"California Mail" is a very good Warner Brothers B-western starring Dick Foran. However, it is also special because it also has an uncredited appearance by Roy Rogers...in a very small and very early role. And, while the baddie is named 'Roy'...it's not this one, thank goodness!
When the story begins, a contract for mail service is on the line and apparently the bids are very close...so close that they propose a race and the winner is to get the mail concession from the government. While Bill (Foran) is the frontrunner, the baddie is determined to win any way he can....and he sabotages Bill's wagon. But that's not enough...he also frames Bill for a robbery and shooting! What's our hero, Bill, to do??
This is a very good B-western and I have only one minor quibble about it....and that is that Bill's girlfriend is quick to assume Bill is a crook! You'd THINK she'd know him better than that! And, you'd think by the end of the movie, Bill would tell her to get lost...but he didn't and it was very disappointing.
On the plus side, the plot and acting are very good. Also, while some might be creeped out by it, I loved the scenes where Bill's horse kicks at least one guy to death (the second one, near the end of the film, isn't certain...he stomped the guy good but it wasn't certain whether he killed this second baddie or not). Overall, well worth seeing...especially if you are a Roy Rogers fan and want to possibly see every single film he's appeared in...even ones where he is only briefly in the movie.
When the story begins, a contract for mail service is on the line and apparently the bids are very close...so close that they propose a race and the winner is to get the mail concession from the government. While Bill (Foran) is the frontrunner, the baddie is determined to win any way he can....and he sabotages Bill's wagon. But that's not enough...he also frames Bill for a robbery and shooting! What's our hero, Bill, to do??
This is a very good B-western and I have only one minor quibble about it....and that is that Bill's girlfriend is quick to assume Bill is a crook! You'd THINK she'd know him better than that! And, you'd think by the end of the movie, Bill would tell her to get lost...but he didn't and it was very disappointing.
On the plus side, the plot and acting are very good. Also, while some might be creeped out by it, I loved the scenes where Bill's horse kicks at least one guy to death (the second one, near the end of the film, isn't certain...he stomped the guy good but it wasn't certain whether he killed this second baddie or not). Overall, well worth seeing...especially if you are a Roy Rogers fan and want to possibly see every single film he's appeared in...even ones where he is only briefly in the movie.