There are a few genres where a filmmaker can either have access to the biggest budget or nearly no budget at all, and the experience won’t be hampered depending on the financial constraints or liberties, but rather on the spirit of the story being told. One such genre is Westerns, which have existed from the very start of Hollywood’s history, and have retained an enormously important place within the industry, crossing generational boundaries and being one of the rare kinds of films that can be embraced by a much wider audience, being particularly popular amongst those outside the country, but who still enjoy seeing these riveting stories of the past. Naturally, a lot of the most popular westerns were sanitized to follow a very specific protocol, but as a whole, the general belief is that these films were often endearing and compelling enough to keep any kind of viewer engaged, since the demonstration of lovable machismo, and the occasional depiction of friendship and romance (which were usually weighted towards the more comedic) helped make these charming and enticing films that anyone could enjoy. This refers more to the work that was done during the proverbial golden age of Westerns, the period that gave rise to the likes of John Wayne and Randolph Scott, who were some of the biggest stars in the world as a result. Another considerably important name during this period was Roy Rogers, who was perhaps the most popular of them all, to the point where he had entire films built around his talents. Rainbow Over Texas is one of his landmark films for several reasons, and while it seems relatively minor in theory, there is very little doubt that this is one of his more entertaining works, through collaborating with Frank McDonald, who had solid experience with these kinds of films, this becomes quite an enjoyable experience, another terrific entry into one of the more popular genres of the period.

Rainbow Over Texas is a film that is undeniably constructed on the legacy of Roy Rogers, who was so wildly popular at the time, that he could essentially just play himself and still be able to elicit praise and admiration. He was the most congenial of all Western stars, the general public’s cherished Singing Cowboy, who would always be able to save the day and end the day with a lovely song and dance for all of the good people of the little town. It’s a formula that works, and it makes us reflect on the nature of stardom as a whole – Rogers was someone who effectively, and seemingly without any difficulty, managed to earn his place in the industry by capturing the hearts and minds of the general population, who were always incredibly happy to see him on their screens – there was a charm to him that kept his reputation at its peak for much longer than some of the biggest movie stars of their day, mostly because he knew the formula that worked, and would make sure that everything he did reflected this same sense of self-awareness, without needing to reinvent himself or do anything all that impressive. There’s absolutely nothing in Rainbow Over Texas that we cannot find in the majority of other Westerns from this era, yet it feels so compelling, solely because Rogers was always playing off his natural charm, and surrounding himself with supporting actors who could match his level of dedication. Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes have sizable supporting roles, the former being Rogers’ wife at the time, making the romantic subplot predictable but still nonetheless wildly entertaining. It isn’t groundbreaking acting, but these are solid and endearing performances that do exactly what was expected of them, which works incredibly well for the film in which they are appearing.

Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves what makes a film like Rainbow Over Texas feel so compelling, despite its enormously conventional narrative structure? In reality, what we have to look at, beyond the presence of Rogers and the rest of his cast, is the work being done behind the camera – the film is written by Max Brand (who mastered the art of pulp fiction, writing some of the most secretly influential works of the era) and brought to the screen by Frank McDonald, who was a veteran of the genre, having directed over a hundred western films throughout his career. He may be a journeyman filmmaker, but he certainly knew how to put together something that was both compelling and intriguing, which was the reason behind the popularity of many of these films, which rarely deviated from the tried-and-tested narrative structure. Sometimes when working with a genre as conventional as the Western, it helps to not view it as something that needs to be entirely challenging or subversive. Sometimes there is value in tradition, and throwing together a film that has a romantic subplot, a few visual gags (usually on behalf of the lovely but ill-fated Hayes, who was always willing to put himself at the frontline to get a laugh) and a few songs, which was part of the identity of the majority of Rogers’ films in his capacity as the Singing Cowboy, and you have a film built to succeed, at least amongst audiences at the time that went to the cinema not to be challenged, but rather to be entertained – and even from a contemporary perspective, a film like Rainbow Over Texas still feels remarkably charming and upbeat, having aged well enough for us to understand its success.

Rainbow Over Texas is not a film that is going to change anyone’s mind about the nature of very traditional Westerns – it is a conventional, run-of-the-mill Western musical comedy that may sometimes be enormously implausible, and stretches the limits of logic as far as it could go – but at its heart, it is a charming and very entertaining film that showcases some of the best this specific kind of film had to offer. There isn’t a lot that this film does that we haven’t seen many times before, and there is even an argument to be made that this is one of the most earnest examples of this genre at its peak. There isn’t anything revolutionary or particularly notable about this film, but it is difficult to not be bewitched by its many positive qualities. There is a sincere sense of humour that drives the film and keeps it afloat, and running at only 55 minutes (which was standard at the time), it never overstays its welcome, instead being a consistently funny, charming and entertaining western romp that delivers exactly what it promises, which is said with nothing but the most effusive praise. It will not be to everyone’s taste – there is a reason this particular brand of happy-go-lucky westerns is not particularly popular and was phased in relatively quickly as the industry grew more apprehensive of these formulaic films. However, as a remnant of this period, as well as in its capacity of being a star vehicle for Rogers and his friends, it is enormously successful, and it has many promising qualities, the likes of which we may not realize at first, but come very clear once we are immersed in this lovely and entertaining world that may not be believable but is at least very entertaining.