The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again

After getting a message stating that an old colleague by the name of "The Baltimore Kid" (Fred Astaire) was about to be executed in Waco, Texas for bank robbery, a former Texas Ranger named "Nash Crawford" (Walter Brennan) decides to ride out there to see what he can do. Joining him are some of his fellow Texas Ranger comrades "Jason Fitch" (Edgar Buchanan) and "Gentleman George" (Chill Wills) who also hope to testify as character witnesses. To their surprise, once they get to Waco, they are told by an old acquaintance named "Amos Polk" (Andy Devine) that The Baltimore Kid had just been lynched a couple of days earlier and his grave is on the outside of town. Needless to say, they are quite saddened by this news and, to help ease their sorrow, they decide to head over to the local saloon to commiserate with one another. While there, they each happen to see an extremely intoxicated man who looks exactly like their long-lost comrade. And it's then that they realize that the bank robber who was lynched was an imposter and that their friend is alive and well. The only problem, however, is that the gang who robbed the bank think that Amos Polk knows where the money is and that, to get their hands on it, they to kill the former Texas Rangers in the process. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an adequate sequel to the previous film with both Walter Brennan and Chill Wills putting in solid performances overall. Admittedly, although some of the scenes were rather light-hearted, the comedy itself wasn't very sharp or unique. Even so, it managed to pass the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

this sequel to the original movie was a bit better,i thought.the story was more interesting,and there were more funny moments.there is less action than the first one,but that didn't make much difference to me.the same characters are back.(Nash Crawford)Walter Brennan,(Jason Fitch)Edgar Buchanan,Amos Polk(Andy Devine) and Gentleman George Agnew(Chill Wills)are all in good form here,but it is the addition of Fred Astaire which makes the movie.Astaire steals the show,in my opinion.like the first movie,this one is a lot of fun,and suitable for most family members,probably anyone 10 or older.for me,The Over the Hill Gang Rides Again is a 6.3/10

We watched this back-to-back with The Over the Hill Gang ... both available on Amazon Prime. We missed Pat O'Brien from the first movie, and I'd still like to know what kept him from being in this one ... unless the budget just wasn't large enough to carry both him and Fred Astaire.

I'll have to be honest. Fred didn't add much to this picture. Although he was a good actor, they gave him very little to work with here. All the juicy lines and action fell to Walter Brennan and Chill Wills, with a bit of "can't see well" humor falling to Edward Buchannan.

And, there wasn't really an overarching story line like the original. Still, it was fun to watch the old favorites gather, and we're glad we saw it.

When retiring Texas ranger Walter Brennan (as Nash Crawford) learns old pal Fred Astaire (as "The Baltimore Kid") is in trouble, he rounds up three co-stars from "The Over-the-Hill Gang" (1969) for a western sequel. Still spry, Mr. Brennan finds Chill Wills (as George Agnew) cheating at poker, Edgar Buchannan (as Jason Fitch) in a retirement home, and Andy Devine (as Amos Polk) working on a newspaper. The geriatric set is stunned to discover Mr. Astaire is on a bender, but he cleans up well. This ABC-TV Tuesday "Movie of the Week" repeats the sure-fire viewer pull Brennan and his old friends still had and, in a rare appearance, Astaire shows he's definitely not ready for the old folks home.

***** The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (11/17/70) George McCowan ~ Fred Astaire, Walter Brennan, Chill Wills, Edgar Buchanan

With the all star cast helps to make this a good movie. It has already been mentioned that the movie was transferred from television into movie form. The transfers that I have seen are not the best, but once you get into the movie you forget to look at the quality of the movie and begin watching it.

Fred Astaire plays a good part in this film. The film was made in his later years so, you won't be able to enjoy the smooth dances of Astaire's earlier movies. Still, he plays a good part as a drunk and as a fading hero. I really enjoyed the film and the parts that everyone in the cast played.

Other than the old-style television viewing, I have no bones against the movie. I'd say it is certainly worth the money...and don't miss the movie before this one. "The Over the Hill Gang" is a good movie in its own right, perhaps even better than the sequel.