Book of Westerns: June 2020

Director: Sam Newfield

Writer: George Arthur Durlam (Story), Joseph O'Donnell (Screenplay)
Producer: Sigmund Neufeld, Leslie Simmonds
Cinematographer:Jack Greenhalgh
Sound: Hans Weeren
Editor: John English
Assistant Director: William A. O'Connor
Music: Peter Brunelli
Stunts: Barney Beasley, Art Dillard, Bert Dillard, Carl Mathews, Artie Ortego, Wally West

Cast

Tim McCoy - 'Gentleman' Tim Madigan
Luana Walters - Juanita Hernandez
Rex Lease - Jose Hernandez
Wheeler Oakman - Ace Morgan
J. Frank Glendon - Amos Harden (Credited as Frank Glendon)
Charles Stevens - Captain Felipe de Lopez
Earle Hodgins - Marshal (Credited as Earl Hodgins)
Jimmy Aubrey - Lucky
Joseph W. Girard - Don Julio Hernandez (Credited as Joseph Girard)

Barney Beasley - Barfly (uncredited)
Frank Ellis - Deputy (uncredited)
Jack Evans - Barfly (uncredited)
Oscar Gahan - Gambler (uncredited)
Karl Hackett - Wild Bill Hickok / Prologue Narrator (uncredited)
Jack Kirk - Gambler (uncredited)
Clyde McClary - Saloon Swamper (uncredited)
John Merton - Card Sharp (uncredited)
Milburn Morante - Patrolman (uncredited)
Artie Ortego - Patrolman (uncredited)
Fred Parker - Bartender (uncredited)
Tom Smith - Spectator (uncredited)
Robert Walker - Croupier (uncredited)

Plot

An ace card player comes to the aid of a Mexican village.

Review

Not seen.

Director: George Archainbaud
Writer: Charles Belden (Original Screenplay) Clarence E. Mulford (Characters Created by)
Producer: Lewis J. Rachmil
Cinematographer: Mack Stengler
Sound: Waldon Tom Lambert
Editor: unknown
Assistant Director: William D. Faralla
Art Director: Jerome Pycha Jr.
Music: Darrell Calker
Stunts: George Sowards

Cast

William Boyd - Hopalong Cassidy
Andy Clyde - California Carlson
Rand Brooks - Lucky Jenkins
Anne O'Neal - Lucy Abott
John Parrish - Steve Mawson
Cliff Clark - Dink Davis
Helen Chapman - Lola Blair
Earle Hodgins - Sheriff
Herbert Rawlinson - Groves

Don Haggerty - Lippy

James Harrison - Rocks
Clarke Stevens - Henchman
George Sowards - Henchman
Eilene Janssen - Child
Nancy Stone - Child
Jimmy Crane - Child
Billy O'Leary - Child
Norman Ollestad - Child (Credited as Norman Ollestad Jr.)

Byron Foulger - Mike the Bartender (uncredited)
Herman Hack - Barfly (uncredited)
Al Thompson - Barfly (uncredited)
Jack Tornek - Barfly (uncredited)

Plot

Hopalong Cassidy completes some business in a small town and stumbles across a feud between a schoolteacher and saloon owner.

Review

*SPOILERS* Borrowed Trouble is the usual simple storyline found in most of these 'Hopalong Cassidy' films. Running at a little under 60 minutes it was the kind of film that would be made into a televsion series a few years later. Mixing light-hearted behaviour from 'Cassidy', some humour from 'California Carlson' and some subtle romance from 'Lucky' this was the formula for many films like this aimed at a family audience.

I found some parts of this film quite disturbing. Firstly, there was the casual mention of 'Indians' perhaps not wanting their land back after the 'white man' has abused it so much. Then later in the storyline Cassidy is forced to enter the school after the teacher goes missing. He asks the children what they want to be. One child is identified as the son of one of the saloon owners. Cassidy casually pats him on the head after he says he wants to be like his dad and run a saloon. At the end of the film the child's father is deemed to be the bad guy and although his crimes are not particularly nasty he holds a group of people to ransom with his gun as he makes his escape. If he had escaped he would have gone back to his saloon. The teacher throws an apple at him causing his gun to go off and miss everybody. Then Cassidy decides to shoot him three times until he is dead. A joke is made about the sheriff also being the undertaker. The end. No mention of the boy losing his father or the fact that Cassidy unneccesarily shot someone who's gun was set off by the misguided actions of a schoolteacher. Weird. Probably had to fit a timeslot as a second feature and so they ended the story quickly with loose ends exposed.

Considering the type of film it is supposed to be, am I analysing it too much?

Interesting Additional Information

This was No. 64 out of 66 'Hoplalong Cassidy' films. I think television was ready to take over this kind of series. In fact William Boyd made two seasons of the 'Hopalong Cassidy' television show from 1952 to 1954.

Eilene Janssen who played one of the school children was crowned 'Little Miss America' in 1944. She had already appeared in over 20 films by the time she did this one. Her father worked for Universal Studios as a sound mixer.

The young children in school make the film worth watching. Several of them have speaking parts.