh no, wait - it was the senior version! The junior version returns many years after to find his murderer "Tasker" (Frank M. Thomas) is holding the ranchers to ransom over the water supply and that his enforcer is none other than his own kid brother "Jerry" (Don Barry). Fortunately, "RR" also has the ever-reliable "Gabby" ("Gabby" Hayes) on his side as his incognito attempt to rally the other ranchers gathers an increasingly perilous momentum. As a kid, I was not a fan of "Roy Rogers" and that was because the crooning just doesn't belong in a western (well not unless it was Dean Martin) but here, luckily, there is a good deal less of that and more of a story to unfold than you might expect, only with a few hiccups along the way and even the tiniest bit of romance threatening for "Gabby" with the redoubtable "Miss Minnie" (Fern Emmett) and her ever so frilly gowns. There's more action here than usual too, and the gun totin' livens up nicely towards the conclusion of quite a busy little hour of reconciliation and revenge. No, you might never recall watching it afterwards, but it passes the time amiably enough and with a bit more of Hayes to get our teeth into, this one is worth a gander.

Saga Of Death Valley has villain Frank M. Thomas shoot down Lane Chandler in cold blood so that he can gain control of the water Chandler has on his ranch. One witness was left, the younger child of Chandler who grows up to be Don Barry who becomes his number one enforcer.

This western plays a lot like a Warner Brothers gangster feature with Thomas running a real nice protection racket with the ranchers in the valley. That is until the other and older son of Chandler shows up to claim his birthright and settle some scores and that of course is Roy Rogers.

Roy's leading lady is Doris Day, not THE Doris Day, but another actress with the same name who sang not a note with Roy. Can you imagine the nice music that Roy and the other Doris could have made? We might never have heard of Dale Evans who was several years in Roy's future.

Although Saga Of Death Valley has nothing to do with the real Death Valley of alkali, cactus, and borax, the film has a nice plot, good acting and is one of Roy's better early features.

When Roy Rogers was a boy, his father had owned a ranch in Death Valley. But fellow rancher and owner of the only source of water, Frank M. Thomas, had gunned his father down and and taken Roy's brother as his 'nephew'. Now Roy has returned under a fake name, with only Gabby Hayes to recognize him, to buy back the old spread and begin a war against Thomas, who's also running 'protection' against cattle rustling, under the charge of Roy's unremembering brother, Don Barry.

Rogers starred in nine movies for Republic in 1939, so he must have been pretty busy. That said, it's a good outing, well written by Karen DeWolf, and directed by the indefatigable Joseph Kane. That's the best way to become a star: good work and lots of it. Plus some decent songs, including "Peeping Through The Knothole."