Singing Cowboy Westerns are a rather niche genre, and one that hasn't necessarily aged as well as others; along with any songs comes a distinct ham-handedness that's a far cry from what most modern viewers are accustomed to. That's not to say that all indulge that flourish equally, and some are better than others - though this particular title also bears the idiosyncrasy of blending together in its presentation technologies and fashions of both the Wild West and the 1940s, a twist that's odd and slightly off-putting in its own right. On the other hand, while this may not be the most singularly exciting of Roy Rogers' films, if one can overlook the peculiarities or inelegance of its inclusions then it's still broadly quite well made and worthwhile on its own merits. 'Twilight in the Sierras' may not be a total must-see, but in the very least it's more or less right on par with the bulk of the star's output, and reasonably enjoyable.
Most all the same consistent qualities are here. The production design, art direction, and costume design are terrific; John MacBurnie's cinematography is vivid and dynamic, and the color imagery is rich and lovely. Any stunts, action scenes, and effects are very finely executed, and special commendations surely also belong to non-human cast members including Trigger for what was obviously excellent training. Despite the kitsch of the music, I can't dispute that the tunes are modestly enjoyable in and of themselves, and performed well. And the writing is generally quite solid, though the fact that the plot development relies predominantly on dialogue, instead of simply the course of events in a scene, lends to a small feeling of insufficiency.
In fact, while in and of itself it's unremarkable, it's rather telling just how essential the dialogue is to 'Twilight in the Sierras.' With everything having been said that was going to be up to that point, the action-oriented climax and curt ending just rather trail off, providing a feeling of finality and conclusion that's limp at best. In no movie should it ever be the case that once characters stop talking there's a sense that the plot has been lost, yet to whatever small degree, that's just what we get here - with the result that it seems like we somewhat suddenly leap from "let's move the narrative along" to "okay, now the big finish!" Not least when it was maybe needed most, I think the connective integrity of Sloan Nibley's storytelling falters.
Still, this feature succeeds more than it doesn't. The singing is a little gauche, the blending of far-removed decades is curious, and above all the writing needed to be tightened. But in the wide brushstrokes this is pretty fun, and in all the fundamentals of its craft and its action it really is well done. A little more mindfulness would have gone a long way, yet the fact remains that 'Twilight in the Sierras' is still entertaining and better than not, so obviously the filmmakers did something right. Compared to other Rogers pictures specifically, or other titles in the wide world of cinema, there may be others that take higher priority, but if you have the chance to watch this, you could definitely do much worse.
