The Golden Stallion (1949) User Reviews

We're Talking Trigger here, not Mister Ed

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 28 August 2007]

In The Golden Stallion some diamond smugglers have discovered a really clever way to practice their trade. They use a specially constructed horseshoe and send one of their horses in with a wild herd that goes back and forth across the border from Mexico to the states. Of course you need a good leader for these horses and in this case it's a palomino mare.

But those plans go up the spout when the mare catches sight of Trigger. That little horse romance throws quite a kink into their plans. Also some humans in the person of Dale Evans and her friend Estelita Rodriguez who take over a ranch with their horse trainer Roy Rogers. They'd like to capture the wild herd and break them.

Through a combination of circumstances, Trigger gets accused of murdering one of the bad guys and since he's not Mister Ed, he can't speak up for himself. Roy sacrifices his own freedom and takes a manslaughter rap to save his beloved horse. I'm not sure he'd do the same for Dale.

Though I'm being somewhat flip in my comments The Golden Stallion is rather touching in terms of Roy's devotion to his best friend. I'm sure Roy's legion of young fans had a special place of affection for The Golden Stallion among his films.

This film might have been the first appearance of Pat Brady with his cantankerous jeep Nellybelle that had its own personality. Watching Roy's half hour television show in the fifties, I well remember Pat and Nellybelle and how that jeep always let him down at a crucial moment.

The Golden Stallion does rank as one of the better of Roy Rogers features for Republic. It's heartwarming and touching if just a tad unreal.

Trigger is the real star of "The Golden Stallion"

[krorie · 7/10 · 12 February 2006]

"The Golden Stallion" actually refers to Trigger Jr., a foal sired by Trigger with the mare who leads wild horses along the Mexican border to have diamonds smuggled across embedded in their horseshoes. Though critics often prefer the earlier "My Pal Trigger" to "The Golden Stallion," fans may prefer the latter. Dale Evans adds just the right touches as the sweetheart Stormy. Both Roy and Dale show their deep love and affection for horses which makes this one a must for kids of all ages. Roy and Dale, though having other mates earlier in life, were made for each other. No married couple in the entertainment field except possibly Burns and Allen were so compatible and so loved by their many fans. For me, this is the best of the Roy and Dale films.

Pat Brady, who replaced a young fellow in the musical group The Sons of the Pioneers named Leonard Slye when he became Roy Rogers, is around for the laughs. Pat had a winning personality and was a great singer but not really much of a comedian, though he did have a funny moniker this go around as Sparrow Biffle. His jeep Nellie Belle upstages him. When an inanimate object gets the most laughs, a comic should take notice.

"The Golden Stallion" is in Trucolor which this time adds to the overall beauty and highlights the golden in the title. Even non-Roy Rogers fans should enjoy this cinematic gem.

Great use of horses and a clever plot make this one of Roy's best

[davidgarnes · 7/10 · 21 October 2015]

This 1949 film, just before Roy Rogers and Co. moved on to TV, has some fine color cinematography, particularly of the Iverson ranch (used in countless westerns) and great, sweeping shots of the wild horse herd that figures importantly throughout the film. It's quite lovely in that regard and captures the beauty and speed of the supposedly "untamed" steeds.

The plot is a bit more complicated here than in most RR films, with several unexpected turns, all tightly directed. Roy and Dale are engaging as always, though Pat Brady's appeal eludes. There are fewer musical numbers in this film than usual, though the Sons of the Pioneers are featured.

See it for the scenery and the beauty of the horses, and for more drama than is usually served in a Roy/Dale flick.

Tarantino Favorite

[fennessy-2 · 14 June 2001]

Hard to believe, but this Roy Rogers vehicle is one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. It was directed by prolific B-movie/serial specialist, William Witney, and co-stars Dale Evans and Trigger, "The Smartest Horse in the Movies." The storyline revolves around a diamond smuggling operation in which Trigger is enlisted to replace the stallion of the title when she goes missing. Trigger was separated from Rogers in the first place when he took the fall for his "best friend" following a (false) accusation of murder. Had he not done so, Trigger would have been killed in an instant. Along the way, Rogers and Evans pitch a little woo, the bad guys are outsmarted and Trigger and the stallion produce a foal, Trigger Jr. (star of an eponymous sequel released in 1950).

In the New York Times article, "Watching Movies With Quentin Tarantino" (9/15/00), he discusses the film in depth, finding the relationship between Rogers and Trigger particularly moving: "You know, in some movies, a cowboy might go to jail to save his best friend from being shot down dead. Well, Trigger is Roy's best friend. It's the easiest leap to have him do that here, yet it's so powerful and so unexpected. What's great is that you buy it, you absolutely buy it, and I don't know that I really would buy it from anybody else but Roy and Trigger."

It should be noted that "The Golden Stallion" is one of Rogers' more "mature" efforts, and that it's more of a drama than a musical. Although it doesn't seem to have much in common with his own work, Tarantino fanatics are sure to want to check it out to see why he holds Witney -- along with Rogers, Evans and Trigger -- in such high esteem (see also "The Eyes of Texas" from 1948).

Roy's willing to throw away his life to save Trigger.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 19 November 2020]

I found two versions of "The Golden Stallion" on YouTube. This is because Roy Rogers' films, as well as other cowboy B-movie stars, often had their films cut down to television time slots back in the 1950 when there was a huge craze for cowboy heroes on TV. I watched the original 67 minute, not the trimmed 53 minute one. And, like many of Republic Studios' cowboy films of the late 40s and into the 50s, they filmed this using TruColor stock. It was popular with these B-westerns because it cost about the same as black & white film and Technicolor was much more expensive. But it had limitations...specifically because it was a two-color process. Two-color film tends to result in orangy-red and blue-green hues and you never really get true color despite its name. Yellows and purples, for example, just never looked yellow or purple using TruColor or its rival, Cinecolor. And, over time, both these sorts of films tend to become muddy looking and "The Golden Stallion" is no exception. This colors in this film are very intense...so much that my wife walked by as I was watching and cried out "What's wrong with the colors?!".

The plot to this story is strange. A gang of jewel thieves are apparently moving their stolen merchandise inside the hollowed out hooves of horses!! This seems incredibly unlikely and odd...and there are definitely better means for transporting stolen objects. So, I recommend you suspend disbelief as Roy Rogers and the boys work to right wrongs and capture the baddies. And, on hand are two familiar actresses in Roy Rogers film in his latter period, his wife Dale as well as the Cuban actress Estelita Rodriguez. Roy's sidekick is Pat Brady as Sparrow....not one of his more memorable sidekicks.

So is this film any good? Well, provided you suspend disbelief, yes. Not only is it tough to believe using horse hooves to smuggle, but the film takes a very weird twist when one of the baddies is killed and Trigger is accused of doing it...which, of course, he didn't. But to save Trigger from being destroyed, Roy pleads guilty to killing the man and is sentenced to hard labor!!! I like horses...but cannot imagine anyone taking a murder rap to protect a horse....nor can I imagine them putting a horse to death without some sort of trial. But it's not like Roy Rogers films are the old west but are definitely a Hollywoodization of the west...and a modern west at that. It's all enjoyable but also a bit tough to believe. If you love Roy Rogers films, you'll like it...otherwise you'll probably think it's all pretty weird. Entertaining...but weird.

"You know, I don't think this guy's gonna scare so easy".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 21 June 2009]

Whoa Nellie! Here's a plot element I haven't seen before - the 'Smartest Horse in the Movies' is framed for murder, and Roy Rogers takes the fall! You know it has to be the movies when the trial is set for the very next day - Roy gets three years in jail and Trigger is out on the range running with diamond smugglers. That all sounds like a lot going on for a simple 'B' Western, but that's the basic premise of "The Golden Stallion", a Republic Trucolor film that fans of Roy and Dale Evans will find certain delight in. I have to say, the idea of a specially made horseshoe with a false bottom built in to hide a cache of diamonds was certainly a novel idea, and it had me wondering if such an idea was ever tried for real.

Along with the trick horseshoe, there were a few other elements I hadn't seen before in a Roy Rogers flick. For one, this might have been the first time Pat Brady appears driving his trusted Willys Jeep, although he's portraying a character named Sparrow Biffle. Though 'Nellybelle' isn't specifically mentioned by name, I'm pretty sure Pat yelled 'Whoa Nellie' during that first horse stampede when his vehicle went out of control. Additionally, it appears that Dale's aboard Buttermilk, the pinto she rode in the TV series a few years later.

As for Trigger himself, I had some trouble recognizing the real one. That didn't look like the real Trigger at the start of the picture, the one that got in trouble with the Bell Mare and got pinched for Ed Hart's murder. The stallion that grew up to be Trigger Jr. looked more like the real thing, but I guess he could have performed a dual role like human actors often do. Anyway, it left me just a little bit confused.

Roy and Dale as always make an engaging couple, even though Dale's character in the picture goes by the name of Stormy Billings. With the color format, it's easy to pick out their costume changes in the story, as each goes through more than a half dozen. I got a kick out of Dale's reaction to Roy's phony death scene - very over the top, and I'm surprised actually that it remained that way in the picture.

By the time it's all over of course, Roy brings the outlaw smuggling gang to justice with the help of the Oro City Sheriff (Frank Fenton). Spending a couple years in jail didn't do a lot to help his image as King of the Cowboys, but he spent time behind bars in other Westerns, so it goes with the territory. One thing I did notice though was Roy's tussle with bad guy Ed Hart (Dale Van Sickel) in the early going; it was probably Roy's best and most realistic looking fight I've seen in a few dozen of his pictures. Just another 'Whoa Nellie' moment in Roy Rogers' enduring film career.

Trigger falls in love. Roy goes to jail.

[michaelRokeefe · 4/10 · 6 November 2005]

This sagebrush story is out of the ordinary; and a memorable Roy Rogers vehicle. Trigger falls in love with a beautiful golden mare that has stolen treasure inside a specially made shoe by diamond smugglers. When Trigger watches the mare being abused by the villainous smugglers, he kills one of them. Roy takes the blame for his four-legged pal and ends up behind bars. Fans of Trigger will delight in this one. Also in the cast: Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Frank Fenton, Estelita Rodriguez, Chester Conklin and Riders of the Purple Sage. THE GOLDEN STALLION is directed by B-movie master William Witney. An action packed 67 minutes. Recommended for a nice twin-bill: BELLS of SAN ANGELO(1947).

Probably the Best Views of the Iverson Movie Ranch

[bozey45 · 9/10 · 14 September 2007]

This well done b-western, entertaining and with just the right musical touches, has probably the best views of the oft used Iverson Movie Ranch. Tru-color images of this area add to the beauty of this filming location with its famous rock formations, flat stage coach chase roads, just right for the herd of horses to run across; the Iverson ranch, sadly mostly covered today by condos, apartments, and houses at least retains a lot of the rock formations to remind what a great location this once was for filming. Plus Roy, Dale, Estelita, and Pat Brady and the wonderful Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage are great as expected. In my view, the Iverson Ranch and the horses are the real stars of this film.

Roy Rogers Has Horse Sense

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 3 July 2011]

Wild horses are used to smuggle diamonds across the border from Mexico to the United States. The jewels are hidden in horseshoes. Meanwhile, well-known horse trainer Roy Rogers (as Roy Rogers) goes to work at the "Circle B" ranch owned by singing cowgirl Dale Evans (as Stormy Billings). They make pretty music together, although Mr. Rogers prefers closer companionship with his horse "Trigger". The smartest horse in the movies gets involved with the smugglers by mating with a mare they use to transport their diamonds. The union produces "Trigger Jr." and provides Rogers and his horse with danger and adventure...

Director Quentin Tarantino elevated this "Trucolor" western by citing it for a discussion on films, which makes this an interesting watch. However, "The Golden Stallion" is more ordinary than revelatory. Most Rogers pictures are pleasant, and it's possible to elevate any one of them, at any moment. Here, you have a great scene - where Rogers "takes the rap" for a crime, to save Trigger from a death sentence. Rogers' lie is blatant, but acceptable. Unfortunately, the film leaves the potential for a good morality story right there. Neither Rogers nor Trigger committed the crime, which the script never gets around to resolving.

***** The Golden Stallion (11/15/49) William Witney ~ Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Douglas Evans

Another of Roy's Great Westerns

[brendaattheranch · 25 February 2003]

I can't think of two people I like more then Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and they were fantastic in The Golden Stallion. And of course, Trigger too.

The story is filled with action, drama, music (they add just the right amount of music and don't get carried away with it), and of course, Roy and Trigger. It is heart breaking at times, but the bond of horse and man that Roy and Trigger truly shared on screen and off comes through in shining colors in this movie. And of course, it's a delight to be able to see some of Roy and Trigger's work in color.

I highly recommend it.