Ridin' Down the Canyon
Cast & Crew
Joseph Kane
Roy Rogers
George "gabby" Hayes
Bob Nolan And The Sons Of The Pioneers:
Pat Brady
Tim Spencer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Nine-year-old Bobby Blake lives with his older sister Alice on a government reservation in northern Arizona, where they participate in an experiment of breeding wild mustangs with thoroughbreds. After two years of hard work, Bobby and Alice are about to sell their first herd, the proceeds of which they plan to use to buy a house, when their horses are rustled. Bobby is devastated and decides to seek the help of his hero, radio singing star Roy Rogers. Roy is touring locally with his group, The Sons of the Pioneers, and so Bobby runs away one evening to find them. He is given a ride by old cowboy "Gabby," but the two are set upon by three of the rustlers. Roy and the Pioneers, who happen to be riding by, rescue Bobby and Gabby and take them with them to their next performance, which will be broadcast from Lariat Lodge, a popular resort. The lodge is run by Jordan, who along with Burt Wooster, the foreman of the Fellowed ranch, and singer Barbara Joyce, is the head of the rustling gang. After the performance, Roy and his friends are on the way to return Bobby to Alice when they come across more of the rustlers. Burt, who is riding with the gang, fools Bobby into believing that he was chasing them, but Roy remains suspicious of him. When Burt, who is in love with Alice, complaines to Jordan about the rough treatment of her and Bobby and states that he wants to quit the gang, Jordan orders his henchman Pete to kill him. Roy, who has trailed Burt to the lodge, watches as Pete shoots Burt in the back. Before dying, Burt asks Roy to tell Alice that he is sorry, and also warns Roy about "Blue Praire." Bobby, who always records the Lariat Lodge program in the hope of hearing one of Roy's songs, plays a recording of the song "Blue Prairie" for Roy and the Pioneers. They realize that Joyce uses the song and a dedication to direct the gang to their next target. They then listen to the next broadcast and obtain the signal, but Jordan has arranged a trap in which the sheriff mistakes Roy and the Pioneers for the rustlers. While his friends are in jail, Bobby listens to the real signal and after telling Roy, follows the rustlers, who capture him. Roy and the others escape from jail and reach Bobby just as he is about to be trampled by the rustled wild horses. The sheriff finally realizes who the real culprits are and helps the Pioneers round them up. Bobby receives a $10,000 reward, Gabby decides to stay on as the Blakes' foreman and Roy promises to visit Alice and Bobby soon.
Director
Joseph Kane
Cast
Roy Rogers
George "gabby" Hayes
Bob Nolan And The Sons Of The Pioneers:
Pat Brady
Tim Spencer
Hugh Farr
Karl Farr
Lloyd Perryman
Dee "buzzy" Henry
Linda Hayes
Addison Richards
Lorna Gray
Olin Howlin
James Seay
Hal Taliaferro
Forrest Taylor
Roy Barcroft
Jack Kirk
Tom London
Ed Cassidy
Trigger
Crew
Gene Autry
Walter Bullock
Smiley Burnette
Albert Demond
Harry Grey
Kenneth Holmes
Norman Houston
M. K. Jerome
Russell Kimball
Sam M. Lewis
Edward Mann
Jack Marta
Bob Nolan
Jack Scholl
Morton Scott
Otto Siegel
Art Siteman
Tim Spencer
Jule Styne
Mabel Wayne
Robert Williams
Joe Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, the title of Norman Houston's original story was "Get a Horse." Another Hollywood Reporter news item noted that J. Benton Cheney was to write an "original" story for Roy Rogers titled Ridin' Down the Canyon, but the extent of his contribution to the completed picture has not been determined. Variety reviewed the picture twice, first on December 16, 1942 after a December 4, 1942 preview in New York, and then on March 10, 1943 following a viewing on March 2, 1943 during the film's New York run. The film marked the first time that the popular song "In a Little Spanish Town" appeared in a motion picture. Modern sources include Major Sam Harris, Art Mix and Art Dillard in the cast.
