Renegade Trail

Gabby Hayes' last movie with the Hopalong Cassidy series is a good one. He has an unusual role (for him) as the Marshall of Cactus Springs, & is actually fairly effective as a Marshall! There's a strong plot, good character development, & Hoppy is often not on screen. The cast is strong, especially Russell Hopton as the main baddie. Good action shots of Gabby & William Boyd (separately) riding hard. Hoppy is in his black outfit all through the movie, always a good sign. The two songs don't slow things down too much, but the main weakness of this film is the overall lack of action, for example, Hoppy is in only one gunfight. Rated 3*.

Fans looking for lots of Hoppy action may be disappointed. The usual cowboy hard-riding and fast-shooting really don't pick up til the end. Then it's crash-bang buckboard style along the great rocky slopes of the eastern Sierras, along with an impressive herd of groaning cattle. In the meantime, there's entertaining byplay between Hoppy, his pals, and little Sonny Bupp, but Fuzzy's not as wacky as usual since he plays the town Marshal, that's right, the town Marshal. Then too, there's actress Wynters who's more than just eye-relief for us guys. Instead she's an integral part of the plot and sees a lot of action-I hope she got paid double. To me the real downside was the plot, mainly Wynters' ex-husband (Hopton) who schemes to rustle her cattle and undo her as Bupp's mother. Maybe it's just me, but I really tried to connect those underwritten dots. Anyway, there's always Hoppy with his easy smile, hardy guffaw, and fast gun. So you might give the scenic flick a try.

Enjoyable Hoppy outing. This one stresses the camaraderie, love and respect between the Hoppy and his two sidekicks, old-timer Windy (now sheriff) and young Lucky. It also stresses Hoppy's great reputation for decency and competence. There is very little action (OK with me) in the first half of the movie. It is fun to hear Windy brag to a young boy how great Hoppy is and how Windy taught Hoppy and Lucky everything worth knowing. Fun also to hear the banter as the three josh each other. Hoppy shows up, but the young boy and his mother don't know it is Hoppy. The mother even tongue lashes Hoppy, not realizing who he is. Finally, there is some good humor between Windy and Lucky about the chances of the mother getting Hoppy to marry her.

The second half of the movie has the requisite action, and all ends well

Hoppy goes to town to help Marshal Windy with some rustlers and winds up helping the widow Joyce when confidence men try to take her herd. To complicate matters, one of the rustlers is her husband - she told her son that his father's dead instead of saying he's working on a chain gang - and Joyce doesn't want her son to know that he isn't a war hero as she told him.

There's a scene in this Hoppy entry where Hoppy and Lucky gift Gabby Hates with a gun belt and Gabby looks moved - the whole scene is sort of a poignant goodbye to the grizzly sidekick as this is his last appearance in a Hoppy western, and a fairly leisurely paced one. It has a gradual build-up, setting up the bad guys and their plans in the first twenty minutes before the gun smoke blooms. Well, not too much of it. It isn't packed with action (only a modicum amount) but has a good story and plot.

Fast but predictable Hopalong Cassidy flick lasts only 50-some minutes but of course pays off with some fistfights, gunfights, pretty girls in tight period costumes, and back clad hero Boyd, plus a foursome of singing cowboys. Standard Saturday morning fare for the ten years olds of yesteryear.