San Fernando Valley
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
John English
Roy Rogers
Trigger
Dale Evans
Jean Porter
Andrew Tombes
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Rancher John "Cyclone" Kenyon and his practical granddaughter Dale fume over the behavior of Dale's younger sister Betty Lou, an irresponsible teenager who does nothing but sing and pursue cowboys. When the Kenyon ranch hands, including Bob and a group of sometime entertainers The Sons of the Pioneers and the shifty Matt and Dusty, neglect their chores to sing with Betty Lou, Dale fires them and decides to hire hands who will not be distracted by her precocious sister. To achieve her goal, Dale seeks workers at the Pendleford Days of '49 Celebration, and there accidentally bumps Roy Rogers with her car. Roy, a ranch owner from the San Fernando Valley, has come to the carnival in search of his pal Keno, who ran off to work in a sideshow game. Roy has won all of Keno's money, which he promises to return when they go back home. Roy is attracted to Dale and plays up a slight injury he incurred, but the ruckus they cause prompts the sheriff to lock them in the parade's fake jail. Roy makes Dale promise to attend that evening's dance with him, but when he goes to the fake address that she gave, Matt and Dusty, who had overheard their conversation, appear in masks and knock Roy unconscious before robbing him. The next day, Cyclone is dismayed by the toughness of the women ranch hands hired by Dale, especially forewoman Hattie O'Toole. Needing some male allies, Cyclone hires Roy and Keno, who have come to the ranch to learn if Dale deliberately set Roy up to be robbed. Meanwhile, Betty Lou goes to town to ask Bob and the other fired hands to pretend to steal the Kenyon horses, and then when the women hands cannot retrieve them, Bob's men will "find" and return the horses, and a grateful Dale will rehire the men. Bob immediately demurs, but Matt and Dusty, who intend to steal the horses for real, talk him and the others into going along with the ruse. Back at the ranch, Dale realizes that Betty Lou has developed a crush on the handsome Roy, and asks him to pretend to court someone else to discourage her. Roy suggests that he court Dale, and she reluctantly agrees, but later that evening, she admits to Roy that she does care for him. That night, some of the hands serenade the cowgirls to distract them while Matt and Dusty steal the herd. The next day, Roy discovers evidence that Betty Lou tampered with his and Keno's saddles in order to prevent them from following the rustlers, and also deduces that Willie the dog would have barked if the culprits had been strangers. While Roy confronts Betty Lou, Matt and Dusty, who have hidden the horses with the aid of their cohort, pretend to have been robbed for real, and Cyclone and the sheriff hold Bob and the other hands responsible. Roy is suspicious, however, as Matt's and Dusty's own mounts were not taken, and when he confronts them, he is held at gunpoint by their accomplice. The bandits then attempt to escape, but with the help of his horse Trigger, Roy rounds up the culprits and also retrieves the money that Matt and Dusty stole from him. Later, Dale and Cyclone rehire the men while keeping on the cowgirls to manage the returned herd. All ends well as Bob and the other hands marry their new co-workers, Cyclone and Hattie team up, and Roy and Dale are married before driving off for the San Fernando Valley.
Director
John English
Cast
Roy Rogers
Trigger
Dale Evans
Jean Porter
Andrew Tombes
Charles Smith
Edward Gargan
Dot Farley
Leroy Mason
Vernon And Draper
The Morell Trio
Bob Nolan
Maxine Doyle
Helen Talbot
Mary Kenyon
Pat Starling
Cay Forester
Marguerite Blount
Pierce Lyden
Doodles Weaver
Ed Cassidy
Hank Bell
Kenne Duncan
Crew
Adele
William Bradford
Yakima Canutt
Ken Carson
Larry Ceballos
Gano Chittenden
Earl Crain Sr.
Ralph Dixon
Virgil Hart
Charles Henderson
Gordon Jenkins
William Lava
Dorrell Mcgowan
Stuart Mcgowan
Armand Schaefer
Morton Scott
Arthur Siteman
Tim Spencer
Charles Thompson
Eddy White
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The print viewed was missing approximately twenty minutes. According to a May 10, 1944 Hollywood Reporter news item, associate producer Eddy White originally intended to "use all the Republic western stars in San Fernando Valley, to come to the aid of Roy Rogers when he finally has the heavies cornered." The stars mentioned were Bob Livingston, Don "Red" Barry, Smiley Burnette, Sunset Carson, Allan Lane and Wild Bill Elliott, but they do not appear in the completed picture. Hollywood Reporter production charts indicate that Ann Gillis was originally cast as "Betty Lou Kenyon," but was replaced in the role by Jean Porter after production began. Although the Variety review includes Alyce Walker in the list of songwriters contributing to the film, the extent of her contribution has not been determined. As noted in the Hollywood Reporter review, "the title [of the film] is merely the name of the [Roy Rogers] Hit Parade song which is sung frequently and pleasantly. None of the action takes place in San Fernando Valley [CA]."
