Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 11, 2018

Nearing the end of his lengthy career as a Hollywood hero and cowboy legend, Roy Rogers elected to make one for the horses with 1950’s “Trigger, Jr.” While Rogers remains the lead actor, keeping up his end of the bargain with sharp western swagger, songs, and fast fists, the rest of the picture remains with the titular horse and his unexpected adventure in the American southwest. Being a Rogers endeavor, “Trigger, Jr.” isn’t big on surprises, keeping close to comfort food formula as bad guys square off against the good guys, and the horses end up in big trouble, inspiring a fresh round of chases and mild shenanigans, sweetened with a few songs to settle the mood.

As the owner of the Rogers Western Show, a traveling circus, Roy Rogers settles into a new location to set up shop, unsettling cantankerous land owner Sparrow (Pat Brady), and beguiling his daughter, Kay (Dale Evans). Trouble arrives in the form of the Range Patrol, a corrupt organization, led by Manson (Grant Withers), who look to fleece the community with protection fees. Roy’s presence in town unnerves Manson, who elects to use a bad-tempered White Stallion to cause panic, inspiring Roy, sidekick Splinters (Gordon Jones), and horses Trigger and Trigger, Jr. to figure out what’s going on before Manson’s reign of terror causes real harm.

“Trigger, Jr.” keeps to the basics of Roy Rogers entertainment. Roy plays Roy, a nice guy with a big heart and a willingness to insert himself into every local conflict he can find, with plans to either punch or sing his way out of trouble. Here, he’s the owner of a circus, and while director William Witney (a veteran of the genre) sets some time aside to take in the acts appearing at the Rogers Western Show, most “Trigger, Jr.” stays with the Manson issue, finding the Range Patrol a corrupt bunch building plans to tighten their chokehold on local ranch owners, requiring the might of a complete stranger and his bright horses to save the day. Improving the viewing experience is impressive choreography from the horses, with large portions of the effort devoted to wild stunt work involving moving animals, and Trigger, Jr. has something of a dramatic arc to communicate, giving Rogers a chance to sit and let the four-legged actors do all the work.

Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Trigger, Jr." has been treated very well for its Blu-ray debut, arriving with an AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation that's listed as a "Brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm Trucolor nitrate negatives." Right from the Republic Pictures logo, colors show some real heft and grain is filmic. Hues remain appealing throughout, with brightness to bring out pastel-like blues and oranges, while the western palette retains healthy browns and greens. Some mild color fluctuations are detected. Detail is inviting, taking in finely coiffed and made-up actors and their fibrous outfits, and set decoration is open for study, especially during the circus training sequences. Delineation is crisp. Source has its share of speckling and a few blotchy stretches, but doesn't contain overt points of damage.

Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix comes across as expected for a film of this age, though no major hiss issues are found during the listening experience. Dialogue is acceptable, with appealing voices and clear escalation during action sequences. Scoring offers reasonable instrumentation, with musical performances sounding fuller and more direct. Sound effects are blunt, but they service the shoot-outs and chases to satisfaction.

Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Toby Roan and Jay Dee Witney.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Trigger, Jr. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Trigger, Jr." saves real mayhem for the finale, which is packed with gunfights, galloping horses, and Rogers clearing his way through villains. It's not a dynamic picture, but the production knows when to unleash and when to calm down through song and mild antics from Splinters. "Trigger, Jr." is also a fine showcase for the equine actors, and while I don't really want to know how certain stunts were achieved, the end result is a very engaging western what knows exactly what moviegoers want from this style of entertainment.