weezeralfalfa Review of Roll on Texas Moon

Roll on Texas Moon (1946)

Roy caught between sheepherders and cattlemen, trying to mediate conflicts

[7/10 · 12 May 2019]

A neiboring sheepmen vs. cattlemen range war is threatened when cattleman Gabby Whittaker stumbles upon the body of the sheep ranch owner, out in the field. Unfortunately, the supervisor of the sheep ranch(Elizabeth Risdon, as Cactus Kate) and her forman(Francis McDonald, as Steve Anders) happen to come by and see Gabby looking over the body. Naturally, Gabby is the assumed murderer, as he is well known to hate sheep and sheepmen They suggest that Gabby is also responsible for some unexplained sheep deaths.........Gabby's supervisor, in Chicago, gets wind of this, and sends Roy to try to diffuse resentments before they flair into a full-scale range war. As things turn out, Roy does discover who is behind these deaths and convinces Cactus Kate, and new owner Dale Evans to get rid of him. Instead of Roy, it's actually Cactus Kate who dispatches the guilty Cole Gregor, just before he is ready to dispatch Roy. But, in a sense, Roy failed in his basic mission, because the sheepmen and cattlemen have a final shootout, in which all the sheepmen, save the 2 ladies, are killed by the more numerous and more savvy cattlemen. Strangely, this is treated by both sides as a great victory over disharmony, calling for a celebration, with singing..........Cole's objects was to gain control of the sheep ranch, either by scaring Dale into selling it, or by murdering the current owner. He tried to indirectly kill Dale, by tampering with the brakes on her open vehicle, causing her wild ride, ending with the car plunging into the river. Very luckily, Roy happened to be near, and fished her out of the river. Later, when the car was being pulled out of the river, after a cursory examination, Roy declares that the brakes had been tampered with, Dale almost agrees to leave the ranch and let Kate and Cole run the ranch. However, in the knick of time, Roy convinces her that he has identified Cole as the bad actor. Toward the end, Roy is being chased by both the cattlemen and the sheepherders, both of whom think he working for the other........As a diversion from the serious stuff, a comical scene appears periodically. with the tiny lamb, Taffy, chasing after Gabby, like he is its mother. I didn't see him give any milk. Gabby finds this embarrassing, as he often expresses his disdain for sheep and sheepherders. : Funny, but most unlikely, unless Gabby gave it some milk before hand..........Musical numbers are inserted periodically. The title and "Jumping Beans" are sung twice. After Dale is pulled out of the river, she and Roy sing "Won't you be a friend of mine.". In Gabby's dream, Roy and Dale sing "What's Doing Tonight in Dreamland", with Dale in a fancy southern getup.