Solemplex
To me, this movie is perfection.
Ogosmith
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Brooklynn
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
JohnHowardReid
It's good to see that some Roy Rogers vehicles escaped the slaughter that cut them down into mincemeat for TV viewers. But this one, alas, despite some game attempts to make the action more realistic, is not one of Rogers' better vehicles. As in several other movies in the series, Rogers is often forced to play second fiddle to Andy Devine's Cookie Bullfincher who is along mainly for comic relief. It's hard to believe that the good citizens of a hot spot near the Mexican border would be stupid enough to select a clown like Bullfincher for such a sensitive post. (At least the sheriff's role is capably handled with a bit of dignity here by Edmund Cobb). It's also impossible to credit that smart, wealthy criminals would allow themselves to be transported in oil drums – especially oil drums as small and as solid as these which don't appear to have any air holes! Well, disregarding all that – which probably won't bother Rogers' admirers unduly – what will annoy many fans is that Rogers' screen time is rather limited. In addition to the incursions by Judge Devine and villainous Roy Barcroft, Robert Strange has a leading part to play, despite his position way, way down the cast list. Rogers also faces competition on the right side of the law from Clayton Moore, who plays Tom Sharper and has a significant slice of the action. When allowed his head, which is not often, director William Witney stages some effective fights and chases. However, it's odd to see Gene Autry's Gail Davis supporting his rival, Roy Rogers, even though her role is small, insignificant and utterly forgettable. Available on a very good Alpha DVD.
classicsoncall
Well I have to admit, after a few hundred 'B' Westerns and almost fifty alone starring Roy Rogers, here's a story concept I've never seen before and it makes for an entertaining picture. Apparently a band of outlaws led by Willis Newcomb (Robert Strange) is using a smuggling racket to bring fellow criminals back across the Mexican border into the States for a hefty fee. When Roy's border patrol buddy is put out of commission by the bad guys, he takes up the case to uncover the enterprise and bring the bad guys to justice.Plenty of surprises for Western fans here - the border officer who gets amnesia is none other than Clayton Moore, making an appearance just about a year before he debuted as TV's Lone Ranger. I've seen him in a couple of Gene Autry and Durango Kid films as a villain, but catching him here with Roy was a first. Not only that, but another Autry regular is on hand here too, with Gail Davis showing up without having to be an obligatory love interest for our hero. Rather refreshing I would say. Apparently Andy Devine was so well established by this time as a regular that he appears in the credits as Cookie Bullfincher, even though his last name was never mentioned, but if you're a Roy Rogers fan I guess you just take it for granted.There's a host of other B Western regulars appearing in the picture as well, all of whom showed up more than once in Roy's TV series in a couple of years. There's Roy Barcroft (henchman Bart Carroll), Holly Bane (henchman Rocco), Lane Bradford (as henchman Butch) and Tom London (rancher Anderson), and if you're any kind of Roy Rogers or Gene Autry fan you'll recognize them on sight.I have to say though, Roy's strategy for treating Tom Sharper's (Moore) amnesia was somewhat questionable. When singing with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage failed to bring him back to his senses, Roy figured beating the snot out of him might be a worthwhile strategy. Fortunately it worked, but today he probably would have been arrested after having the clip show up on You Tube. Not to mention having to deal with all those barrel clichés that you could come up with as a result of the story. Come on now, I know you can come up with a couple yourself.
FightingWesterner
When border patrol agent Clayton Moore goes missing after being crowned by bad guys smuggling criminals back into the US in barrels of oil, potential witness Roy Rogers winds up being subpoenaed by judge Andy Devine to help get to the bottom of Moore's disappearance, only to have him reappear, a framed man.This above average Roy Rogers vehicle contains some good action sequences, a group of really ruthless heavies (the best kind), and an excellent, action-packed climax filled with great stunts.It's also notable for a great co-starring role for Clayton Moore, who put on the iconic black mask for "The Lone Ranger" the following year! I wonder if his performance here had anything to do with it.Foy Willing and The Riders Of The Purple Sage take over for The Sons Of The Pioneers as Roy's backup band. The difference in styles makes for a refreshing change of pace, away from the pop sound that was typical of Rogers at this point and back to a more traditional country and western sound. The songs are great.One thing I disagree with Roy about though, is the wisdom of helping a person suffering from a traumatic brain injury regain his memory by starting a fistfight with him! I don't think that works in real life.
wes-connors
Roy Rogers is back on border patrol, investigating the smuggling of criminals across the U.S.-Mexican border. Clayton Moore (as Tom Sharper) is a fellow border patrolman who discovers the wicked smugglers, and is left for dead; instead, he gets amnesia. Andy Devine (as "Cookie") is a helpful judge, and Gail Davis (as Susan) adds femininity. Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage add harmony.Production-line Rogers western story, with better than average performances. The supporting players are rather good, and there are a few exciting moments. The song dubbing is distractingly poor, and the story very weak -- you'll wonder about some story contrivances... Rogers and Moore (later "The Lone Ranger") have a jail-cell fistfight; incredibly, Rogers beats Moore up to cure his amnesia! *** The Far Frontier (1948) William Witney ~ Roy Rogers, Gail Davis, Andy Devine
