The top supporting actors of mid-20th century Westerns return in this TV movie sequel, "The Over the Hill Gang Rides Again."
Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan and Chill Wills head for Waco, Texas, from their respective towns of retirement. An old friend and comrade from their Texas Ranger days is in trouble. "A friend" sent Sgt. Nash Crawford (Brennan) a note, telling him that The Baltimore Kid is in trouble.
Well, Nash rounds up Jason Fitch (Buchanan) and Gentleman George Agnew (Chill Wills) so that the former Texas Rangers can go to the rescue of one of their former comrades. It turns out that the "friend" who sent the note is Amos Polk (Andy Devine). He had been on the wrong side of the law in the first film, but turned a new leaf in that film, and now was a newspaper publisher in Waco.
The new guy in the cast of old-timers is a very familiar face to movie buffs, but someone no one would imagine being in a Western. Fred Astaire plays The Baltimore Kid in the only Western film he ever made. And, his role is very funny and much better than the other top role that Pat O'Brien had in the first film. It may be irreverent to call Astaire a "hoofer" for a career as perhaps the greatest male dancer in the history of Hollywood. But, one thinks that the agile Astaire wouldn't mind in this case, and would even get a kick out of it, where he stars in a film with so many four-legged hoofers.
The plot of this film has a little intrigue and is more interesting than the first film. And, it has a nice little twist at the end. Here are a couple favorite lines from this film.
The Baltimore Kid, "Well, I used to be able to hit the head of a nail at about 50 feet. Now I'd shoot my foot off."
Nash Crawford, after The Kid is sober and cleaned up, "Let's face it. We got a one-day reformed drunk wearin' new clothes."
