The Ranger and the Lady (1940)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Nice effects though.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The Ranger And The Lady has Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes as Texas Rangers and they're having a hard time adjusting to the ways of the acting president named Joseph LaRue. While President Sam Houston is away in Washington, DC trying to arrange annexation, this guy LaRue played by Henry Brandon has got real big ambitions for himself and Texas and a nasty henchman in perennial western villain Harry Woods to back them up. In real and not Hollywood history Sam Houston was the first and third presidents of the Texas Republic and a guy named Mirabeau Lamar on whom LaRue seems to be somewhat based was the second president. He was an actual president a bona-fide elected president not an acting one. He had a lot of ambitions like the LaRue character here, but not the ability to see them through. Good thing he didn't because he wanted an independent Texas Empire all for himself.Anyway among other things Brandon as LaRue imposes his own tariff on goods passing from Texas to Mexico of which Santa Fe was still a part. Julie Bishop who plays a cowgirl owner of a freight line plays up to Brandon, but has an agenda all her own and it's not incompatible with Roy's and Gabby's.Nice shootout climax as an attempted assassination of Sam Houston is foiled. History tells us that didn't happen in any event. Roy's singing is down to minimum as the emphasis is on action here.

In the days of the Texas Republic, Rangers Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes are sent by a renegade General to collect a toll from travelers just outside Texas' border. In order to prevent bloodshed, the reluctant duo try to collect the money from a female wagon master, using more tactful methods than their replacements would have, causing even more problems.A fairly lethargic production, the story just doesn't give off much sparks this time around as I would have liked. The action scenes aren't very hot either.Roy and Gabby are still likable though and leading lady Julie Bishop is very attractive. However, there isn't much chemistry between her and Rogers. George Hayes and old-timer Si Jenks fair much better in that department!Still, it's not Roy's worst, but he's definitely done a lot better.

Considering Gabby Hayes' usual presence in a Roy Rogers flick as somewhat of a comic relief character, it's a little gruesome here to see him comparing his Indian scalp collection with that of grizzled freighter Hank Purdy (Si Jenks). They have a gimmick of trading Gabby's trail knife back and forth between them based on bets they make along the way.The main story has Roy and Gabby as a pair of Texas Rangers who attempt to put the squeeze on a seamy stand-in for Texan President Sam Houston, who's off to Washinton to promote statehood. It seemed a bit simplistic for villain Larue (Henry Brandon) to simply declare his authority over territory east of the Rio Grande and start charging a toll tax on anyone coming into Texas. That and forming a trading monopoly on the Santa Fe Trail with Miss Jane Tabor (Jacqueline Wells) at her mere suggestion. Things couldn't have been that easy to pull of, even in the early 1800's, but stuff like this went on all the time in pictures of the era.We learn early enough in the story that Jane Tabor is really out to avenge the death of her father at the hands of Larue, so the viewer is left on the hook for a while until Captain Colt (Rogers) and Miss Jane team up for real. Sam Houston even shows up at the finale to help the Rangers defeat the bad guys. I got a kick out of that actually, because if you think about it, it would have taken that rider on horseback a couple of months to get to Washington to get hold of Houston, then a few more weeks for him to get back to Texas by stage. Funny, but watching these flicks as a kid back in the day, you never thought about those kinds of things. They would only have gotten in the way of a good time.

Roy Rogers (as Roy Colt) is the Texas Ranger sent to collect, and Jacqueline Wells (as Jane Tabor) is the Lady who won't pay tolls as they disagree on Texan/Mexican territory status. Mr. Rogers is assisted by his trusty sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes (as Gabby) and Ms. Wells (later more commonly known as Julie Bishop) is assisted by her trusty sidekick Si "Purdy" Jenks (as Purdy).Though Rogers is said to be smitten with the Lady Bishop, few sparks fly between them. The more entertaining twosome are the sidekicks - Gabby and Purdy, who get to share a bed! - but, relax, Gabby is just in Purdy's bed to hide-out. The old codgers might have could have elevated the film, if their material was better. Gabby does get to call Bishop a "She-male"; later, she shoots two men, then bows demurely when Rogers gets one. "The Ranger and the Lady" doesn't meet expectations. *** The Ranger and the Lady (1940) Joseph Kane ~ Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Julie Bishop