Hidden Gold

Some nice touches in this otherwise average entry. That tunnel collapse is well done, well enough that you might wonder how Hoppy walks away. But then who worries about realism when entertainment's at stake. So who's behind the gold robberies? As this ex- front row kid (turned old geezer) knows, you just look for the guy with the moustache. Not just any moustache, but the pencil-thin variety favored by those evil-doers from Hollywood.

Producer Harry Sherman popped for a lot of hard riding extras and some gold mining sluice boxes that add color. I hadn't seen comedy relief man Britt Wood before. He's no Gabby Hayes, but does look a little like Shemp of the Three Stooges (that's surely no compliment). I am curious, however, about the leading lady Ruth Rogers. She died young, 35, after what looks like a brief, unrewarding career. She's very much a subdued presence here, and I'm wondering if she was an unfortunate casualty of movie star ambitions.

Anyway, there's enough hard riding, good scenery, and faux shoot-outs to keep this old suburban cowboy happy.