Border Patrol

When three Texas Rangers try to investigate kidnapped Mexicans being used as forced labor in the mines of Silver Bullet, they are framed for murder by the town's corrupt sheriff.

Hopalong Cassidy, as played by the charismatic William Boyd, and his partners take on the crooked judge who enforced forced labour on kidnapped Mexican. Russel Simpson plays the judge and actually steals the scene. There's a nifty pace, great dialogue, the repartee between the three protagonists is good as ever, and the action is grand.

Hoppy, California, & Johnny are all Texas Rangers (I guess they had very loose hiring criteria if California got in!). Hoppy's dressed in all black throughout the film (this is important to those of us who know that his black outfit signifies "he means business" & his rancher's & other outfits signify "he's only fooling around & trying to act like someone other than "Hoppy"). The setting is Silver Bullet, Texas, & no, The Lone Ranger is not in this movie, although practically everyone else is! George Reeves (Superman) is here; he plays a Mexican & is on screen for only a few moments. Duncan Renaldo (The Cisco Kid) is here, & has a nice role as a Mexican police commandant. Robert Mitchum plays his usual (for his early days in the westerns) baddie. Claudia Drake actually has a more significant role in the film than anyone other than Hoppy himself. There's good action (4 gunfights), good humorous situations, & overall it's quite nicely done, with good production values. I rate it 8/10.

After witnessing the murder of a Mexican national, border patrolman Hopalong Cassidy and pals are promptly abducted and taken to Mexico by a feisty senorita who believes them responsible. Set free by the federales, they investigate the disappearances of dozens of migrant workers seeking jobs in a silver mine and end up stepping into a madman's own private town.

A William Boyd/Hopalong Cassidy vehicle that comes real close to going over the top, there's a lot of fun and great stars here, with head villain Russell Simpson giving a spirited, amusing performance alongside henchman Robert Mitchum (billed here as Bob in a very early role!), as well as future Superman George Reeves and the Cisco Kid, Duncan Renaldo!

As offbeat as you're likely to get in a "Hoppy" movie, action and humor mix effortlessly, leading to a rousing climax, well directed by genre veteran Lesley Selander, who helmed low-budget westerns for major studios well into the 1960's, some of which are considered minor classics.

Border Patrol is a very interesting Hoppy film with three future stars. The Texas Rangers Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) and deputies, California (Andy Clyde) and Johnny (Jay Kirby) are sent to investigate the Silver Bullet mine where Mexicans are being kidnapped. Claudia Drake slips California a hot pepper than tails the Rangers across the border. This is where the one and only Robert Mitchum gets his first line with a rifle pointed at the Rangers, "Hold it this is the only type of passport we issue". The forever grim Russell Simpson co-stars as Orestes Krebs, the petty tyrant of Silver Bullet with his kangaroo court. The future Superman George Reeves as as Don Enrique Perez and the future Cisco Kid, Duncan Renaldo as Commandant round out a great cast.

When the story begins, Hoppy and his partners come upon a dying man. Soon, he dies and Inez sees this and automatically assumes the trio killed him. Like the angry stereotypical women I've seen in a few of the Hopalong Cassidy films, her anger makes no sense...and she never gives them a chance to explain. She then, at gunpoint, forces them to go with her into Mexico. There, she turns them over to Mexican authorities...only to be told that she just kidnapped three Texas Rangers! And, like the angry stereotypical women trope, she STILL thinks the three are murderers!

One reason Inez is so angry is because her boyfriend went to work at a mine in the States...and he simply disappeared. The same has happened to other Mexicans....and Hoppy, California and Johnny all agree to go to the Silver Bullet Mine to look for clues. But, when they approach the mine, they are attacked and soon are before a kangaroo court bent on hanging them. Why? What's going on here?! And is there any chance for Inez to grow up and let go of her weird vendetta?!

This is a good but flawed installment. Flawed because Inez's character simply makes no sense at times. The rest of the story, however, is interesting and involves slavery...an unusual topic for a B-western. Worth seeing.