Bad Man of Deadwood

Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, and Gabby's daughter Sally Payne roll up in their medicine show to Deadwood. But Deadwood doesn't want any independent merchants, thanks to the protection racket run by Henry Brandon. With the help of Judge Herbert Rawlinson and Carol Adams, they break into the bank and take a look at the records to discover where all the money is going. But Brandon has a few tricks up his sleeves, and plenty of henchmen.

I didn't enjoy this particular Roy Rogers movie, although that may be due to the poor condition of the print and the removal of three songs. IMDb trivia indicates there was no copyright renewal, which often leads to poor prints circulating. While it's certainly superior to most of the B westerns of the era, in this form it's no pleasure to watch.

Bad Men Of Deadwood while it doesn't quite take us back to the days of gold strike in the Black Hills, takes us to when the town was starting to grow. But the people who were there first have a businessman's association that's a cover for a monopoly. They don't like newcomers and will do anything to stop them.

Roy Rogers plays a trick shot artist in Gabby Hayes's medicine show with the lovely and funny Sally Payne and all get involved in the fight for some fair business practices. Also involved are Carol Adams who works for newspaper owner Henry Brandon.

They've got a federal judge who is sympathetic in Herbert Rawlinson. The sheriff is in the pocket of the business association and he's got a murderous deputy in Jay Novello. That's a surprise because later on Novello played funny little ethnic parts usually Italian. Here he's quite serious and deadly.

Singing is kept to a minimum and it's usually part of the medicine show. Emphasis definitely on action in this good Roy Rogers western.

All you need to know: If you have to pick a single movie to introduce someone to B westerns, Bad Man of Deadwood is a good choice.

Bad Man of Deadwood starts off with Roy, Gabby, and the always likable Sally Payne putting on a show with Roy singing a song. They meet the bad guys soon into the story and Roy is shooting it out with the bad guys for the rest of the movie in one gun fight after another. Each shootout fits into the story. Nothing is wasted.

Roy Rogers was a big star, and his movies got extra attention. Bad Man of Deadwood has the look of the perfect cowboy movie in the way scenes are set up and edited together. This one never slows down, hits a lull, or has any filler.

Roy Rogers, a sharp-shooter in Gabby Hayes' medicine show, helps the refugee townsfolk of Deadwood battle a crooked bigwig and his outlaw gang, who've forced them out of town and stolen their businesses.

Meanwhile, Gabby collects a sizable inheritance that gets stolen by the bad man of Deadwood.

Though not as good as some of Roy's later features, this is fast paced enough, has some good gun-play by Rogers, and features a snappy opening scene featuring Gabby's medicine show that all help make this decently entertaining. However, it does run out of steam a bit near the end.

Once again, George "Gabby" Hayes is quite a scene stealer.

It wouldn't be a western wthout Roy Rogers and/or Gabby Hayes, and they are both here. Hayes runs a snake oil and singalong side show, but gets run out of town by the local hoods. Bill Brady, one of his group is a sharp shot (Roy ), and that will come in handy later. Roy Acuff, Monty Blue, and Yak Canutt are in here as well. Everyone who has been mistreated or run out of town is gathering up and working together to fight back. When one of the thugs tries to get Brady, we see how corrupt the legal system is here in Deadwood. Carol Adams and Sally Payne co-star. It's way out of copyright, so in some parts,the sound and picture quality are turrible, turrible. When Gabby is robbed, the crew must come up with a plan to try to get his money back. Chasing, shooting. more chasing, more shooting. a very typical western. Story by James Webb, who will win the oscar for How the West was Won. They do pack a lot into this shortie from Republic Pictures. Filmed in the hills north of LA. Directed by Joe Kane, king of the westerns. worked with John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry. Pretty good. showing on Film Detective Channel.