"Roy Rogers B-Western Series ... North of the Great Divide (1950) ... Republic Pictures "
Republic Pictures presents "NORTH OF THE GREAT DIVIDE" (15 November 1950) (64 mins/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Roy Rogers (born Leonard Slye) moved to California in 1930, at the age of 18 --- played in such musical groups as The Hollywood Hillbillies, Rocky Mountaineers, Texas Outlaws and his own group, the International Cowboys --- In 1934 he formed a group with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer called "Sons of the Pioneers" --- While in that group he was known as Leonard Slye, then Dick Weston and finally Roy Rogers --- Their songs included "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" --- They first appeared in the western "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), starring Bing Crosby --- In 1937 Roy went solo and made his first starring film in 1938, "Under Western Stars" (1938) --- He made almost 100 films --- then came television, "The Roy Rogers Show" (1951) ran on CBS from October 1951 through September 1964.

Under William Witney (Director), Edward J. White (Producer), Eric Taylor (Screenwriter), Jack A. Marta (Cinematographer), R. Dale Butts (Composer (Music Score), Jack Elliott (Composer (Music Score), Tony Martinelli (Editor), Frank Hotaling (Production Designer), John McCarthy (Set Designer), George Milo (Set Designer), Adele Palmer (Costume Designer), Howard Lydecker (Special Effects), Theodore Lydecker (Special Effects) - - - - Our story line and plot, Roy engages in another conservation story --- As a blood brother of an Oseka tribe and an official in the federal Indian Service, Roy attempts to halt trouble between the Native Americans and the owner of a Canadian salmon cannery who is blocking the movement of the fish upstream to the Indians' river camp --- Directed by Republic action specialist William Witney. It has a fairly strong social issue and pro-Indian themes --- Two great western heavies, Roy Barcroft as Banning and Jack Lambert as his whip-wielding henchman, Skagg, make suitably nasty villains --- Famed Indian actor Iron Eyes Cody is on hand to give his blessings to the proceedings --- Must recommend the Happy Trails DVD's to you --- Each one has new information about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and each actor or director in the film --- If you are a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans fan like me you will totally enjoy all the extra footage showing Roy and Dale going to parades and visiting children in hospitals, the story of Roy proposing marriage to Dale, and more inside info also about the family --- Each film starts out with Roy and Dale seated on a small stage back around 1987 talking about the sagebrush films they are showing --- some wonderful tunes, JUST KEEP A MOVIN' - NORTH OF THE GREAT DIVIDE -- BY THE LAUGHING SPRING.

the cast includes
Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers
Trigger ... "Smartest Horse in the Movies"
Penny Edwards ... Ann Keith, District Nurse
Gordon Jones ... Splinters Mcgonagle
Roy Barcroft ... Banning
Jack Lambert ... Henchman Stagg
Douglas Evans ... Mountie Sergeant
Keith Richards ... Tacona
Noble Johnson ... Nagura, Oseka Chief
Foy Willing ... Singing cowhand
Riders of the Purple Sage ... Singing cowhands
Holly Bane ... Deputy Bill Hartley
Al Bridge ... Henry Gates
Alden 'Stephen' Chase ... Sheriff Bradley
Iron Eyes Cody ... Presents headdress
Frank Lackteen ... Passes peace pipe
Johnny Paul ... Singing cowhand
Darol Rice ... Singing cowhand
Al Sloey ... Singing cowhand

BIOS:
1. Roy Rogers (aka: Leonard Franklin Slye)
Date of Birth: 5 November 1911 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of Death: 6 July 1998 - Apple Valley, California

2. William Witney (Director)
Date of Birth: 15 May 1915 - Lawton, Oklahoma
Date of Death: 17 March 2002 - Jackson, California

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "THE ROY ROGERS BOOK: A REFERENCE TRIVIA SCRAPBOOK" (Paperback) --- reference trivia scrapbook of Roy Rogers written by Western film historian David Rothel whose accounts of thrilling adventures of B-Western heroes during the Saturday matinees of yesteryear takes us back to our childhood, family and friends --- this is a wish come true, reliving those wonderful years from the past through the pen of David Rothel --- Roy was a top box office draw for Republic Pictures when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said --- plenty of thrills, action and hard riding with a song or two thrown in for good measure --- Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers" and elected again in 1988 as Roy Rogers "King of the Cowboys" --- Roy got his horse "Trigger" in 1938 and rode him in every one of his films and TV shows after that --- "Trigger" died in 1965 age of thirty-three --- Roy's dog's name was "Bullet" and appeared in almost as many of his films as "Trigger" did --- Roy's theme song, "Happy Trails", was written by Queen of the West and his wife Dale Evans --- inducted (with his wife Dale Evans) into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1976 --- inducted as a member of the "Sons of the Pioneers into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1995 just three years before his death --- Don't miss this one --- now appearing on Amazon and Empire Publishing --- Don't hesitate - rush out and pick up your copy today --- Great reading in the days and weeks to come --- I guarantee it!

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with musical adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Amazon where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 64 mins on VHS/DVD ~ Republic Pictures ~ (6/24/2003)

Roy Rogers in the Great Northwest
The friendly Oseka Indians clash with the crooked owners of a new cannery over fish conservation and supply. The ecology goes to pot, and the Indians are left starving. The conflict escalates to violence and murder. The Bureau of Indian Affairs sends agent Roy Rogers to smooth things over and prevent the outbreak of war along the Canadian border. Filmed in Trucolor, this B Western is a quick hit of Saturday matinee excitement. Both Dale Evans and Pat Brady are absent, but we see the origin of Bullet, Roy's trusty wolf dog that followed him into the '50s TV series. Bullet plays "Wolf." Great casting. Roy rescues him as a tiny pup from a hunter's trap. Noble Johnson plays the stony-faced Indian chief. Among other roles, he played the Nubian slave in 1932's "The Mummy" and the native chief in "King Kong." Some of the stock footage of salmon swimming upstream and commercial fishing methods looks like footage from a U. S. Dept. of Conservation public service film. Roy works with the trusty men of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Nope, we didn't see Sergeant Preston, but he was probably still up north in the Yukon. The action elements of this fast moving flick are bloodless enough to qualify as "G" rated. As usual, Roy Rogers is honest and true. He shoots straight, rides fast, and punches hard. The color photography looks a little odd at times because of peculiar tints of blue and green. There are 2 or 3 songs, but we are spared from elaborate musical production numbers. Nobody made B Westerns like Republic Studios. Fun for kids of all ages. ;-)