The Carson City Kid (1940)

Very well executed

That was an excellent one.

Really Surprised!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

SYNOPSIS: Stagecoach bandits, the Carson City Kid and his treacherous partner Laramie, hit Sonora. Laramie is soon captured. Promised his freedom if he identifies the Kid, Laramie fingers Warren, an innocent (in both senses of that word) prospector.NOTES: According to Republic publicity, Bob Steele's first role as a heavy.COMMENT: An unusual entry in the Rogers saga, with our hero playing an outlaw, albeit a colorful and most personable one, in a script that gives some great opportunities to the support cast, particularly the beautiful Pauline Moore, dressed to the nines, Alice Faye style, who has two out of the film's three tuneful Tinturin songs and even sings the intro line to Roy's sole solo; Bob Steele, who has a great time as the aggressively smooth-talking villain; George Hayes, who doesn't overstay his welcome for once; Noah Beery, who plays the innocent abroad with enough charm to make this almost impossible character believable; Francis MacDonald, as slimy a partner as the meanest bushwacker could wish; Hal Taliaferro, an appealingly reliable henchman; and even Hank Bell, who is given some worthwhile dialogue and business at last in his career.Doubtless because he authored the original screen story, Joseph Kane has directed his 43rd film with unusual care. Besides his customary vigorously staged action spots with lots of fast riding and running inserts, the dialogue scenes are handled with style and finesse using attractively composed images and even a bit of camera movement. Nobles has excelled himself with the lighting, particularly in the saloon scenes, whilst sets and costumes look unusually rich by Republic standards.The only thing missing is a really slap-up climax. True, the finale is exciting enough, but rabid action fans are liable to feel a bit cheated.As for Rogers himself, here he gives one of his most personable and likeable performances.

Roy Rogers (Roy Rogers, and not playing "himself" but playing a character named Roy Rogers), posing as The Carson City Kid, is seeking vengeance on Morgan Reynolds, the man who killed his brother. Whew!To find Reynolds in the gold towns, he systematically stops stagecoaches and goes through the mail, hoping to find letters addressed to Reynolds and thus learn his whereabouts. "The Kid" earns the reputation of a stagecoach robber, although he never takes anything, and the reputation is enhanced by the fact that he travels with Laramie (Francis McDonald), a notorious half-breed outlaw. Getting complicated yet?A posse is about to capture them and Roy rides back to get Laramie whose horse has been shot, and Laramie repays the favor by slugging Roy and escaping on his horse Trigger. The posse rides by the unseen Roy and captures Laramie and, since he is riding the "Kid's" horse, take him to jail as being the "Kid." Laramie denies this and is told he will be free when he identifies the "Kid".This is a highly implausible movie that is nonetheless watchable. Nothing is believable. Still it's easy to sit through.

Roy Rogers' title role as The Carson City Kid is another one of those misnomers that makes you think of a bad guy. Of course, Roy is a good guy who has been unfortunately labeled an outlaw. For some reason he rides along with a real outlaw named Laramie (Francis McDonald). Roy looks out for the well-being of the all too trusting Arizona (Noah Beery, Jr.) while he is tracking down the villain, Lee Jessup (Bob Steele).Bob Steele was a leading cowboy hero during the 30's and continued to be a hero afterward, but it is nice to see him in a different role. The bad-guy/saloon owner was a generic part in B westerns, with only the talents of the individual actors making the part memorable. It was the same year that The Carson City Kid was made (1940) that Bob Steele began making a series of Billy The Kid movies for PRC and also joining The Three Mesquiteers at Republic, so The Carson City Kid may have been made while he was searching for a new movie deal. His talents were put to good use in this movie.Gabby Hayes was good, but not at his best in The Carson City Kid. His part as the town marshal provides comedy, but not the special appeal of being a sidekick. Seeing Gabby as Roy's pal makes a difference. In The Carson City Kid we get to see Gabby on Roy's side, but there is no real relationship between them.Overall, The Carson City Kid is an excellent choice for a Roy Rogers movie. The movie is set in the west without automobiles and big band productions. It shows a kind of western that Roy would abandon within a few years in favor of the modern setting movies for which he was known.

The Carson City Kid goes after a tin horn gambler who murdered his brother during a shady card game. After finding the gambler, the Kid finds that he has not changed his ways and is out to cheat and frame a pal of the Kid's. Carson must stop this nefarious scheme and keep his own hide intact at the same time while also wooing the girlfriend of the sneaky tinhorn. Good western.