JohnHowardReid Copyright 4 September 1938 by Republic Pictures Corp. No recorded New York release date. U.S. release date: 4 September 1938. U.K. release through British Lion. Never theatrically released in Australia. 6 reels. 54 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A lawman impersonates Billy the Kid in order to stop a rancher hassling nesters. NOTES: Rogers' 14th film and second starring vehicle. Mary Hart is sometimes billed under her real name, Lynne Roberts.COMMENT: A singing Billy the Kid? Well no, it's actually Leonard Slye's Roy Rogers impersonating Billy the Kid - though he does play in a straight fashion Billy himself as well. The two characters never appear on screen together as the real Billy is shot before the Rogers character appears on the scene. Aside from this unusual intro, it's a likable enough if thoroughly routine offering. Fred Kohler does the honors as the villain's chief henchman, the heroine is pretty, Mr Rogers does a bit of fast riding culminating in a spectacular horse-and-rider leap from cliff-top into a lake, whilst Mr Burnette's foolery and novelty numbers are fairly tolerable. A couple of Mr Rogers' songs are melodic enough to deserve more than the somewhat perfunctory treatment they're given here. Not that this will worry the fans. What will disappoint the juvenile audience is that there's no action climax. The villains are captured by a ruse and quietly, hang-doggedly submit. Direction and other credits are competent but thoroughly routine. Production values are firmly "B".

bkoganbing For Roy Rogers second starring feature Republic Pictures had him play Billy The Kid in Billy The Kid Returns. He also plays a nice chap named Roy Rogers who wants to become a deputy sheriff to Pat Garrett.When the film opens we see Roy as Billy breaking out of that famous shootout at McSween's store and later shot down by Pat Garrett played here by Wade Boteler. But Roy as Roy arrives from Texas and is mistaken for the notorious outlaw. As he's a good guy Garrett keeps up the deception as Billy continues his Robin Hood ways of helping the homesteaders and robbing the cattle barons to do it All this is winked at by Boteler because he's under pressure to protect the new settlers.In the end through the aid of Smiley Burnette on loan from Gene Autry films and playing his Frog Millhouse character Garrett and Rogers find a way to get the cattlemen good and nailed for their crimes. In the meantime Roy finds a bit of romance with Lynne Roberts the storekeeper's daughter. Roberts would be Roy's leading lady in most of his early films.A couple of nice western ballads are included for Roy in this second film which proved that his success in Under Western Stars was not a flash in the pan.

MartinHafer This is one of Roy Rogers' first starring films and one of the earliest where he's billed using this moniker. He'd appeared in a few films in small roles as Leonard Slye (his real name) as well as in a couple as 'Dick Weston'. Because of his age, he's extremely handsome and photogenic--and it's pretty obvious to see why he's now got starring roles.I was concerned when I began watching this film. That's because I am a history teacher and hate how obscure western characters like Jesse James, The Sundance Kid and Billy the Kid have been turned into heroes--heroes that have NOTHING to do with the actual criminals they purport to be. The last thing I wanted to see was a film that made Billy look like a nice guy--and the film does NOT do that--though, as history records, he was a man who had friends among the homesteaders. It begins with the Kid in a shootout and he viciously kills a guy at close range--and this actor doing this IS Roy Rogers! Roy cannot be a murderer--it's just totally against his upright image. BUT, here is how they do it. After you see the real Billy killed by lawman Pat Garrett, Roy Rogers (playing a character named Roy Rogers!) shows up in the territory and people think he is the Kid. But he's clearly the good guy, Roy.The people of the territory, however, don't know yet that Billy is dead and a posse captures Roy--thinking he's the outlaw. Garrett, however, comes to his rescue. Now the Sheriff and Garrett both concoct a plan where Roy will pose as Billy. First, they have to have the ersatz Billy 'escape' from jail. Then, Roy will do the good things the Kid once did--protecting the little ranchers from the corrupt bosses trying to push them around for kicks. And, hopefully, they can get some evidence of the bosses violating a federal law--since Garrett is a Marshall and has the authority to arrest them should they break any of these laws.All in all, one of the more enjoyable Rogers films. I've seen. While I am far from an expert on his films, it was nice having Smiley along for the ride--he had a nice voice and offered some good comic relief. And, the story, which is a bit silly if you think about it, at least does NOT promote the silly wild west images of the anti-hero. Well worth seeing.By the way, Roy's sidekick, Smiley Burnett, was a frequent sidekick for Gene Autry. Later in life, he was known on TV as one of the conductors of the train on "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres". Oddly, of the two who ran the train, Smiley was distinguishable because he smiled a lot less than his partner (Rufe Davis)! And, ironically, the guy who replaced him in the Autry series was Pat Butram--the same guy who played Mr. Haney on the same two TV shows!

FightingWesterner Sheriff Pat Garrett corners and kills Billy the kid. The next day, lookalike Roy Rodgers rides into town and is immediately mistaken for the outlaw, who's death has yet to be reported. Roy's then pressed into service by Garrett, who wants him to take the place of Billy in a range war pitting ruthless ranchers against the homesteaders that the late kid had intervened on behalf of.This second starring vehicle for Rodgers is decent enough, with lots of great songs from Roy and sidekick Smiley Burnette. He still hadn't quite gotten the hang of the acting profession, with a less sure Rodgers delivering his lines in a slightly different tone of voice!This was the first of three times that Roy played a dual role in his films, the second being 1941's Jesse James At Bay and the third being 1942's Sunset On The Desert.