Call of the Prairie

Call Of The Prarie does not have its usual trio complement of Hoppy and two sidekicks in it. Apparently Harry Sherman was still experimenting with the series with William Boyd going pretty much his own way.

He has to because James Ellison is again in trouble. On a cattle buying trip Hoppy made so much money that he brought presents for all the hands including a nice pair of spurs. But Ellison's fallen in with bad companions drinking and gambling and being regularly taken for his money in a crooked card game run by Al Bridge and assisted by Gabby Hayes.

Yes Gabby's not part of the Bar 20 crew, he's a worthless no good bandit but he does have a pretty daughter played by Muriel Evans who is innocent of her father's crimes, but does keep Ellison dangling.

It really gets bad when Bridge and his gang shoot Bar 20 foreman Buck Peters and pin it on Ellison. Later they rob the bank for which Ellison also gets the blame. All with Gabby's help.

It's Ellison who needs the help and Hoppy gives it as you would expect he would.

Making Hayes a bad guy was a bad idea. He'd played them before but now the movie going public expected him as the lovable old bragging codger forever dropping his "Gs".

Bridge was a regular villain mostly in urban dramas. He was a favorite of Preston Sturges at Paramount.

Not one of the better Hoppys.