Song of Arizona

Roy Rogers responds to a call for help from his old pal Gabby Whittaker, whose Half-Chance Ranch, a home for wayward boys, is heading into foreclosure. One of Gabby's youthful charges, Chip Blaine, is the son of a notorious bank robber who leaves his ill-gotten gains to the lad and his half-sister, nightclub entertainer Claire Summers. But the elder Blaine's former henchmen stake their own claim to the hidden fortune while Roy attempts to beat them to the money.

By early 1946, when Song of Arizona went before the cameras, Roy Rogers was well established as Hollywood's "King of the Cowboys." His Westerns, produced on a relatively lavish scale, were marketed to family audiences and frequently played in prestigious "downtown" theaters. They took place in the present day and occasionally sported surprisingly mature plot devices, such as confronting children with the criminal pasts of their parents. One of Roy's strongest films of this type, Song of Arizona balances its heavier moments with music and comedy supplied by Gabby Hayes and the Sons of the Pioneers.

Cut to 53 minutes for broadcast on TV, the picture is seen here in its complete 67 minute uncut version.

• western