MartinHafer Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes own a traveling rodeo show. However, they are almost broke--no one wants to book the show. Gabby is too stubborn to try to update the show and thanks to Roy arriving on the scene, the show starts to do better. At the same time a 'nice guy' is wooing Dale and has offered to merge his show with hers. And, to make sure she needs him, he makes sure her show fails repeatedly with his dirty tricks.Dougdoepke wrote in their review that this film was a personality film. In other words, the idea of it being a western or even having a traditional story was completely abandoned by the time "Lights of Old Santa Fe" debuted--it was simply Roy Rogers playing Roy Rogers. And, I must point out, there wasn't a whole lot of attempt to give this film much of a story. Instead, he mostly plays himself and he and Dale Evans as well as the Sons of the Pioneers just sing and sing and sing and sing--and the plot seems completely incidental. However, unlike Dougdoepke and the other reviewers, I felt there really wasn't anything left to watch--it really wasn't much of a movie. And, as a result, it must rank among the very worst of Rogers' films. It's basically a parody of itself and make no effort at all. A lazy and easy to skip little 'western'(???). If you adore the music, watch it--otherwise, you should try some of Roy's earlier films when he and the studio actually cared.By the way, Dale and Gabby must have felt a bit irked. That's because Trigger actually got higher billing in the film than they did!!

dougdoepke Roy helps keep Dale and Gabby's wild west show in business even as Tom Keene's competing show slyly tries to wreck them.Not a formula oater. There's no gunplay, little hard riding, and only brief fisticuffs. But there is a chariot race, of all things. In fact, I'd call this a personality western if there were such a thing. Anyway, that's the real attraction, a really engaging Roy, a sparkling Dale who gets to emote more than usual, and of course the great Gabby who even warbles a few refrains and in his own voice too. Together, they're delightful, making this an easygoing surprise and a different kind of matinée.

bkoganbing In Lights of Old Santa Fe, Roy and the Sons of the Pioneers are busy trying to save a wild west show that is owned by Dale Evans and run by Gabby Hayes.Dale's an eastern girl who inherited the show from her father and of late it's gone to seed. She's gotten two good offers from Tom Keene, one to buy the show, the other a proposal of marriage. Keene's a rival owner and he's determined to get the show one way or another.Of course all that doesn't sit well with Roy who smells a rat and in these films, Roy's nose is unerring.The highlight of the film is when Keene challenges Rogers to a chariot race. Not as silly as it sounds because the chariots are part of the show. The two of them go at each other worthy of Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston. Of course Heston and Boyd were working in a film with a slightly bigger budget.Roy and Dale do make some pretty music together and even Gabby gets to warble a verse from the title song. That alone might make a fan curious.

Snow Leopard "Lights of Old Santa Fe" is pretty good light entertainment from Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gabby Hayes, and Trigger. There is perhaps a little less plot than usual, but on the other hand, there is more humor and singing than usual, and it makes you feel right at home with Roy and his friends.The story revolves around two competing rodeo shows, one run by Hayes, and the other owned by a slippery character played by Tom Keene, with Dale's character getting caught in the middle of the rivalry. The setup provides enough material for a light story and for the variety entertainment. Lloyd Corrigan, playing a radio personality, also joins in by lending his array of voices to a couple of entertaining scenes.For the most part, this follows the usual formula, and most Roy Rogers fans won't be disappointed by this one.