86°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

‘Wonderful Life’ triggers Rogers’ dam flop

In 1946, Boulder City and the Hoover Dam played host to a movie cowboy. Actor and singer Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) spent time in our city while filming the movie “Heldorado.” If you think I spelled the title wrong, think again.

“Heldorado” was a well-intended cowboy crime movie that was supposed to offer comical undertones. The only thing funny about the movie, however, was the misspelling of Helldorado. Movie theaters, along with the film’s production company, became so concerned about the word “hell” being lit up on marquees that they purposely changed the spelling of the film’s title.

Republic Pictures financed and distributed “Heldorado.” The company was known for creating Westerns and B films as well as launching the careers of actors John Wayne and Gene Autry. Republic Pictures also went on to finance a Shakespeare film directed by Orson Welles titled “MacBeth.”

“Heldorado” was intended as a family Christmas movie. It was released Dec. 15, 1946, with filming taking place earlier that year all around Las Vegas landmarks and, of course, at Hoover Dam. The movie’s plot was rather simple. Rogers plays himself as Nevada Ranger Capt.. Roy Rogers, who is in charge of security at the then-Boulder Dam. He, along with his trusted horse and sidekick Trigger, is hired by the Clark County Sheriff to penetrate a crime syndicate suspected of money laundering within the casino industry.

The snafu happens when a local socialite, played by actress Dale Evans (who would become Rogers’ wife a month after the movie premiered), is elected the new sheriff as well as the queen of the Helldorado Rodeo. Both Evans’ and Rogers’ characters have a conflict over their separate interests in the crime syndicate. The rest of the movie fizzles out with a series of rather uninteresting subplots and a sequence of predictable events.

“Heldorado” tanked at the box office as the film went up against RKO Radio Pictures’ (once owned by Howard Hughes) holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which stared James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. The flop didn’t dent Rogers’ career in any way, as the cowboy actor went on to make more than 100 movies and even more television and radio appearances.

Rogers and Evans created an hour-long, Western variety TV show called “The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show” (NBC 1962) for which Evans composed the song “Happy Trails” sung by the couple as their signature sign-off for each episode.

The couple also co-wrote their dual autobiography, “Happy Trails: Our Life Story,” that was published in 1994 by Simon &Schuster. Evans went on to pen a book, “Angel Unaware: A Touching Story of Love and Loss,” about the death of her daughter, Robin Elizabeth, who had Down syndrome and died before the age of 2. The couple ended up adopting more children after Robin’s death and became heavily involved with the Christian church. In fact, they were part of the Hollywood Christian Group founded by The Rev. Louis Evans Jr. with Billy Graham and Jane Russell.

Rogers, who first became known for his musical talent, sang five songs for the movie “Heldorado,” one of which he composed. Rogers also became a muse for music icon Elton John, who, with his writing collaborator Bernie Taupin, wrote the 1973 album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” together, which includes the track, “Roy Rogers.”

Seamlessly, the duo captured Rogers’ spirit, penning the lyrics “And Roy Rogers is riding tonight, Returning to our silver screen, Comic book characters never grow old, Evergreen heroes whose stories are told.”

Country music stars Toby Keith, Lyle Lovett and Randy Travis all have penned songs dedicated to Rogers.

Rogers’ time filming around Hoover Dam might have been short-lived, but it still made a mark in Helldorado, cinema and Boulder City history.

Tanya Vece is an entertainment and music writer who resides and volunteers in Boulder City. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @hollywoodwriter.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Army veteran helps foster children

Most cities and states have chambers of commerce that promote, well, commerce.

Birds and trees and forests and stuff

Okay so, I know I am not normal. It’s true. And it’s something I have embraced as I’ve gotten older. I just don’t have what anyone might describe as “standard” human wiring when it comes to the way I think and the way I see the world.

We all benefit from Eldorado Valley

Last week, Mayor Joe Hardy shared details in his opinion piece (“The Gift that Keeps Giving”) about Boulder City’s purchase of more than 100,000 acres of the former Eldorado Valley Transfer Area from the Colorado River Commission in 1995.

Back-to-school lessons in gratitude

This week is back-to-school week in Boulder City, the first time in 27 years that I don’t have a child in public schools.

Unhappy with lawsuit

Unhappy with lawsuit

Eldorado Valley: The gift that keeps on giving

Boulder City may be considered a small town with a population around 15,000 people, but our land mass of 212 square miles makes us the largest city by geographic area in Nevada and the 41st largest in the United States.

Letters to the Editor

Choosing the right market

Communicating best with love

Our hearts contain consciousness that is most apparent when we enjoy love in conversations. The more we stare at screens instead of faces, the less we feel this love. Shared understanding arises from our intimate, interpersonal conversations. Healing arising from loving communications is what America is missing at this time.

Call me Mr. Greenthumb(ish)

A couple of weeks ago I was up in Northern California visiting relatives when I got talking to my aunt Joan about her garden this year. I then shared my triumphs and failures in the world of gardening. I’m wondering if some of you have had similar experiences.

Balance and rhythm

I moved to Boulder City almost 50 years ago and quickly became fast friends with Will Ferrence.