recommended

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

A Masterpiece!

Blistering performances.

NOTES: Paramount and Zinman agree: This is number 41 of the 66-picture series. Locations in the Cisco Range.Gentlemen, in general, may prefer blondes - but there's one who doesn't. He's Harry "Pop" Sherman, producer of the popular Hopalong Cassidy films of the wild west. "Every time we've used a blonde for the feminine lead in a picture," Sherman said, "we've slam banged right into trouble." For some strange reason, the fans do not like blonde actresses in Western dramas and send in a flood of complaints every time one appears. Equally strange is the fact that they do not object to blonde men. William Boyd, who has been starred in 41 "Hoppy" films, has never elicited a single protest - and he is so blonde that his hair appears almost white on the screen. (Paramount publicity actually got this one right!)COMMENT: Hopalong Cassidy and his sidekicks impersonate dude Eastern detectives in this yarn, which Boyd plays for laughs rather than thrills. In fact, at the height of the climactic fisticuffs, the camera focuses on Clyde, not Boyd. Directed at a leisurely pace by Howard Bretherton. Co-scriptwriter Ellen Corby is the famous character actress.

This was the first time in about twenty Hopalong Cassidy flicks that I've run across Brad King as one of Hoppy's sidekick pals. He makes up the good guy trio along with Andy Clyde in his usual role of California Carlson, though the Carlson tag isn't used here. There's probably a good reason King didn't appear as frequently as Russell Hayden or Rand Brooks, the guy just didn't have too much personality. Not a good thing if you're going to be the handsome looking cowboy going after the female lead, in this case Wanda McKay as Miss Lucy Brent. He does get to sing with the Jimmy Wakely Trio as part of a consolation prize though. He sounded decent enough.Hoppy fans might groan a bit when this one starts out, as he and his pals arrive on scene dressed as British detectives, called in by rancher friend Jim Brent (Jack Rockwell) to investigate some cattle rustling. Oddly, it's Andy Clyde who fits the part best with his deerstalker cap, meerschaum pipe and magnifying glass a la Sherlock Holmes. Their attempts at a British accent provide first half comedy relief, until the bad guys blow their cover in a customary shootout. With that, the boys shed their English duds and go full blown Western cowboy.The one interesting element brought into play in this picture is something I don't think I've seen before. The cattle rustlers, led by Nat Kervy (Norman Willis), employ a tricked out cabin that hides a tunnel into the outlaw hideout. There's a brief scare when Hoppy and California get captured by the bad guys, but if you've seen enough of these films, you know it won't be for long. The Bar-20 heroes make the save for Jim Brent, and the picture closes on a lighthearted note when California's magnifying glass discovers a huge, armed and dangerous horned lizard. It fit in the palm of Hoppy's hand!

More comedy than usual is in this Hopalong Cassidy western as Hoppy, Johnny Nelson and California go undercover as eastern dude type detectives. In fact we don't see them in their traditional western outfits until more than half the film is done.Hoppy with that affected English accent and California Carlson with that ridiculous looking deerstalker cap are funny in and of themselves. Andy Clyde who was from Scotland and started in music hall was funnier than usual.Not that the chief villain is long fooled. He suspects a rat, but the guys put an end to his rustling racket.Brad King was the young member of the trio and he got to sing some cowboy ballads that Paramount owned the right to. If they sound familiar The Funny Old Hills was introduced by Bing Crosby in Paris Honeymoon and Twilight On The Trail comes from the Paramount picture Trail Of The Lonesome Pine. and was also recorded by Bing Crosby who was Paramount's number one star. King didn't last long, he had no personality at all unlike Russell Hayden or Jimmy Ellison.But the comedy is key more than usual in this Hopalong Cassidy western.

This Hoppy film starts off a bit slow. An old friend calls on the Bar 20 trio to help stop cattle rustling. Hoppy and pals show up disguised as dude detectives from back East but that doesn't last long. Once the outlaws realize this group can shoot straight and ride like the wind, its all over. Its typical Hoppy fare as good prevails over evil.