Idaho

Idaho is your typical Roy Rogers western with the interesting exception that the chief villain is a woman, not normal for one of Roy's vehicles or in fact for B westerns at the time which were aimed at the kiddie trade. And what a villain we have here, none other than Ona Munson who was Belle Watling in Gone With The Wind.

The citizens of the Idaho town where Munson has an establishment probably not unlike the one she had in Atlanta in Gone With The Wind are being aroused by Judge Harry Shannon to clean out her place as a breeder of vice and corruption. The judge is a moral sort, he even runs a boys ranch for wayward youth and the residents are played by the Robert Mitchell Boys Choir.

But the judge also has a past as a notorious western bank robber from years ago. A couple of his old cronies look him up to gain a hideout and Shannon tells Arthur Hohl and Dick Purcell where to go. But Shannon has not told his daughter Virginia Grey about her father's past. Therein lies his weakness.

And pretty soon Munson is joining forces with Hohl and Purcell to bring the judge into disrepute and ruin. It will be up to state ranger Roy Rogers to set everything right and of course win Virginia Grey for himself.

Idaho is a good western for Roy Rogers containing all the things his young fans would have liked back in the day including a couple of good songs. But the presence of Ona Munson who made all too few films in her short life really makes this one of Roy's better western features. B movie cowboy heroes don't often come up against bad women and Ona lends a little something not usually seen in these kinds of films, sex.

"Idaho" has all of the characteristics that one expects in a Roy Rogers feature, and it works pretty well as light entertainment. Roy takes on some rather inept villains, while trying to win the girl, and there is a little singing, some comic relief (this time from Smiley Burnette), and some very short scenic shots meant to suggest the hills of Idaho.

The story concerns a respected judge who is trying to clean up a saloon run by the notorious Belle Bonner. Belle has discovered some secrets about the judge's past, and she has her brutish accomplices try to frame the judge for some of their own crimes. Deputy Roy trusts the judge, but his boss does not, setting up a fast-paced if mostly predictable story.

This is very much a normal Roy Rogers film, decent light entertainment without any surprises.

The song "Idaho" reportedly was written for this movie. The composer was the late Jesse Stone, who later wrote "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Stone also wrote using the name Charles Calhoun. According to Stone's obituary (AP, 1999), "'Idaho' was a big hit for Guy Lombardo, selling three million copies in the mid-1940's. Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey also had hit recordings of the tune." It was also recorded by Gene Autry, June Christy and Bud Powell, among others -- and most recently by Denver saxophonist Keith Oxman.

Judge John Grey (Harry Shannon) keeps his past as an ex-con a secrete until Dick Purcell and Arthur Hohl spoil the party. Belle Bonner (One Munson) now has some leverage on the judge who wants to shut her gambling hall down. Roy Rogers and Ole Frog (Smiley Burnette) are caught in the crossfire. Rogers is also caught between State Ranger Bob Stevens (Onslow Stevens) and the woman they both love, the judge's daughter Virginia Grey. The great singing is not only provided by Rogers but also by Bob Nolan, Sons of the Pioneers and The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir. Although he didn't get much face time, old time cowboy and stuntman Hal Taliaferro is Bonner's henchman. Top western director Joseph Kane delivers another good one for Republic.

The problem with watching Roy Rogers films is that most of them were chopped to pieces in the 1950s so they could be shoved into TV time slots. And, in many cases there are both the shortened and the full-length versions floating around out there to watch. In my case, I saw the expurgated 52 minute version. While I have no idea if the longer one is better, the shortened one played well and didn't seem like the story had been hacked to pieces.

This film stars Roy and Smiley Burnett as his sidekick--no Gabby or Dale in this one. The story is about Judge Gray--a tough man who enforces the law but has a secret--he was once in prison himself! When some bandits learn who he is as well as some gamblers, they try to blackmail him into helping them. But Gray is a swell fellow now--and calls their bluff. Not surprisingly, the set out to ruin him and it's up to Roy and Smiley to help him out of this predicament and restore law and order and niceness to the west.

Because this was the shortened version, the film's pacing is not hindered by as many songs as you might find in the average Roy Rogers flick. Plus, Smiley's songs are usually rather enjoyable and the action and plot are above average. Enjoyable fluff.