SUNSET SERENADE

Roy Rogers listens as Gabby Hayes sings

SUNSET SERENADE (1942). Director: Joseph Kane.

Although Vera Martin (Joan Woodbury) thought she was going to inherit a ranch from the deceased owner, it actually goes to his nephew, a one-year-old baby in the care of Sylvia Clark (Helen Parrish of X Marks the Spot). Sylvia doesn't know that Vera and her friend, Jackson (Onslow Stevens), are scheming to get the ranch away from her for a song. Wouldn't you know that Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, Bob Nolan (of Heldorado) and his Sons of the Pioneers ((including Pat Brady) are in the vicinity, out of work cowboys who are practically starving. In exchange for vittles, most of which are "et" by Gabby, Roy and his buddies help out Sylvia. Later on they have a shoot-out with Jackson's gang when he tries to steal cattle that Sylvia just sold to Clifford Sheldon (Frank M. Thomas) and Roy saves the man from a rushing river when a dam is exploded. There are also some forgettable songs sung by Roy, Bob, Pat and even annoying Gabby. Trigger doesn't have much to do in this one. Roy Barcroft of G-Men Never Forget plays one of the gang of bad guys. A "modern" western from Republic studios. 

Verdict: Acceptable but mediocre Roy Rogers entry. **. 

X MARKS THE SPOT

Damian O'Flynn

X MARKS THE SPOT (1942). Director: George Sherman. 

Eddie Delaney (Damian O'Flynn of The Hidden City) is a private eye who is about to go into the Army. His father, Timothy (Robert Homans), is a beat cop who is shot to death when he confronts some suspicious characters at a warehouse. Eddie is determined to find out who murdered his dad, but he is warned by Police Lt. Bill Decker (Dick Purcell) that he can't become a vigilante no matter how he feels. When a suspect named Marty Clark (Jack La Rue) is shot and killed in his own nightclub, Bill arrests Eddie for the crime. In tried and true PI fashion, Eddie slugs Bill and takes off to solve the crime on his own. He has help from his "dream gal," Linda (Helen Parrish), a woman whose voice he has only heard when he asks for a song on the jukebox but who got involved in the murder when someone asked her to say there was a black-out and she tells everyone to turn out the lights. 

Helen Parrish and Damian O'Flynn

X Marks the Spot is a standard WW2 private eye melodrama that doesn't boast too many surprises. Not as rugged as other private dicks, O'Flynn still makes a reasonably appealing protagonist, and Dick Purcell is also good as the head cop on the case. Helen Parrish is acceptable as Linda but there are more interesting females in the movie, such as Lulu (Anne Jeffreys), who dallies with Marty, and Billie (Edna Harris), Linda's amusing older co-worker. The only other well-known cast member in the movie is Neil Hamilton, who plays a man who hires Eddie to find out who stole two empty trucks that belonged to his company.

O'Flynn with Dick Purcell

The motive behind everything may seem strange today but we have to remember that during WW2 rubber was a hot commodity. This is another movie that takes advantage of the fact that decades before the jukeboxes with which we are familiar, people in clubs could get tunes by calling up an exchange wherein the "d.j" would play records at a central location and pipe them out to different establishments (or something like that; it's a bit confusing, frankly). George Sherman also directed The Lady and the Monster. 

Verdict: Acceptable PI meller. **1/2.