The Frontiersmen

Wow, the other reviewers here were not exaggerating. This was unlike every other Hoppy film. Some 90% of the movie was dialog with and about the new pretty female teacher. We were repeatedly told how important education is and how many ways the cowhands of the Bar 20 could love her — as a husband, brother, father, etc. Constantly fawning over her. It's OK to devote SOME time to things like this; they add local color, character development, flesh out the characters, etc. But it was way overdone here. The movie became a domestic family light comedy. Only ten percent or less of the film was devoted to the cattle rustlers. My advice is: skip the movie.

One observation: I don't know why the leader of the rustlers caused his doom by planning two events at the same time/day: (1) marrying and leaving the West with the school ma-rm, and (2) rustling the Bar-20 cattle with his gang. He couldn't be with the gang, so they exposed him.

Lots of light comedy, most of it funny. Lots of choral singing (5 songs are far too much for this to be an effective western). Hoppy uses a stereoscope. Little action, lots of talk. There is one great exchange between Hoppy & Windy involving Windy's feelings towards women. Hoppy's good natured charm & philosophy towards raising children "properly" is much in evidence here, something that would become a regular feature on his late 1940s TV show. But overall, too little plot, too little action. I give it 5/10.

Everyone is after Evelyn Venable is this flick and who can blame them. Even the cattle rustlers led by Charles Anthony Hughes have to take a back seat. William Boyd as 'Hoppy' has to chase rustlers, keep the kids in line and keep more than one eye on Venable. Great to see the Hopalong Cassidy regulars William Duncan, Clara Kimball Young, and Russell Hayden at our favorite Bar 20 Ranch. Of course the forever beloved George Hayes (Windy) before his 'Gabby' days is in rare form with his wit and wisdom. Dickie Jones as Artie Peters is great as every teacher's worst nightmare. With all this this the singing by the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir is superb as always.

At 53 minutes into the film, the children in the ceremony salute the flag and give the pledge of allegiance in the way it was given when the film was made in 1938--saying "I pledge allegiance..." and raising their right hand in a salute that would be discontinued when the U.S. entered World War II as the salute too closely resembled the fascist salute. I know of only one other film, Remember the Day starring Claudette Colbert, in which the same salute is given as the time was 1916. The pledge goes back to 1893 when it first appeared in the magazine Youth's Companion and went through several revisions until the present version was established in 1954.

Taking time away from battling rustlers ever trying to steal Bar 20 stock, Hoppy, Lucky, and Windy have to do some juvenile disciplining because hatchet faced Emily Fitzroy has the kids running wild on her.

The group is led by Dickie Jones as Artie Peters, nephew and eventual heir to the Bar 20 ranch. The rest of the kids is made up of the Robert Mitchell Boy's Choir who you might remember were a similar discipline problem for Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way.

Well Barry got Bing Crosby and Hoppy gets a pretty new school teacher in Evelyn Venable. She's got all the Bar 20 hands in heat, especially Windy and Lucky. Even old Gabby Hayes. She'd like to corral Hoppy though and this film is closest Hopalong Cassidy ever got to romance.

Sad to say though the whole business really did interfere with the main plot about tracking the rustlers down. I will say though the head of the gang will be something of a surprise though with the limited running time, cast of characters, and the general familiarity with B westerns, fans should figure it out.

Now if Hoppy had gotten Father O'Malley..........................