Nevada City (1941) User Reviews

Trying to rope a mo-skeeter on a dark night

[krorie · 6/10 · 16 November 2005]

Unlike his friendly rivals Hoppy and Gene whose movies usually dealt with Hollywood cowboy fantasy, Roy Rogers films sometimes mixed fact with fiction. Two of his best early movies were "Billy the Kid Returns," where Roy played the Kid, and "Days of Jesse James," where Don "Red" Barry played Jesse. In "Nevada City," the real stagecoach bandit Black Bart is featured, played by Fred Kohler Jr. The outlaw Black Bart was noted for his poetry, a sample of which he would leave when he robbed a stage. He would sign his poem "the Po8." In "Nevada City," an example of Black Bart's poetry is read aloud by Roy. He robbed coaches laden with gold from the area around Sacramento, California, during the Gold Rush. The movie story takes place in California which is true to the facts surrounding the infamous outlaw. Besides this, the rest in the movie is Hollywood.

The comedy in the film is supplied by Gabby Hayes, who has come to personify the movie cowboy sidekick. Gabby has some funny lines in this oater. The jail scene is hilarious. Roy and Gabby have been locked up for allegedly aiding and abetting Black Bart. A supposed drunk is placed in the cell with them. The drunk does a typical inebriated routine. He takes out a rope and asks Gabby if he knows any tricks. Gabby has a clever comeback, "How do you think we got in here to start with?" Using the rope, Gabby tries to lasso the jail door keys hanging on the wall. He makes several unsuccessful attempts then makes the rye comment, "This is like trying to rope a mo-skeeter on a dark night." The fun continues.

This Roy Rogers outing is all action. Not long after this film, Roy turned more and more to his singing (he had helped start the legendary Sons of the Pioneers) until many of his films became musical extravaganzas, not unlike Broadway shows of the day. So enjoy this fast-paced Roy Rogers oater to see why he came to be called "The King of The Cowboys."

"That, you don't want us to run that swayback coffee pot on wheels, do ya?"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 12 March 2006]

Jeff Connor (Roy Rogers) and Gabby Chapman (Gabby Hayes) find themselves in the middle of a three way competition between a stagecoach line, a railroad company and a third party Sacramento Navigation Co. in this rather well done Republic Film from 1941. This was still the pre Dale Evans era for Roy, so the female lead duties were handled by Sally Payne as Jo Morrison, part owner of the Morrison-Liddell Stage Company. Roy and Gabby smell a polecat when both the stage line and the railroad wind up at odds with each other, figuring that outlaw Black Bart (Fred Kohler Jr.) is behind the attacks on both, while in league with shady businessman Amos Norton (Pierre Watkin).

The best lines in the film go to Gabby, hands down, who also shows some fancy hand work twirling his six gun, going by the name of Roarin' Liza. Roy tries out his singing voice with "Stars Over the Prairie", throwing in a verse penned by villain Black Bart. It was a poetry gimmick that led to Bart's undoing, a clue that the crafty Jeff Connor used to smoke out the bandit who used the alter ego of Jim Trevor.

Sally Payne's character, pretty but tomboyish, spent most of the film trying to romance Connor, going back and forth between buckskins and a party dress. Her younger brother Chick (Billy Lee) was the one to discover the Trevor/Black Bart connection, putting the good guys in the right direction. Sally teamed up with Roy Rogers in a dozen 'B' Westerns, virtually all between 1940 and 1942. Prior to Sally, Roy's female lead in the late 1930's was Lynne Roberts, who also used the name Mary Hart.

When you see Roy later in the film navigating his way atop the cars of a moving train, be sure to credit Yakima Canutt for the stunt work. He also appears briefly as a stagecoach driver.

"Nevada City" has a pretty good mix of action, gunfights, and humor, with Roy and Gabby complementing each other nicely as a good guy tandem. Roy and Sally do hook up at the end of the story, tying up that plot line as well. A similar theme involving a three way competition for a postal route contract would be used some dozen years later in a 1953 Western called "Iron Mountain Trail", starring Rex Allen. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it too was a Republic Picture.

Whimsical Verse At The Scene Of His Crimes

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 April 2011]

Another western feud is at the core of the plot of Nevada City. This time it's the stagecoach line of George Cleveland versus the railroad of Joseph Crehan. But Roy Rogers who drives a stagecoach for Cleveland and his partners brother and sister Sally Payne and Billy Lee isn't convinced that the railroad is behind the troubles the stage line has recently been having. In fact on further investigation he discovers that the infamous Black Bart has been terrorizing the railroad as well.

Nevada City has a minimum of songs by Roy, the emphasis is definitely on action and discovering who Black Bart is and who's behind him. The poetry writing bandit who liked to leave whimsical verse wherever he did a crime is played here by Fred Kohler, Jr. and of course this is not the real story of Black Bart. But that was a common trend with B westerns back in the day including Roy Rogers films, to take some real western figure and create a wholly fictional story around them.

In fact for a while there I was wondering if Trigger would make an appearance. With Roy first driving a stagecoach and then learning how to operate a steam locomotive, Trigger does not make an appearance until halfway through the film. Which must have left his fans in a state of panic back in 1941.

Gabby Hayes is in this film as well and it has just about everything that a good Roy Rogers B western should have. Except Dale Evans, that was in the future.

Plenty of Action

[Snow Leopard · 1 April 2002]

There is plenty of action in this Roy Rogers feature, and while "Nevada City" is probably a cut below his best features, it still works fine as light entertainment. Rogers and Gabby Hayes play basically their standard characters, and as usual they work pretty well together. The story is fairly involved, with Roy playing a stagecoach driver who gets caught in the middle of a dispute between the stage line and a railroad, with a mysterious bandit also included. The plot this time is rather full of holes, but it does set up plenty of chases and other action scenes, and there is always plenty going on to hold your attention.

Roy's Been Working On The Railroad

[boblipton · 6/10 · 12 April 2021]

It's northern California, and if you want transportation, you could use George Cleveland's stage line, or Joseph Crehan's railroad. Pierre Watkins wants both, so he hires Fred Kohler Jr. And his gang to raid both. Cleveland and Crehan blame each other, and Cleveland doesn't take kindly to Roy Rogers; position that Crehan wouldn't do that, so he gets himself fired. He and Gabby Hayes start working on the railroad while events play out.

It's one of eight movies Rogers starred in for Republic in 1941, and director Joseph Kane keeps things easy on him by keeping the others in most of the scenes. Rogers sings three songs, Sally Payne provides the love interest, and Billy Lee is her brother to stand in for Roy's audience. It's another solid little B Oater, the first script credited to James Webb, with not a cent wasted in the production: lots of fun for fans.

I saw the "Reader's Digest" version and really liked it.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 23 November 2011]

In the 1950s, the rights to a bazillion Roy Rogers movies were sold to television. However, as most of his films were about 65 minutes long, this didn't fit TV time slots. So, to make the films more marketable, they literally chopped the films down to about 50 minutes (more or less). Sometimes this made the movies confusing and stupid---but in the case of "Nevada City" I actually think it improved it! That's because I am NOT a fan of singing in westerns--and Roy breaking into song never made any sense. However, in this truncated version, he NEVER sings. It's funny, because in one case Roy tells Gabby that he's about to sing and then....nothing! The film also benefited from a trimming because the plot was more compact and to the point. The film is also a bit different from the usual Rogers film. The movie begins with a prologue explaining how the railroad and stage coach owners hated each other. Then, you learn that a bunch of robberies of the stage had been occurring and the stage operators assume that the dreaded railroaders were behind it. When Roy, who works for the stage, talks with the evil railroad operator, he sees he's a swell guy and encourages his boss to make up and become friends with them. But, the butt-head boss fires Roy and Gabby and they look for work with the railroad. In the meantime, a greasy guy is making advances on Roy's girl. Could he have something to do with the robberies and the dreaded 'Black Bart'? Quick and without the usual Rogers nonsense, this one is enjoyable and unusual enough to merit giving it a look. Just try to see the 53 minute version unless you like songs for absolutely no conceivable reason!

Sabotage

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 8 September 2021]

"Nevada City" was originally released back in 1941.

Anyway - As the story goes - The rivalry between a stage line owner and a railroad owner puts Roy and Gabby, two stage line drivers, in the middle of their conflict. Fired for their efforts to bring peace between the two business owners, Roy and Gabby find they are brought back into the fight when a band of bandits begins attacking both the railroad and the stage line.

A fairly well-rounded Roy Rogers western

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 22 December 2022]

Direct and briskly paced, this fits right in with most genre fare (any genre) of the 30s and 40s, especially those of such an abbreviated runtime. The movie has a story to tell, and it has no intention of wasting time to do so, even if it threatens to become overbearing in the process. It also wants to entertain, in a time when entertainment was simpler, and it has no notion of distinguishing earnestness from ham-handedness. George Hayes and Billy Lee's characters are especially grating in the latter regard, and while imbalanced sound design doesn't help, I dare say young Lee's acting and delivery is most abrasive of all. And yes, this also Between the pacing generally and Joseph Kane's direction specifically, some of the acting feels rather forced, even including star Roy Rogers. Setting aside such inelegance, however, there's much to appreciate here. James R. Webb's screenplay may not be particularly sophisticated, and the plot fits neatly within the standards of The Western, yet even such as is the story and scene writing can claim a fair bit of cleverness, and commendable themes. Of course the crew put in fine work, common for the genre, in terms of production design, art direction, costumes, and stunts and cinematography. 'Nevada City' may not be perfect, nor as polished as some of its brethren, but there are certainly far worse ways to spend one hour.

Gauche as Rogers' type of western often is, and perhaps less broadly appealing to modern audiences, there's still a surprising amount of variety therein. Some of his movies distinctly emphasize song, for example, while others are more focused on action. In this instance it seems to me that the picture cares most about its narrative, which isn't to say that other aspects are weaker by comparison, only perhaps less prevalent. This isn't to say that the story, receiving the most attention, is perfect; the protagonist's idea that comes early in the second half is so hare-brained as to defy any good sense, and for my part I just don't know what the point was. There's also so much zip to the proceedings that beats aren't allowed to manifest, breathe, and resolve of their own accord, and the feature stands at risk of blowing past any measure of suspense as much as fostering it. Nevertheless, this is a title that only wants its audience to have a good time, and it succeeds much more than not. It's more well made than not, and more well written; it may not be utterly gripping, absorbing, or essential, but it's enjoyable, and that's more than can be said of some of the most hyped-up films of the twenty-first century. 'Nevada City' may not be flawless, and even among its kin and contemporaries there are maybe other films that should be a higher priority, but if you have the chance to watch, this is a decent bit of fun. And that's good enough for me.

Roy and Gabby get mixed up in a war between a railroad, a stage line and a steamboat company.

[weezeralfalfa · 9/10 · 8 March 2019]

By far, my favorite Roy Rogers film, thus far! The plot is different, involving the inevitable replacement of many stage lines by railroads, especially for long distance freight, mail and passenger traffic. But, as railroad owner Mark Benton(Joseph Creham) points out, railroads don't want stagecoaches and freight wagons to totally disappear. They can function, in many cases, to bring goods, mail, and people to and from railroads, and to carry short hauls. The involvement of a steamboat company, owned by Amos Norton((Pierce Watkin) in trying to bankrupt both the fledgling railroad and the stage line so that it can muscle in with its own railroad is a further complication. The latter is using the infamous highwayman Black Bart to try to convince the railroad and the stage line that the other is behind the sabotage.........A number of charismatic actors, besides Roy and Gabby Hayes are present. There is the venerable cantankerous owner of the stage line, George Cleveland. Then, there is 12 y.o. Billy Lee, who pops up every now and then, as Chick Morrison. Occasionally he does something important. His older sister, Jo, is played by the usually interesting Sally Payne, who appeared in a number of other Roger's films of this era. Not here, but often, she was scripted as Gabby's daughter or niece. Usually, she was just a helpful tomboy and sometimes singer, playing second fiddle to the leading lady, who becomes Roy's girlfriend. But here, she actually becomes Roy's girlfriend, after much discouragement. Here she wears buckskins and sometimes drives a stage, much reminding me of Doris Day, in the 50s hit "Calamity Jane". She complains that Roy doesn't treat her like a girlfriend. Gabby suggests she should sometimes put on a nice dress, and some perfume, so that she came across as a woman, rather than a man. It worked for Doris. She tries that, but when she showed up in such, she asked if Roy didn't notice something different about her. He suggested she looked a little pale. What a put down! But, Roy comes around at the end........ In one scene she is put out with Roy, so accepts an offer from suave Jim Trevor. Later, Roy finds out that he wrote a poem about Sally, which peaks his interest. So, when Trevor plays the piano and Roy sings, Roy adds some lines from a Black Bart holdup poem, and notices Trevor's worried look. Roy is sure he has found the alter ego of Black Bart.......There's an exciting climax near the end where Black Bart and gang try to blow up a railroad tunnel, using the many barrels of gunpowder carried in one car. Fingernail biting time!........One thing I am disappointed in: the characterization of Black Bart as a ruthless highwayman gang leader, who always left a poem at the scene of the crime. Nothing could be further from the historical Black Bart: a horrible label for such a gentlemanly robber. He was afraid of horses. Thus, he always worked on foot, alone, jumping out in front of the horses, face hidden by a bandana, and brandishing a shotgun. But, he never had to use the shotgun. In fact, it appears that he never loaded it! He was invariably polite during his 28 robberies, with no foul language. He left a poem at the scene of the crime on only 2 robberies, which was magnified by the press as a routine part of his robberies. He spent 4 years in prison after his last robbery, caught by a laundry mark on a handkerchief he dropped. After prison, he soon disappeared from history, vowing never to commit another crime........See it at YouTube.

Stagecoaches vs. Locomotives

[dougdoepke · 13 February 2022]

Get ready to duck because that opening sequence is a blaze of gunfire and hard riding. I suspect that's to compensate for a plot-heavy main part with little of those two cowboy staples. Then too, Roy and Gabby don't get much featured time. Instead, it's the scheming rivals of the plot-line who dominate by drifting in and out.

Nonetheless, the rivalry between stage-lines and railroads in the Old West remains a compelling storyline and something I'd never considered. After all, which is going to supply the westward movement. Will it be the flexibility of stage-lines that can deliver locally, or rail-lines that can deliver in bulk. Here the two rivals scheme around Nevada City to undo one another, while the criminal Black Bart schemes to take over both. So how will the many conflicts be settled.

Some good touches from budget-minded Republic, like the background passersby in period costume on town boardwalks, a nice realistic touch. Then too, Roy gets to show real stunt work (not a double) atop a moving train, while Gabby shows his usual grouchy humor. And shouldn't overlook the delightful Sally Payne as the cowgirl cutie; her unfortunately short career specialized in these oaters.

Anyhow, it's a good hour to catch up with, especially for its raising of a neglected phase in development of the old West. So let's all ride again with those cowboy heroes of yesteryear.