Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
"Hopalong Cassidy Series ... The Devils Playground (1946) ... William Boyd as Hoppy", October 29, 2006
One of the most outstanding series of westerns began in 1935 from Paramount Pictures "Hopalong Cassidy", under the guiding hand of producer Harry "Pop" Sherman...continued well into the '40s proved to be the most successful 'B' Westerns ever made...based on Clarence E. Mulford's stories, they strived in changing Cassidy's image, which was both original and influential...the hero, played by William Lawrence Boyd, was mature and a man of his word...the plots were solid with a sudden burst of climactic action in the last reel, usually a frantic chase backed by tension building music.
In all, Boyd made sixty-six Hopalong Cassidy Westerns, early films included Uncle Ben and Windy Halliday, both played by veteran actor George "Gabby" Hayes...was a steady favorite as a hitchrack, was chosen five years in succession as one of the 10 best money-making Western sidekick stars...like most western comics, had his share of narrow escapes being thrown from his horse, burned by blanks...but that was all in a days work...his one-liners will never be forgotten..."You're dern tootin'"..."Never trust a female, they're pure poyzin"...or my all-time favorite ~ "Persnickgordy Women"...this crusty old-timer stole many a scene from John Wayne, Randolph Scott and yes even William Boyd.
In this Volume Two we have five films of the following:
PIRATES ON HORSEBACK (1941-B&W-69 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Russell Hayden (Lucky Jenkins), Morris Ankrum (Ace Gibson), Eleanor Stewart (Trudy Pendelton), Britt Wood (Ben Pendleton), Dennis Moore (Jud Carter), Henry Hall (Sheriff John Blake).....Gambler Ace Gibson swindles a mine owned by Ben Pendleton and has him murdered...cousin California Carlson along with Hoppy and Lucky set out to find the perpatrators...a clue was left by Ben and Hoppy finds it, locates the mine but are taken prisoners by Gibson and his men...will Hoppy and the Bar 20 boys be able to get out of this one...will Trudy Pendleton believe that Hoppy is a true friend...don't keep guessing watch this thrilling mystery unfold.
BORROWED TROUBLE (1948-B&W-58 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins), Anne O'Neal (Lucy Abbott), John Parrish (Steve Mawson), Earle Hodgins (Sheriff).....After a dusty trail drive, Hoppy and the Bar 20 boys arrive in town for a peaceful visit...they find themselves caught between the local school teacher Miss Abbott and a next door saloon owner Mawson...she is kidnapped and Hoppy finds a clue to where she is being held...is Mawson the man behind all of this cayous...or can Hoppy decipher what is really going on.
DANGEROUS VENTURE (1947-B&W-59 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins), Fritz Leiber (Chief Xeoli), Douglas Evans (Dr. Atwood), Harry Cording (Dan Morgan), Betty Alexander (Dr. Sue Harmon), Francis McDonald (Kane).....Hoppy is notified to search for Indian artifacts from the ancient Aztecs...the leader of the expedition Atwood along with Morgan who is a notorious outlaw has his men impersoniate Indians hoping to discredit the real tribe...there is gold relics in a sacred Indian burial ground...Morgan and his men are dead set on robbing and putting the blame on California...will Hoppy and the Bar 20 boys once again dodge the bullet and come up another winner...only time and the side of right will tell.
FALSE COLORS (1943-B&W-65 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Jimmy Rogers (Himself), Douglass Dumbrille (Mark Foster), Tom Seidel (Bud Lawton/Kit Moyer), Claudia Drake (Faith Lawton), Robert Mitchum (Rip Austin), Glenn Strange (Sonora), Roy Barcroft (Sheriff Clem Martin).....Bud Lawton willed part ownership of his ranch to Hoppy and his Bar 20 comrades before he was murdered by Mark Foster's gang...arriving Hoppy finds an imposter posing as Lawton an exposes his true identity...the Sheriff puts him in jail, not before a knockdown dragout fight between Rip Austin (Mitchum) and Cassidy (Boyd)...which incidently is the best part of the film...don't mess with Hoppy when troubles a brewin', he's plum tough when the goin' gets rough.
THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1946-B&W-65 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins), Elaine Riley (Lucy Evans), Robert Elliott (Judge Morton), Earle Hodgins (Depty Dan'l), Francis McDonald (Roberts).....Cassidy finds a girl who is wounded and later Judge Morton who is now claiming to be her father...the Judge has been trying to locate some gold...the girl only wants to return the gold, Hoppy must try and help her in this venture...this seems simple enough, but wait there is always a fly in the ointment...watch closely as the Bar 20 wranglers set a trap for the rats in this story that will have you thinking about it all week long.
Hoppy's interaction with California Carlson (Andy Clyde) is always a shot in the arm with his down-to-earth humor and sentimentality, theses scenes are pure Americana! Boyd, with his silver hair, black clothes and white horse (Topper) rode into our lives and we've never been the same since...your children and grandchildren will enjoy this clean wholesome entertainment...Hoppy always wore two silver white handle six shooters, never drank or smoked, when the good guys always won and the moral to the story was fair-play...outstanding role model...gotta love it!
Another pick for "Pop" Sherman was a new sidekick for the Cassidy films...a newcomer Lucky Jenkins, played by Russell Hayden had his job cut out for him, with Boyd (as the hero) and Andy Clyde (California Carlson) for comedy, left the field of romance and action wide open, Hayden filled those "boots" perfectly.
William Boyd was my hero, this collection of five films are perfect, clear and give me hope for the future. Our youth should have such a hero to look up to today. Must mention the fact that I still miss one of my all-time-favorite sidekicks though, George "Gabby" Hayes, you're durn tootin'!
Paramount and Clarence E. Mulford's fictional western character Hopalong Cassidy comes to life through William Boyd as Hoppy and Andy Clyde as California with films from the '40s...horse operas directed by Lesley Selander and George Archainbaud...some of the best hard riding and smokin' gunplay that ever came across the big screen from the Bar 20 boys...just the way we like 'em.
Total Time: 316 mins (5 films) DVD ~ Platinum Disc Corp 19549 ~ (7/27/2004)
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