Les maîtres de la forêt

From start to finish, it's an action filled Hoppy programmer. There's more flying fists among the scores of cowboys than any movie I think I've seen. So what if the combat's not too convincing, after all it is a matinee oater. I just hope the guys were well paid.

So can Hoppy save the deserving farm settlers from the greedy land barons who want the rich forrest area for their own. It's a more involved plot than most, what with all the land ownership technicalities in the background.

Happily, most filming is done in the scenic Sierras that furnishes a rugged backdrop to all the action. And catch goofus Andy Clyde's duking it out with the tough old broads - won't see anything like that in A-movies of the time.

All in all, Hoppy gets less screentime than usual but is his usual attention-getting self. And note actress Hall as the nervy Julie. Her demanding role as owner of the disputed land amounts to a lot more than the usual oater eye-candy. And she does so well, she could qualify for big-time flicks. Anyway, see what you think.

Lastly, looks to me like the producers popped for a bigger budget than usual, what with all the location shots and bigger cast of mainly good actors. So, catch up with Hoppy and funster Clyde if you can. Meanwhile, Ride 'em, cowboy!

In the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Hollywood made thousands of B-westerns. And, if you've watched a few, you probably noticed several plots that keep repeating themselves. One of the most familiar, if not THE most familiar, is the baddie who is intent on owning EVERYTHING....and they use thugs to insure that the locals just give up and he takes their land. This is the plot for "Lumberjack"!

When the story begins, Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) and his sidekick (Andy Clyde) arrive in town...just in time to see the local baddie (Douglas Dumbrille...who ALWAYS played a baddie) trying to take control of the local lumber industry. However, a plucky woman (and they're nearly always plucky in these films) insists she can make a go of the lumber industry. Naturally, along the way, the baddie has his agents do everything they can to make the business fail. Ultimately, when this fails, they use deadly force. Can Hoppy and the good guys stop this threat to truth, justice and the American way?

Aside from being about lumber instead of cattle or range land, the film is a by the books story from start to finish. Nothing special here. Watchable and a bit better made than some, as the Hopalong Cassidy films were generally pretty good compared to some of the cheaper competition. Still, no surprises at all in this one.

Julie's husband has been murdered and land agents want her to sign away her property rights. Hoppy warns against this but she does so anyway. It looks as though she will be unable to deliver the timber called for in her agreement. Hoppy has to make the lumber deal happened and solve the murder.

I like timberjack westerns and here, a Hopalong Cassidy western, is a good example of the genre, and the usual scheming villains and their murderous henchman. Consequently you get an entertaining entry with good scenery and rousing action, especially at the end.

A solid entry in the series with some nice scenery, a decent, if often used plot, and one of the prettier heroines for a Hoppy movie. William Boyd is always in good form, Andy Clyde, who was a;ways my favourite of the 'comic relief' third of the trio, actually pulls his weight in this one. There's some rousing fight scenes and plenty of action to keep the customers happy! The bad guys get what's coming to them, and the good guys ride off into the sunset! Love 'B' westerns!

Although Hoppy wears a plaid shirt & a white hat (usually a sign of a lesser Hoppy movie, as opposed to his wearing an all black outfit), there's quite a bit to like in this film. It's filmed in the "High Sierras" per the credits, & redwood trees are seen (does anyone out there know if redwoods are indeed found in the High Sierras?). There are lots of good fight scenes with Hoppy & California as participants. Maybe the best part of the film is that Jimmy Rogers (my least favorite of Hoppy's young sidekicks) is sent on a mission to get Buck Peters, & thankfully is absent for 10+ minutes of film! Unusual for a Hopalong Cassidy movie, California is actually very helpful in three situations. William Boyd (apparently without stunt double) is active in fights, running, riding hard, & climbing down a fifty foot log wall (this with cuts, of course). The ending matches a standard serial thriller for excitement & lack of realism! Despite all these interesting aspects, the film falls short of a real good western, & lacks the good humor that Hoppy films were known for. I rate it 6/10.