Utah (1945) User Reviews (10)

"I've got a brainstorm Gabby!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 2 January 2010]

As a long time Western and Roy Rogers fan, I never thought I'd come across a picture where I could say that Dale Evans looked hot. But just check her out in the opening scene where her character Dorothy Bryant performs the 'Strictly From Dixie' song and dance number - wow! This is the only time I'll say it, and you'll have to forgive me on this point, but from a few different angles, she looked like Britney Spears. But don't take my word for it, you'll just have to check it out.

As for the story, after watching an untold number of 'B' Western flicks, it's always cool to see an element that I haven't come across before. Though the picture utilizes a nasty arch-villain attempting to pull off a classic land grab, the hook here has Miss Bryant selling what she thinks is her run down ranch for a pittance of five thousand dollars to bad guy Ben Bowman (Grant Withers). He gives her a bogus check as money down, then rustles the cattle on the ranch to come up with the rest of the payment! To top it off, the homestead she thinks she inherited is really Gabby (Hayes) Whitaker's place, a ruse attempted by Roy and Gabby to try to keep her from selling in the first place. I guess it's a good thing Gabby didn't take it too personally.

What really had me scratching my head though was that scene where Roy and Gabby wound up in the Coldbrook jail, and made their escape by 'electrocuting' the sheriff. How exactly did that work? No harm done though, that cured the sheriff's arthritis - what?!?!

Needless to say, a story like this couldn't hold muster today, but I guess audiences of the Forties weren't very critical about their entertainment. Throw in a few musical numbers with Roy, Dale, and Bob Nolan with the Sons of the Pioneers, and you could usually count on a quick paced romp in between horse chases and shoot-outs with the bad guys. What you definitely couldn't get away with today was Gabby's attitude toward women, as in his remark to Dale Evans at the train station - "No female's capable of thinking for herself". I wonder what Britney would have to say about that.

A New Ranch Owner

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 16 December 2021]

"Utah" was originally released back in 1945.

Anyway - As the story goes - A young woman has inherited a Utah ranch and, due to the need of funds, decides to sell it. The ranch foreman who's been running the profitable ranch decides to dupe the new owner into thinking the rundown neighboring ranch is hers. An unscrupulous rival rancher learns of the ploy and decides to take advantage of the situation which causes the foreman to make a desperate move to save the ranch.

A strange plot for a Rogers flick

[rdoyle29 · 6/10 · 25 December 2022]

Dale Evans is starring in a musical in Chicago that loses it's backers right before opening. She owns a ranch in Utah that she inherited from her grandfather, so she decides to go there and sell it. She'll use the money to back the musical herself.

Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes and the Sons of the Pioneers work on her ranch. They know that if she decides to sell it, a local sheep farmer will buy it immediately and the land will become overrun with sheep. (This is the 2nd western I've watched this month built around the animosity between sheep farmers and cattle ranchers.) Rogers develops the not-very-smart plan of lying to Evans and telling her that Hayes' dilapidated shack is her ranch. This naturally makes her MORE eager to dump it and crooked real estate dealer Grant Withers is more than willing to help her sell it for 1/20 of it's real value.

This isn't a bad Rogers western, but it's not very good either. The plot really requires him to be dumb and dishonest, and then ties everything up with some completely arbitrary plotting that sort of makes him out to be the hero anyway. It's not very convincing.

These movies are all delightfully weird anyway. Rogers, Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers find a LOT of opportunities to sing in the barely-over-an-hour running time, Hayes spends the entire film complaining about how terrible women are, and the whole thing ends in a huge musical number that's literally on a stage where the whole cast plus a flock of sheep re-enact the film you just watched.

Utah: Republic Pictures' answer to Oklahoma stage play

[frontrowkid2002 · 19 April 2011]

In 1945, Roy Rogers had become Republic's King of the Cowboys. His films were shown not only across the country, but in allied countries which were depending on US films for entertainment. In major cities, like New York, Roy's films got booking dates in first run theaters. Studio president Herbert Yates was in New York City when he saw the Broadway production of "Oklahoma." Taking note of the musical western elements, he decided that the Rogers' pictures would all feature a musical production number at the end. This is why the entire cast, including Gabby Hayes and a flock of sheep, perform on stage before a group of townspeople. This would be the agenda until 1946 when William Witney, Republic's serial director, took over the helm. It was his idea to "toughen up" the King of the Cowboys and add some realistic and bruising fight scenes.

Too Smart For Their Own Good

[bkoganbing · 2/10 · 18 June 2008]

Utah is one of the dumber Roy Rogers films out there. Mainly because Roy and Gabby Hayes nearly get hoisted on their own petards pulling a practical joke on Dale Evans and her friends.

Dale's the absentee owner of the Bar X ranch in Utah which Roy runs and sends her a monthly check while she pursues a show business career. That aspect of the plot is actually close to the life of the real Dale Evans who wanted to star in musical comedy. She's starring in a review ready to open when the backer pulls out. Dale needs money fast so she decides to sell the old Utah homestead.

Well she can't do that decide Roy and Gabby because the guy that wants to buy is a no good sheepherder who will be violating the unwritten code of the west and not sticking to his side of the valley with his sheep. Not to mention the fact that these two will have to go out and look for other jobs.

For reasons I still can't figure out they pretend Gabby's little shack is the headquarters for Dale's ranch and she and her showgirl friends get put there. A little joke which gets turned on them when she decides to sell what she thinks is worthless.

Not that Roy's westerns at Republic resembled Hamlet or MacBeth or even High Noon, but this one was too ridiculous. Even at the beginning when villains Grant Withers and Hal Taliaferro decide to ambush Roy when he goes to meet Dale's train. Roy and Gabby are NOT armed. Roy pretends to fall off Trigger and the two bad guys see Trigger emerge apparently riderless, but it's really Roy hanging on the side. Then still unarmed he and Gabby go to confront them and the villains who are armed run. I am still trying to figure that one out.

Obviously Herbert J. Yates must have had his mind on the latest big budget spectacular with Vera Hruba Ralston or he might have noticed something. Utah doesn't even have any really good musical numbers. The only one is at the finale where Roy, Gabby, and the Sons of the Pioneers help Dale and her friends with their show.

I'm not sure Roy and Dale's best fans liked this one.

Amusingly Askew Rogers-Evans Vehicle

[boblipton · 7/10 · 1 July 2023]

It all begins on a stage in Chicago, where Dale Evans is rehearsing a song for a forthcoming musical. Unfortunately, the show's backers have pulled out, so the production is shut down. Miss Evans, however, owns a ranch in Utah she has never seen, so she packs up the chorines and takes them out there. She intends to sell the ranch for enough money to produce the show, and if she can't, she figures they can eat until the next season begins. Her foreman, Roy Rogers, doesn't want her to sell the well maintained and profitable ranch. After some ill-natured sparring, he hits on the idea of taking her to Gabby Hayes' run-down spread. Unfortunately for his plans, she sells her ranch to some bad guys for a fraction of of its value.

This one doesn't rate as high as most of the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans movies, and I can see why. The musical numbers run the gamut from the usual western numbers by the Sons of the Pioneers -- who play Miss Evans' cow hands -- to southern numbers, to blues. I thought it was a well-produced movie, with some nice twists in the plot, and lots of good humor. See if you can spot Richard Farnsworth among the stunt men.

Roy and Dale are both butt-heads in this one!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 13 October 2013]

It's hard for me to do an accurate appraisal of this film, as the version I downloaded from archive.org was missing 24 minutes--that's about a third of the movie! Why? Because back in the 1950s, some overzealous knuckle-heads decided to cram the Roy Rogers films into a TV time slot--trimming them all down to about 53 minutes. In a few cases, where the original film was about an hour long, the difference between the two versions is minimal but here the film is simply hacked apart. So keep this in mind when you read this. However, I can assume that the film was not all that great based on what I saw.

The film begins with Dale Evans being told that her show in Chicago is being shut down, as the financial backers have pulled out of the show. However, she owns a ranch out west and takes her friends with her to inspect and possibly sell it. Now here something VERY uncharacteristic occurs--Roy Rogers decides to lie! Instead of taking them to the beautiful ranch, he pretends that Gabby's rundown place is hers. She naturally is disappointed. However, the joke ends up on both of them when she sells the ranch--not realizing it's much bigger and more valuable. The buyer sure knows and enjoys cheating her. But Roy isn't going to let this be the end of it and he goes about trying to right a wrong.

How is the film overall? Well, it suffers not only from having Roy play a bit of a jerk but once again the usual female cliché is present--the leading lady HATES Roy with no provocation and seems grouchy. Now later in the film, Dale's character had lots of reason to hate him but why did the writers almost always do this with Dale and Roy? The only saving grace is Gabby Hayes--who is even grouchier and funnier than usual. This misogynist says such wonderful lines about women as "....next to sheep, they're the dumbest critters on Earth!". Overall, I'd give this film a 3--perhaps more in the extended version. But it does suffer because Roy, who always played a sweet person, is a bit of a jerk in this one--and spends much of the film trying to undo all the harm he caused.

By the way, although the film is called "Utah", it sure doesn't look like it! Like other Rogers films, it was made in California.

Everybody is a bonehead in this one.

[weezeralfalfa · 3/10 · 27 April 2019]

Dale Evans((Dorothy Brunt) is the absentee owner of the Bar X ranch, near Cold Brook, Utah. She inherited the ranch from her grandfather, but is a musical thespian in Chicago. Now, her producer has a problem. Their main financial backer has pulled out of a show scheduled to open soon. Dale suggests she may have a solution, if she can quickly sell her inherited ranch. The producer figures they probably need $25,000. Dale sends a telegram to Roy Rogers: the ranch forman, saying she is coming with the idea of selling the property. Of course, Roy and the others don't like the idea of losing their job, so hope to convince her not to sell. Besides, the likely buyer is a sheep man, which is considered bad in this cattle country. Buyer and real estate man, Bow Bowman, and his pal, Steve Lacy somehow learn about Dale's idea. They get an offer from a sheep man for $100,000. and tell Roy, who refuses to support it. Later, when Roy and Gabby Hayes are riding to meet the train that carries Dale, for a reason I don't understand, Bowman and Lacy try to ambush them, but fail. Roy and Gabby then take off after them, and eventually knock them off their horses, resulting in a fisticuff that Roy and Gabby win. Apparently , they weren't charged with attempted murder.....At the train station, not one, but 5, young women get off., as Dale brought some of her girlfriends. Gabby is fit to be tied, and is not shy about making his attitude known to the women. "Women!. Next to sheep, they are the dumbest critters on this earth", says he. Dale was afraid Roy had a similar opinion, but he denied it. On their way to the ranch, Roy gets a devious idea. Instead taking them to the Bar X, he takes them to Gabby's next door rundown ranch. He hopes they will think its probably not worth much in a sale, and thus not worth the time to try to find a buyer. Hopefully, they will soon return to Chicago before they discover his deception. At first, it seems to be working out that way. But, Dale then changes her mind and will look for a buyer. Roy realizes his plan may backfire. Sure enough, Bowman and Lacy show up to check out the property, supposedly the Bar X, and offer her $5000, for it, $1000.now as a check, and the other $4000. in a few weeks. Since they don't have much cash, they hope to sell the cattle of the real Bar X, and use some of that money to pay the $4000. But, they have to sell the cattle fast, before it's discovered their check is worthless. Dale thinks she's lucky to get that much. Why didn't she have several appraisers look at it, who could have detected the deception? ........Roy and Gaby find out that Bowman is sending the cattle to Chicago. Roy arranges to have his men go with that train. Meanwhile, Bowman and Lacy took the passenger train(why?). The 2 groups meet in the Chicago stockyard, but Bowman and Lacy immediately run away>Why? Apparently, they were the owners of the cattle. Perhaps, they feared their bogus check had been found out. Eventually, Roy and Gabby catch them and beat them in a fisticuff. Police arrived, and took everyone to the police station. Roy's neck was saved by a serendipitous phone call from Cold Brook, stating that Bowman's check had been found fraudulent, and thus the sale was invalid. But, now, Roy had to tell Dale about his trickery. We don't see this encounter(maybe in the uncut version?), but we would assume , at first Dale would be shocked and irate, but then happy that she had a much more valuable ranch than she thought. When we next see them together, she is smiling, and talking about quitting showbusiness, and moving to Utah. Before they leave, they help with the new play, called "Utah", remembering that the play "Oklahoma" had opened not long ago.

Love Utah

[timbertrail4444 · 10/10 · 2 January 2014]

Another Roy Rogers movie when Republic Studios had his movies loaded with songs and music which I love.You must get the uncut version of this movie to really appreciate it. Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers sing some very good songs along with Roy. Gabby Hayes has some good lines when fighting with the women who he wishes would leave the west and go back to Chicago. There is an excellent musical stage ending where they all sing the title song and several others. The one scene where Roy, Dale and the Pioneers sing Utah against a backdrop of scenes from that beautiful state is a highlight of this movie. Again watch the uncut version.

Light-Hearted Visit With Roy & the Gang, With Good Scenery

[Snow Leopard · 21 May 2001]

"Utah" is a light Roy Rogers Western with the whole gang - Dale Evans, Gabby Hayes, and of course Trigger. Except for some nice scenery, it is undistinguished, but it is a good way to pass a pleasant hour.

The picture begins with Dale as a member of a singing and dancing troupe in Chicago, whose act might have to disband because of lack of backing. Dale remembers that her grandfather left her a ranch in Utah - she has never seen the ranch, but decides that selling it might be a good way of raising money to keep the show afloat. So she heads west, taking the women in her show along for the ride. It turns out that the Bar-X Ranch is run by Roy and Gabby, who do not want to see it sold, since they know a big land speculator who has been just waiting to grab the Bar-X and replace the cattle with sheep.

From there, events get pretty far-fetched, but entertaining. There are of course some cowboy songs, and there is a lot of cornball humor centering on the incongruity of a group of women from the city having to associate with a group of cowboys. Some of the humor is lame and dated, but the good-natured feel of the movie keeps it from becoming too annoying.

One less routine aspect of "Utah" is the scenery - there are a lot of good background shots (for example, during the horse chase scenes) that remind us of Utah's rugged grandeur.

"Utah" is good light entertainment for any fan of old Westerns.