Sue Farnum inherits a circus, but her dead father's partner is trying to take it away from her. Roy and Bob Nolan are filming a movie on location at the circus. They and a number of other western movie stars come to Sue's aid, putting on a show and catching the bad guys.
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I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Bells of Rosarita (1945) *** (out of 4) A rather original Western has Roy Rogers and Republic Pictures in a small town filming a movie when he gets involved with a young woman (Dale Evans) who is about to lose her property due to a bad debt of her dead father. It turns out that the father actually paid the debt but there's just no proof so Roy comes to the rescue with a bunch of other Republic cowboys (Don Berry, Bill Elliott, Bob Livingston, Sunset Carson, Allan Lane). Say what you want about the "B" Westerns but I think even the most jaded people would have to give this film credit for at least being original and fun. The entire set-up of the movie production added a real twist to an already familiar story and it took this movie to a new level. Had the film simply told the story of a pretty girl being cheated out of her land then that's really nothing new. Added to the story of a movie studio and real actors coming to the rescue was a neat little trick and really sealed the deal. I thought there were some funny moments where the film takes shots at movies, cowboy stars and that type of thing and we even get a funny joke aimed at John Wayne. As you'd expect, Rogers fits his role just fine and comes across very charming during the more tender scenes but also a real action star during the fights. He gets to sing several tunes including the title track, the catchy "I'm Going to Build a Big Fence Around Texas," and a highly entertaining sequence when we get "When the Circus Comes to Town." Evans, as usual, makes for a good lead lady and we get some nice support from the one and only Gabby Hayes. The other Republic cowboy stars just make cameos but it's nice seeing everyone together and it certainly adds to the film. BELLS OF ROSARITA isn't a John Ford masterpiece but it's quite fun with a good story, fun songs and some nice action.
Here is a pacey work that employs standard elements to be found in Republic Pictures' contemporary Western films starring Roy Rogers, including the familiar plot artifice of shooting a movie within another, cowboys on horseback chasing motor vehicles bearing villains, musical interludes that interrupt the action at random, et alia, with an additional device utilized herein: "cameos" from cowpoke stars under contract with Republic: Wild Bill Elliott, Robert Livingston, Allan Lane, Don "Red" Barry, and Sunset Carson. Sue Farnum (Dale Evans) has been willed her father's traveling circus but his erstwhile partner Bill Ripley (Grant Withers) intends to take it from her as she cannot locate a receipt confirming that her sire had repaid a loan enabling him to gain title to the big top company, and when she and her employee and friend Gabby Whittaker (Gabby Hayes) accept aid from her dad's pal Slim Phillips (Addison Richards), the three, along with Slim's daughter and troupe entertainer Patty (Adele Mara), entrain to the southern California fictional town of Cabrillo wherein Slim believes he will locate the missing receipt, thereby ending Sue's plight. The Forces of Evil soon kidnap Slim but subsequent events are but ill-explained by a slapdash screenplay that accords space for eight musical numbers (not counting repeats) and while Rogers plainly is tasked, as is his wont, with rescuing a city-bred damsel in distress, he is equally motivated by a primal need to burst into song, a predilection shared with, among others, Evans, Mara, Janis Martin, and the baritone Bob Nolan-led Sons of the Pioneers. This lower case effort benefits from a panoply of Republic casting roster supporting players from whom, despite the film's following the accepted trend of Rogers "B" Westerns, a number of telling performances will be enjoyed from uncredited actors (including dancing girls!); Hayes reprises his wearisome shtick that he displays in each of his movies, even to the phrases, but Evans has a clamp on the acting laurels with a vivacious turn, while able editing supervised by Arthur Roberts makes for a snappily moving although somewhat goofy picture.
Janet Martin who is listed in the supporting cast credits, has no lines and appears in only one short scene in the film Bells of Rosarita shot within the film we are watching. She played the lovely bride in the marriage scene and though she had no dialogue sang beautifully while riding off from the wedding celebration. Roy Rogers enters the scene and carries her off while riding on his horse. Miss Martin, played Mexican girls in several films though she was actually of Russian descent. Adele Mara, who was also in one of the lead roles was of Mexican descent, but rarely if ever played a Mexican seniorita. Both, played polynesians in their roles in the film "Call of the South Seas."
In one scene, Don "Red" Barry is called to the phone during the shooting of one of his films. This is evidently a modern day film since he is dressed in 1940's attire, not western clothes. As he leaves the movie set to answer the phone off stage, look at the actress who has been in the scene with him. Her hair is done up in a fashionable upsweep and she is wearing a long designer gown. This is Helen Talbot who appeared in some of Barry's films. Since she was a contract actress, Republic put her in films just as "set decoration." Although this film was shot about the time of THE CHICAGO KID, in which Barry co-starred with Lynne Roberts, the "movie scene" was not part of the film and was included just to give the flavor of behind-the-scenes at Republic.