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A Masterpiece!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I must have seen the longer version, because I had no trouble following the plot. I liked the music and the comedy. After seeing Tito Guizar here and in "The Gay Ranchero", I will be looking for him in other films! Charming!

The self referential quote by Roy Rogers in my summary line adequately addresses the typical Western formula for this picture, except that it's not that typical in some respects. For starters, Roy is joined by Tito Guizar in something of a dual feature role here as the Mexican singing cowboy complementing Roy's usual heroics. Along those same lines, there are a couple of leading ladies to back up their respective cowboy counterparts, with Estelita Rodriguez and Jane Frazee in something of a dubious competition for Queen of the West since Dale Evans (soon to be Roy's real life wife) is nowhere in sight.Say, keep on eye on that early scene when Roy recovers Candy Martin's (Frazee) missing suitcase and her clothes strewn across the countryside. To help her get the suitcase closed, Roy sits on it as portions of her clothing stick out the side. Yet when Roy's good deed is complete, there's no hint of any stray garments. I thought it a little risqué that Roy used his teeth to engage one of Miss Martin's slips as he picked up the rest of her stuff. If I had to bet, this was probably the closest Roy ever got to something evenly remotely suggesting something sexy.With Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers on hand, the story took a number of opportunities to present a variety of song numbers. 'On the Old Spanish Trail' bookends the movie with Roy in the lead, and later on he duets with Jane Frazee while Guizar is given an opportunity to solo in the second half. Apparently Republic found this casting formula successful because all of the principals, along with Andy Devine, came together once again the following year in "The Gay Ranchero".The curious thing about this picture now that I think about it is how it ends relative to the story line established at the outset. A sheriff and a banker call on Roy to get payment on a ten thousand dollar loan taken out by the Sons of the Pioneers. With a convenient reward in the same amount on the head of the mysterious 'Gypsy' (Guizar as Rico), one would conclude that Roy would save the day by coming up with the cash by capturing the Mexican bandit. Instead, the issue never came up again!

Sad to say that I saw a truncated version of On the Old Spanish Trail, one that must have been edited for television as a previous reviewer mentioned. And it was black and white.What little I saw convinced me it was a good film with both lots of music and a good plot if you could fill in the blanks.There was a sequence missing, but alluded to in the film I saw about Andy Devine believing he dreamed he saw the villains trying to break Tito Guizar out of jail. If so it must have been a very funny sequence as only the befuddled Mr. Devine could make it.Because we had not only Roy Rogers, but Tito Guizar and pinch hitting for Dale, Jane Frazee there was a lot more singing in this than normal. Great for those who like singing cowboys.I believe Dale might have been on family leave from Republic. She and Roy had only one natural child from their marriage, they adopted two others, and she and Roy both had kids from their previous marriages. (Yes they were married to others, Roy's wife died and Dale was divorced from her first husband). Jane Frazee though is a fine musical performer and fills Dale's cowgirl outfits out just fine. Roy and Dale's child would have been born around the time this and a succeeding film came out. Best song of the picture is the title tune. Both Rogers and Gene Autry recorded extensively from their films, though Gene had far better success as a recording artist than Roy did. If you get to see On the Old Spanish Trail, try to see a full length version.

William Witney directs Roy Rogers as he and Trigger join a traveling carnival in hopes of paying off a $10,000 note he co-signed for the Sons of the Pioneers. There is another source of funds...capture the mysterious desperado known as "The Gypsy"(Tito Guizar). Plenty of action and song. Roy, being the 'Singing Cowboy', of course sings; as well as Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers. There is limited comic relief from Constable Bullfincher(Andy Devine). Also in the cast: Jane Frazee, Estelita Rodriguez and Fred Graham. This is one of my favorite Roy Rogers flicks. I can't really pinpoint why...just the atmosphere I guess. Running 75 minutes, ON the Old Spanish TRAIL is worth your time.