San Fernando Valley (film)

San Fernando Valley is a 1944 American western film directed by John English and starring Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Jean Porter. The film was part of the long-running series of Roy Rogers films produced by Republic Pictures.^[1]

It was filmed at Deerwood Stock Farm (Kentucky Park Farms) and Hidden Valley in Thousand Oaks, California, with some car chase scenes filmed at nearby Iverson Ranch in the Simi Hills.^[2][3]

Plot

Cyclone Kenyon lives with two granddaughters on his ranch. Dale is a responsible adult and practically runs things, while Betty Lou is a man-crazed juvenile who constantly keeps the ranch-hands (Sons of Pioneers) from working by singing with them. The movie's crooks are the foreman and his right hand, and they spend their time loafing and robbing strangers, in this case Roy and his sidekick Keno. Cyclone owns his name to his temper and after several warnings fires the whole bunch. Dale comes up with a solution: she hires female Ranch-hands instead. These prove able and lively, the fore-woman keeps challenging Cyclone and all have a good time except Betty Lou, who plots to get back her men-following. Meanwhile, Roy and Keno have taken the job of cook and general useful ones to have around because they are searching for the crooks and Dale is their only lead. Betty Lou throws herself at Roy. He, of course, has fallen for Dale and now Betty Lou brings her plan into action: the former Ranch-hands are to steal all the ranch's horses, hide them, and bring them back to get Cyclone to hire them again. Roy finds out about Betty Lou's involvement. The film's crooks really steal the horses. Roy and Keno overtake them and find evidence for their guilt. The main crook almost kills Roy but gets attacked by Trigger. All the stolen money and the horses are retrieved. Cyclone still agrees to hire back his male ranch-hands, but only after pairing them off with one female ranch hand each, so Betty Lou will leave them alone.

Cast

• Roy Rogers as Himself
• Trigger (horse) as Himself
• Dale Evans as Dale Kenyon
• Jean Porter as Betty Lou Kenyon
• Andrew Tombes as Cyclone Kenyon
• Charles Smith as Oliver Griffith
• Edward Gargan as Keno
• Dot Farley as Hattie O'Toole
• LeRoy Mason as Matt
• Vernon and Draper as Dance Act
• Morrell Trio as Skating Act
• Bob Nolan as Bob
• Sons of the Pioneers as Ranch Hands

References

Bibliography

• Hurst, Richard M. Republic Studios: Beyond Poverty Row and the Majors. Scarecrow Press, 2007.

External links

• San Fernando Valley on IMDb