User Reviews

After this film was completed, Gabby Hayes quit Republic Films, to enjoy semiretirement as a free lancer, in his last few years of movie making. He had made 44 films with Roy, not to mention some films with other Republic cowboy stars, including John Wayne. In many of those films with Roy, Dale Evans was also present, the 3 of them together generally making the most pleasant films of the series(unless you are a Gabby hater, and I know some of you are)......... This is a good one, with Gabby taking a particularly prominent role as MC of the annual Helldorado Frontier Days Festival, in Las Vegas, and in helping Roy and Dale round up the racketeers who were laundering money, especially in gambling establishments. The main front man for the latter is playboy Alex Baxter, who is considered ideal, since he hobnobs with all the rich folks around, likes to gamble, and is always in need of cash. But, eventually, Driscoll, head of the local money laundering syndicate, considered him more a liability, and when he refused to leave the area, had his henchmen drive him to Boulder Dam, and dispatch him. Roy and Dale investigate, and take photos of the nearby tire tracks. After quickly processing the film, they examine tires at the festival for a match. While Roy is temporality detained in the Kangaroo Court Cage for a minor offence, Dale finds the right tires. They wait for the occupants to return. Meanwhile, they meet Driscoll, who seems unusually curious about what they know of Alex's murder, raising Roy's suspicion. Driscoll instructs his 2 henchmen to take part in the treasure hunt marathon, and ambush Roy at a convenient spot. But, Roy smells an ambush on the other side of a rock formation, climbs the formation, and lassos the 2, who are on the same horse. Seems like he should have been pulled off the formation when he pulls on the lasso? Gabby shows up and helps tie them up. Meanwhile, Dale has been keeping an eye on Driscoll. She sees that he receives a written message, and bumps him as she walks past him. Supposedly, she sees enough of the message to know what to do. This looks very awkward! She follows Driscoll and companions , as they speed toward the rail station, where a package is waiting for them. Dale speeds very recklessly behind them, and, amazingly, gets to the station well before they do?? When the station master refuses to do what she requests, she sneaks into the freight room and finds the package, ripping the tag off. When Driscoll's bunch arrive, they knockout the station master, when he hesitates to let them take the package, while Dale is hiding in a refrigerator. Gabby has told Roy to head for the rail station. There, he has a spectacular fight with the 3 bad men, sometimes helped by Dale. Meanwhile, Gabby has tricked the Sons of Pioneers into coming to the station, where they help subdue the crooks. Gabby also arrives and, when Driscoll tries to flee with the $1000, bills being laundered, he beans him, and takes the money..........As for music, the title song is sung during the opening credits, and at the end. Roy sings "Silver Stars, Purple Sage, and Eyes of Blue". At the Rodeo, Roy and the Sons of Pioneers sing "My Saddle Pals and I". While Roy is in the Kangaroo Court Cage, he sings "Be a Good Neighbor, with Dale helping. In the Casino, the Sons of Pioneers, led by the comical Pat Brady, sing "You Ain't Heard Nothing 'Till You Hear Him Roar"........See the uncut version at YouTube.

Copyright 11 December 1946 by Republic Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 15 December 1946. Australian release through British Empire Films: 26 February 1948 (sic). 6,503 feet. 72 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Although the actual credit title and all advertising material uses the name Heldorado, the picture is actually centered around "Helldorado Day" at Las Vegas, Nevada. A perfect opportunity for black marketeers to unload some of their hard-earned cash is thwarted by Ranger Rogers (with more than a slight assist from Deputy Sheriff Evans).

NOTES: Frank McDonald directed the Hoover Dam sequences, part of the Treasure Hunt episode and some studio scenes involving Rogers, Evans and Hayes before being replaced by William Witney. This film bears no relationship whatever to the 1934 film, "Helldorado", directed by James Cruze, starring Richard Arlen, Madge Evans and Ralph Bellamy.

PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Two directors, but thanks to the skill of Republic's behind-the- camera team, no seams show in the finished product.

COMMENT: Director William Witney really put his stamp on this one by using a camera crane in the Helldorado sequences to present a brilliant series of sweepingly effective photographic shots that are really most unusual for Republic. Witney's laudable attempts to spice up a somewhat routine, even lackluster plot also pay off in the all-action climax. Though the dull inserts with Gabby Hayes were directed by Frank McDonald, Witney handled the hell-for-leather riding, the fast car chase and especially the slug-fest climax in the baggage room.

In fact, I'd venture to say that all of Hayes' scenes were directed by McDonald. Certainly Hayes and Witney did not hit it off. Witney took over all the Rogers' output at this point, while Hayes left the series, never to return. "Heldorado" was the last of the black-and- whites for Rogers in the 1940s. Thereafter all his pictures until 1951 were filmed in Trucolor.

One pleasing aspect of the otherwise ho-hum script is that it does provide for some splendid run-ins between Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, whose spirited rivalry gives an entertainment boost even to the three obligatory but so-so songs. Bob Nolan, on the other hand, despite his single-frame credit, is handed what can only be described as a raw deal. He's hardly in the movie at all.

I thought the plot of this story was somewhat suspect. The one thousand dollar bills that were being passed off by Driscoll's (Paul Harvey) hired men was NOT counterfeit money, but the explanation offered didn't make a lot of sense to me. It was stated that the money was never declared for tax purposes. But when is newly minted money ever declared for tax purposes?

Anyway, what the bad guys were doing in the picture would be considered money laundering, that is, putting the good money into circulation and clawing back a certain percentage from the players involved, like the casino operation. Driscoll thought a sixty percent return was pretty good, but if the Byrdes from 'Ozark' had been around, he might have gotten a better payback. Or maybe not, a Mexican cartel might have moved in on him.

The setting for this story is Las Vegas for the annual Helldorado Parade and Celebration, and it's kind of surreal to see the main drag without the cluster of hotels and casinos that are prevalent today. Roy Rogers is a government inspector for the Boulder Dam (now the Hoover Dam), and while in Vegas, gets named the Grand Marshal for the Parade. At the same time, he's asked to investigate a suspect who's been identified as one of Driscoll's agents passing thousand dollar bills. Dale Evans is on hand as Carol Randall, doing double duty as a deputy sheriff and Queen of the Heldorado Parade. She and Roy get off to a bad start, but they eventually manage to team successfully to out the baddies. At one point, Gabby Hayes expresses his frustration with Carol, saying he gets the 'tremblin' fidgets' trying to keep up with her.

As with many of Roy's pictures, Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers have a prominent role in the story. You have to credit Nolan for being gracious, he allowed himself a couple of scenes where he gets thrown off a horse while competing in the celebration rodeo. Pat Brady also got thrown for a loop, but later redeemed himself with a generous solo inside one of the Pioneer tunes during the Helldorado festivities. Speaking of which, you just can't help notice that the title of the picture was spelled 'Heldorado', while every single reference to the celebration and rodeo was spelled 'Helldorado'. My guess is that potential matinee fans of the day might have been put off by 'that word' in the title; it might have been 'l' to pay.