User Reviews

Like the opening song says, Roy, Gabby and Ray Hatton are a happy go lucky bunch of punchers in this quick paced story that moves West to New York and back again to the Circle R to have Roy Rogers save his ranch from a gang of would be land grabbers. The bad guys are after the molybdenum found at Skeleton Canyon on Roy's property. The story is one of those modern Westerns where technology competes with the cowboy life, as in an early scene when the good guy trio block the road of a passing car with their herd of cattle. Did cows really have the right of way back then?

Gabby and Ray share a fair amount of screen time here with Roy, usually in some kind of a dust up between themselves but always in a good natured way. They're at their best when they start a brawl at a night club to divert attention from Roy, who has his share of trouble in the picture. Say, how is it when the trio jumped on the East bound train with only the clothes on their back, they're shown at the Valley Stream Steeplechase with new suits? Especially since Roy needed an extension on the next mortgage payment for the ranch. I guess viewers really weren't supposed to notice things like that back in the Thirties and Forties.

There's probably a few other things you weren't supposed to notice, like how Gabby and Ray made it to the end of the horse race finish line at the same time as the riders - but they were on foot! Or the shootout at the cabin back out West; Gabby's firing at the villains in the cabin, but one of his bullets shatters a light fixture on the inside wall that's in the same direction as the line of fire. The bullet would have had to make a one hundred eighty degree turn in mid flight at the very least!

But for all that, it's still a fun paced Western that manages to pack it's share of songs by Roy, along with a tune by a gal named Louisiana Lou. This would be a good one to catch with Ray Hatton's choice of refreshment handy, a 'sasparilly' with a whiskey chaser!

This yarn begins with Roy and sidekicks Gabby Hayes and Raymond Hatton( Chuckwalla) herding cattle along a rural mountain road, while Roy sings a melodious western song. They hear an unfriendly horn at their back. It's some city people in a hurry, who want them to get the cattle off the road. When the cowboys are too slow to respond, the driver fires several shots in the air to make the cattle move. The cowboys don't like this, as there's just a cliff and a mountain slope on either side. Gabby comes over, takes the key out of the ignition and throws it over his shoulder, near the cliff, muttering that they shouldn't allow such contraptions on the road.............The story is quite different than the typical Roy Rogers' programmer. It's interestingly complex, if very unlikely, shuttling between Roy's ranch at Apache Springs and NYC. It involves banker William Niles, who wants to foreclose on a mortgage on Roy's ranch that Roy can't pay. Niles has sent 3 men to look for evidence of possible mineral wealth on Roy's ranch. But Roy discovers them, and they rush toward him with guns blazing as a cover for their clandestine purpose. Apparently, they find evidence of high grade molybdenum ore, which makes Niles more anxious to get the deed. ........Gabby picks up a rock he planted and declares that he sees gold. He convinces (stupid) Roy, who decides to take it to a friend of his fathers: Roger Hammond, who's a big mining tycoon, for evaluation. But, Hammond is headquartered in NYC. Not discouraged, Roy , along with his 2 sidekicks head for NYC, where thy meet an initially hostile Hammond. Luckily, his daughter, Peggy, smooths his ruffled feathers, and he agrees to see them. Roy wants to sell him a supposed gold mine. Without having the rock checked, Hammond goes off the deep end, and organizes a company to exploit this supposed mine. He is angry that it's gold content comes back nil. However, it is rich in another rare mineral: Molybdenum, which Nigel already knows. Nigel's partner in NYC, Bainbridge, a competitor of Hammond, is trying to keep a tab on Hammond's activity in relation to Rogers, especially his possible financing of Rogers' mortgage. As a side venture, Hammond has a horse entered in a steeple chase. The scheduled rider is knocked out by Bainbridge's men. So, it's decided that Roy has to ride him, which he does(No doubt, the tallest, heaviest, jokey on record). He wins, but is disqualified because Gabby and Chuck thought they detected some foul play relating to Roy's horse, and ran their horses on the chase route, trying to warn Roy(duh). Hammond is furious because he bet much money on his horse winning. .......Peggy flies Roy and his sidekicks to Roy's ranch to search for the origin of that rock. Hammond follows them in his plane, to deliver the money for Roy's mortgage to Niles. But Niles has several men disable his rented car and offer him a ride, taking him and Peggy to a cabin until the due date on the mortgage is past. Niges tries to make a getaway, but Roy takes a short cut, and jumps on his car, sticking a gun in his face. He makes Niles show where the Hammonds are being held. Roy's sidekicks follow. Roy has a very risky idea how to subdue the 4 badmen inside the cabin. I won't say what it is, just that it works. Hammond gives Niles a check for the mortgage, and Niles returns a receipt right there.........Roy always seemed to have a way with the leading lady. Peggy took up for him when her father was angry at Roy. At the ending, they are practically holding hands.......Raymond Hatton, who played Roy's guest sidekick, lacked one ounce of Gabby's charisma........I saw the edited 54 min. version, rather than the original 66min. version, thus 12 min. were missing. Nonetheless, it was a wild ride. See it at YouTube.

"Wall Street Cowboy" was originally released back in 1939.

Anyway - As the story goes - Molybdenum is discovered on Roy Rogers' ranch and some Wall Street financiers want to get their greedy hands upon it. Since this valuable mineral can be used in all sorts of manufacturing processes, the amount found on Rogers' land would be worth a fortune.