Pretty Good

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Besides being a serviceable Hopalong Cassidy Western, this film is a bonanza for old time classic movie fans with the appearance of Victor Jory, Robert Mitchum, George Reeves, Byron Foulger and Earl Hodgins. Mitchum and Hodgins both appeared in a fair share of Hoppy's films; for Mitchum, this was his first credited screen role. You might not recognize him right off, with the stubble of beard and sideburns it's almost as if he's disguised, but he does get to speak a line and if you're familiar with the actor you'll recognize him well enough.This might be Andy Clyde's most painful outing as Hoppy's sidekick and partner. When the bad guys get hold of him in the latter part of the story he really gets a working over. But he's not the only one. Check out that scene when Johnny (Jay Kirby) rushes to save Jean Hollister (Jan Christy) on her runaway horse. As Johnny catches up, she takes a nasty spill to the ground and it actually looked pretty painful to me. It might go a long way to explain why she never made another movie - this was her only one! You know, you have to admit William Boyd is pretty good as Hopalong Cassidy, but in this flick he does the miraculous. In that scene where he's crossing the river on his horse, his lower body is completely submerged in the water, but upon arriving at the cabin where he meets Jean and Steve Jordan (Reeves), his clothes are completely dry! That is some kind of cowboy hero! Well this story deals with cattle rustlers and counterfeit money, and if anyone's going to solve the case it's Hoppy and his pals. A bit of intrigue is thrown into the story because there's the issue of crossing the state line between Texas and Oklahoma, but that doesn't stop Cassidy from coming up with a plan. And when all is said and done, Hoppy never did wind up serving a writ, he just used his trusty lasso!

In Hoppy Serves A Writ Hopalong Cassidy is a sheriff and serving writs is certainly part of those duties. But when you're a Texas lawman and the outlaws are fleeing to Oklahoma Territory that becomes a problem. The outlaws are not only are fleeing to Oklahoma, but they're taking a large amount of rustled cattle there.In real life this would have been a joint operation between the Texas sheriff and some federal marshals for the Territory. But this is a Hollywood western and a Hopalong Cassidy western and Hoppy settles his own problems albeit with a little incognito spy work. And these are all purpose outlaws that Victor Jory heads they don't specialize.Hoppy's sidekicks are a little more useless than usual Andy Clyde especially. Though when the outlaws capture he doesn't crack under their brutality. Eventually its California who serves the writ and he does make a botch of it in his inimitable fashion.Victor Jory is always a nasty and snarling villain and Jory did many a Hoppy film. So did future television Superman George Reeves who plays Jory's younger brother. Further down the cast list and making his film debut is Robert Mitchum definitely the most famous actor to ever appear in Hopalong Cassidy films. Mitchum is one of Jory's henchmen and he did several Cassidy films usually as an outlaw.Not one of the better Hoppy films, but the film is the birth of the a screen legend.

Everybody mentions Robert Mitchum in this movie, but if you coughed at the right time, you miss his entire dialog. George Reeves had the meatier part and looked Superman-ish in it. Victor Jory was a well known actor who did a lot more than cowboy baddies. Two others stood out for me. One was Earl Hudgins, the barkeep, a solid character actor who had a long list of movie credits, usually as some kind of con artist. The other was Roy Barcroft, a competent heavy in many TV cowboy shows of the 50s. In this, he had a minor part as a rancher with a complaint. There was plenty of action in this Hoppy flick if you count all the endless horse riding and the several long gunfights. The one nothing part was the lone female who gave up acting after this, her first and last job in Hollywood.

I find this an excellent departure from the usual Hoppy routine. The dialog when Hoppy is checking into the hotel is worth the price of admission. Maybe it's just me but I find it side splitting, and a tad more adult than you'd expect from either a Hoppy movie or any movie made in 1943. William Boyd's personality is as winning as ever. Seeing Robert Mitchum's first film appearance is a hoot and George Reeves inclusion is welcome, as always. Both Mitchum and Reeves would be regulars in the Hoppy films for several years, alternating between the bad guy and the good guy. That's all I've got to say on this subject. I have to add some lines to get this to be accepted by IMDb.