"Trail of Robin Hood" it should be said, has absolutely nothing to do with Robin Hood. It is though, one of my favorites Rogers westerns. Directed by William Whitney, it's filled with action, hard ridin', sweet singin' and cameos from several western stars which Republic liked to do from time to time.
The story is about Roy coming to the aid of retired cowboy star Jack Holt (playing himself) who is competing with a large company to market Christmas trees. The company headed by Aldrich (Emory Parnell) is trying to buy up the rights to cut the trees from local ranchers. Of course Holt won't sign up. Aldrich's foreman Mitch McCall (Clifton Young) and his henchmen including Murtagh (James Magill) and Whitey (Lane Bradford) do all they can to foil Holt and Rogers efforts.
Aldrich's daughter Toby (Penny Edwards) goes to the camp to try to persuade Holt to sell his trees. But of course she comes over to Roy and Jack in the end. Splinter (Gordon Jones) and his kid sister "Sis" along with a turkey named "Galahad" and Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage are also along to help.
When McCall frightens the men who were to drive Holt's wagons in the race to market, Sis calls in several cowboy heroes to help. The stars of Republic's other "B" western series, Rex Allen, Allan "Rocky" Lane and Monte Hale lead the charge. Also pitching in are former cowboy heroes Ray "Crash" Corrigan, Tom Keene, Tom Tyler, Kermit Maynard, William Farnum and reformed bad guy George Cheseboro. Farnum and Holt's careers dated all the way back to the early days of silents. Needless to say the good guys prevail and the picture ends with Roy and Trigger riding off into the sunset amid a snow storm.
Dale Evans, Roy's leading lady both on and off the screen was off having a baby when this picture was made.
"Trail of Robin Hood" released in 1950 proved to be Roy Rogers last Trucolor western. The remaining entries in his series, which ended in 1951, would all be in Black and White.
