JohnHowardReid
A passable western. I take that back. If you like mildly pleasant songs, and Miss Rodriguez occasionally shooting off her mouth, and Mr. Garralaga's mildly tedious attempts at comic relief, plus a bit of mild action against some mildly attractive background scenery, you'll enjoy Susanna Pass. True, for the rest of us, there are some rousing bits of stunt-work from Dave Sharpe (who has an on-screen role as well), but Douglas Fowley overplays the heavy and the climax seems somewhat short on action. Nonetheless, there is a fair brawl between Rogers's obvious stuntman and Sharpe at Keane's newspaper office. However, the best stunt has Sharpe doubling for Rogers transferring himself from a less noble steed to Trigger in mid-gallop during the final chase. Miss Evans, here making a return to the series, has a lively enough role, though she is none too attractively photographed. On the whole, this entry stacks up as pretty fair entertainment if your expectations are not too high — and you're a rabid Rogers fan.
xerses13
If there is such a thing as a ROY ROGERS 'Noir Western' then SUSANNA PASS (1949) is it. Not because it was literally in a dark style because it is a brightly shot in TRUCOLOR, but that its themes were the darkess of any ROGERS film I have ever seen.The plot features very modern concepts. The exploitation of the Earths natural resources versus their preservation and use for future generations. This time it is OIL against a natural habitat used to raise FISH and provide a experimental research center. Two (2) Brothers are on opposite sides on this matter. MARTIN MASTERS (Robert Emit Keane) wants that 'Black Gold', RUSSELL MASTERS (Lucien Littlefield) aided by KAY 'Doc' PARKER (Dale Evans) nature and research. MARTIN is assisted by escaped convict ROBERTS (Douglas Fowley) with 'Henchmen' VINCE (David Sharpe). Nothing is going to stop these Men including murder. Enter ROY ROGERS and his sidekicks who eventually bring to justice the guilty and preserve the wild. There is more too it then that, so watch the movie.The film has several interesting features. It is filmed in TRUCOLOR a development of a early two (2) strip color process in competition with TECHNICOLOR. So GREEN is the dominant color. This was used almost exclusively by REPUBLIC PICTURES. The 'Comedy Relief' and singing are kept to a minimum compared to the typical 'Oater' of the time. Dale Evans when not in her work clothes looks very 'chic' is some 'New Look' Dior Fashions. At the end of the picture ROY rides off and 'Doc' PARKER (Dale) goes back to her research. What NO romance, yes, their relationship in this film is strictly platonic, BUMMER!
bruce-barrett-662-807730
I love the movie, and especially Dale's character, "Doc" Parker, the Ph.D.-toting, martial-arts trained ex-Marine who only needs Roy because he's got the guitar! By 1949, we think "Rosie the Riveter" and other women were uniformly back in the kitchen, but boys and girls were watching this. No wonder the girls wanted to grow up to be women, not drudges! The film makers' seriousness about such issues is shown by the extended sequence in which Doc explains the hatchery's operations to Roy. This portrays her, not as some kind of oddity, but as an informed, highly educated woman in an instructive, not subordinate, relationship with Roy. Meanwhile, his interest is romantic, sure, but he is also clearly "teachable" and interested, not cowed or mocking regarding her leadership.
kentbartholomew
Pretty good Roy Rogers. Bad guy newspaperman played by Robert Emmett Keane is out to take over his brother's (Lucien Littlefield) fish hatchery to cash in on the oilfield below the lake. Recently escaped convict Del Roberts (perennial bad guy Douglas Fowley) gloms on to the shakedown and wants a cut of the action. Roy and Doc Parker (Dale Evans) find themselves in the middle of the chicanery. Murder and mayhem ensues. This has better than average songs performed by Roy and Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage as well as Roy Rogers' regular Estelita Rodriguez. "Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes", and tile tune "Susanna Pass" are particularly good.It seems that Roy's movies could be divided into three categories. The early films directed by Joseph Kane which had a grittier feel, the middle musical Lallapalooza's, and the later action oriented films directed by William Witney. To me the best are the later films by Witney. Almost all of the Witney films feature lavish exteriors and better than average scripts. Susanna Pass is no exception. Filmed in "TruColor" it is a cut above the average B-Western. While Roy has always been considered a B-Movie star the truth is is, his later Westerns could really be considered A minus.Good songs, good action, Roy at the top of his game. Definitely worth a watch.
AD
