Bells of Rosarita

1945 "All These Western Stars...Plus Music, Romance and Thrills!"
6.1| 1h8m| NR| en
Details

Sue Farnum inherits a circus, but her dead father's partner is trying to take it away from her. Roy and Bob Nolan are filming a movie on location at the circus. They and a number of other western movie stars come to Sue's aid, putting on a show and catching the bad guys.

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Reviews

Nonureva Really Surprised!
Greenes Please don't spend money on this.
Rijndri Load of rubbish!!
Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
Mike-764 Sue Farnum is in danger of losing her recently inherited circus, so she has a friend Slim Philips come out west with her (along w/ his daughter Patty) to see what can be done. While out west, the group encounters Roy filming his latest movie, and when Roy discovers the plight of Sue, he helps by staging a circus show w/ Republic's biggest B western names (Bill Elliott, Allan Lane, Sunset Carson, Don Barry, and Robert Livingston. John Wayne was out of town). The biggest obstacle is Ripley, Farnum's partner in the circus, who is trying to claim the circus as his own by trying to destroy a receipt that Farnum paid off his share of the circus, even kidnapping Philips to get it. Roy and the gang go to save the day before the show must get on. This B western has everything a fan can want from the genre: Action, Thrills, Humor, Singing, and done so well. Every performer is at the top of their game and it shows, as well as script, directing, and score. Favorite moments for me are the "funeral procession" as well as Roy Barcroft commenting on the crooks hanging around. Rating, based on B westerns, 10.
rsoonsa Here is a pacey work that employs standard elements to be found in Republic Pictures' contemporary Western films starring Roy Rogers, including the familiar plot artifice of shooting a movie within another, cowboys on horseback chasing motor vehicles bearing villains, musical interludes that interrupt the action at random, et alia, with an additional device utilized herein: "cameos" from cowpoke stars under contract with Republic: Wild Bill Elliott, Robert Livingston, Allan Lane, Don "Red" Barry, and Sunset Carson. Sue Farnum (Dale Evans) has been willed her father's traveling circus but his erstwhile partner Bill Ripley (Grant Withers) intends to take it from her as she cannot locate a receipt confirming that her sire had repaid a loan enabling him to gain title to the big top company, and when she and her employee and friend Gabby Whittaker (Gabby Hayes) accept aid from her dad's pal Slim Phillips (Addison Richards), the three, along with Slim's daughter and troupe entertainer Patty (Adele Mara), entrain to the southern California fictional town of Cabrillo wherein Slim believes he will locate the missing receipt, thereby ending Sue's plight. The Forces of Evil soon kidnap Slim but subsequent events are but ill-explained by a slapdash screenplay that accords space for eight musical numbers (not counting repeats) and while Rogers plainly is tasked, as is his wont, with rescuing a city-bred damsel in distress, he is equally motivated by a primal need to burst into song, a predilection shared with, among others, Evans, Mara, Janis Martin, and the baritone Bob Nolan-led Sons of the Pioneers. This lower case effort benefits from a panoply of Republic casting roster supporting players from whom, despite the film's following the accepted trend of Rogers "B" Westerns, a number of telling performances will be enjoyed from uncredited actors (including dancing girls!); Hayes reprises his wearisome shtick that he displays in each of his movies, even to the phrases, but Evans has a clamp on the acting laurels with a vivacious turn, while able editing supervised by Arthur Roberts makes for a snappily moving although somewhat goofy picture.
revran This Roy Rogers film has everything we love about the genre. Co-starring Trigger, Gabby Hayes, Dale Evans, Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers. It carries the bonus of guest appearances of Wild Bill Elliott, Allan Lane, Don 'Red' Barry, Robert Livingston and Sunset Carson. The action with the good guys riding after the bad guys and realizing they are firing blanks is a great touch. The Robert Mitchell Boys Choir is terrific and blend their voices with Roy! You will really enjoy the scene featuring the rodeo/circus parade which Sheriff has said is not allowed. Our family rates this one in the top five of Roy's films. Hope you enjoy it too! Happy Trails! -Revran
Snow Leopard This is a very good Roy Rogers feature, perhaps among the best of his many B-Westerns. It is, as usual, primarily light entertainment, with a lot of humor and music, and this time there is some clever irony deriving from the setting - Roy plays himself, acting in a cowboy feature and at the same time getting involved in a situation that in some respects parallels his film. Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes complete the picture, and there are short appearances by several other Western stars of the era.The story starts with Dale and Gabby heading west to try to save a circus that belonged to the father of Dale's character, while the unscrupulous Ripley (Grant Withers) has plans to take it over himself by any means necessary. As soon as Dale and Gabby arrive, they find themselves mixed up in a scene from the movie (whose title is also "Bells of Rosarita") that Roy and Bob Nolan are shooting. It's a funny scene, and cleverly done, and it sets up the story that follows as well as establishing the connection between film and reality. Most of the actual plot is not to be taken too seriously - the villains are, as usual, pretty incompetent - but it has a very pleasant tone, and a pretty good variety of action and entertainment.This is very good for a B-Western, and certainly recommended for any fan of Roy Rogers or for those who like Westerns of the era.