How sad is this?

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

United Artists, 12 March 1943, George Archainbaud. Based on the 1941 novel, Hopalong Cassidy Serves a Writ, by Clarence Edward Mulford.CAST: William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Victor Jory, George Reeves, Jan Christy, Hal Taliaferro, Forbes Murray, Bob Mitchum, Byron Foulger, Earle Hodgins, Roy Barcroft, Ben Corbett. 67 minutes. (Available on an excellent Echo Bridge or a likewise Platinum Disc DVD). COMMENT: Number 44 (or 46, depending upon whose numbering system you're using - Zinman's or Marill's) -- in the series, is the first to be directed by George Archainbaud who handled all twelve of Boyd's personal productions (numbers 55 through 66). Good old George A. certainly commences his stint most promisingly. There's a first-class fight between Hoppy and the villain and other sequences of excitingly staged action. True, the climax itself is a bit disappointing, but that can't be blamed on the director. It's simply the way Gerald Geraghty's script (based on an actual Mulford novel for a change) pans out. On the other hand, this makes the movie a bit different from others in the series where all the action is saved for the final reel. To accommodate dark stock footage, Russell Harlan's photography is slightly below his usual brilliant standard. Of course, what most people will want to know is how Robert Mitchum comes out of this affair. Bob plays a member of the cattle rustling gang. He figures in a few scenes and even has one or two lines, but then unaccountably disappears. We don't see him at the climax at all. According to Marill, the correct order of the Mitchum Hoppies is Border Patrol, this one, The Leather Burners, Colt Comrades, Bar 20, False Colors, and Riders of the Deadline.

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.

Unlike the later Hoppy films, this one doesn't follow a mystery outline. We know who the baddie is from pretty near the beginning, & it's just a matter of catching him. Victor Jory (who had already starred in "The Shadow" & "The Green Archer" serials), is featured in this film. George Reeves (later TV's "Superman") has a small part. And Robert Mitchum has a short line. Jan Christy (the heroine) is prettier than most of the Hoppy heroines. Andy Clyde (as "California") gets a serious beating, & "Johnny" (Jay Kirby) doesn't act as silly as other Johnnies in this series. Sounds like it has a lot going for it, doesn't it? Not so, because there's little action aside from a couple of good fight scenes & about three gunfights. The plot is weak, & it's not helped by the fact that there's no mystery involved. Hoppy wears all black at the beginning & end of the film, & wears his rancher's outfit in the middle. It doesn't even have the usual dose of humor for a Hoppy film. I rate it only 5/10.

The 26 year old Robert Mitchum made his screen debut in this film. I'm not too sure how good an actor he really is because he always seems to sound the same. The true test is when you compare him acting as an antagonist as opposed to a protagonist. He's a better protagonist because he's the consistent broad shouldered, tall American.