Customer Reviews

Hopalong Cassidy: Riders of the Timber [VHS]

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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...the Hoppy series produced by Harry "Pop" Sherman is arguably the best "B" western series ever made...its production values were miles above any other and they always had the look and feel of more expensive "A" features...Clarence E. Mulford's fictional western character "Hopalong Cassidy" came to life through the producing of Harry "Pop" Sherman and the realistic performance of William Lawrence Boyd...as Hoppy aims to do some trailing for cattle rustlers, clean up a wild town and save the under-dog...always filmed in the great outdoors of Lone Pine, California at the foothills of Mount Whitney, beautiful photography is exceptional for a "B" product.

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 hitch rack, 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 Four we have five films of the following:

RIDERS OF THE TIMBERLINE (1941-B&W-59 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Brad King (Johnny Nelson), Victor Jory (Baptiste Deschamp), Eleanor Stewart (Elaine Kerrigan), J. Farrell MacDonald (Jim Kerrigan), Tom Tyler (Bill Slade), Hal Taliaferro (Ed Petrie).

This time Hoppy and his Bar 20 saddle pals tangle with loggers...Ed Petrie and his gang of cutthroats are bent on stopping Kerrigan from fulfilling his contract...Bill Slade advises the Kerrigan loggers to quit...when Elaine Kerrigan arrives with a new crew...Hoppy builds an overhead line to transport the logs when the flume is destroyed...Ed Petrie is convinced he must blow up the dam to stop Hoppy and Jim Kerrigan...will Hoppy be able to get there in time to stop the explosion...is there no end to what these evil villains are capable of...this is one adventure Hoppy fans won't want to miss with riders of the timberline!

RIDERS OF THE DEADLINE (1943-B&W-70 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Jimmy Rogers (Himself), Frances Woodward (Sue Mason), William Harrigan (Simon Crandall), Robert Mitchum (Nick Drago), Richard Crane (Tim Mason), Earle Hodgins (Sourdough), Hugh Prosser (Sheriff Gilcrest), Anthony Warde (Gunner Madigan), Jack Rockwell (Tex).

Hoppy's friend Tim Mason (Richard Crane) gets into trouble with gamblers and runs up a gambling debt...not being able to pay, Hoppy lets him hide out at the Bar 20 Ranch...Mason has become a Ranger, but to pay off the debt Crandall forces Mason to let his group of smugglers bring guns across the border...Mason is found out and jailed for leaving his post...Crandall has him killed to keep him quiet about the smuggling operation...Hoppy is kicked out of the Rangers for aiding Mason...but don't believe that for one minute...it's a scheme between Hoppy and Captain of theRangers so Cassidy can join the gang...Hoppy traps the outlaws and discovers Mr. Crandall the local banker is the brains...the actioin scenes are something to behold...one of the best of the series..

FALSE PARADISE (1943-B&W-70 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins), Elaine Riley (Anne Larson), Joel Friedkin (Prof. Alonzo Larson), Cliff Clark (Gerald Waite), Kenneth MacDonald (Bentley), Don Haggerty (Deal Marden).

Professor Larson (Joel Friedkin) buys a worthless ranch from Bentley (Kenneth MacDonald)...banker Gerald Waite (Cliff Clark) learns from Hoppy there is silver on the ranch...after learning this Bentley tries to purchase the ranch, but it fails...Hoppy takes over the mining duties, but there is trouble ahead from Bentley and his gang...plenty of action ahead, with several good gunfights...Hoppy and the Bar 20 boys have never let you down yet with this false paradise!

UNEXPECTED GUEST (1947-B&W-59 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Rand Brooks (Lucky Jenkins), Una O'Connor (Mathilda Hackett), John Parrish (David J Potter), Patricia Tate (Ruth Baxter), Earle Hodgins (Joshua Colter),

California Jack Carlson has just come into some money from an estate of his late counsin...the estate is divided among seven relatives...the attorney states the ranch is complete worthless...but this doesn't add up for Hoppy, so he does some detective work...an excellent mystery is about to unfold...can Hoppy prove the lawyer is a crook and a cheat...will California make it through another night without being threatened...stand by and watch what happens with the unexpected guest!

WIDE OPEN TOWN (1941-B&W-78 mins)
Boyd (Hoppy), Andy Clyde (California Jack Carlson), Russell Hayden (Lucky Jenkins), Evelyn Brent (Belle Lantry), Victor Jory (Steve Fraser), Morris Ankrum (Jim Stuart), Roy Barcroft (Red), Glenn Strange (Ed Stark),

Belle Langtry (Evelyn Brent) and her saloon is a front for Steve Fraser (Victory Jory) and his gang of cattle rustlers...Hoppy is made sheriff after stopping a gang from wrecking the towns newspapers printing press....Hoppy with help from the Bar 20 boys vow to clean up this town and all the outlaws it protects...Hoppy comes up with a plan to trap one of the rustlers, let him escape so he will lead them to the rest of the gang and the Bar 20 stolen cattle...Victor Jory is at his nastiest with a strong supporting cast makes this B-Western almost an A!

Hoppy's interaction with Windy Halliday (George "Gabby" Hayes) and California Carlson (Andy Clyde) was always a shot in the arm with their 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!

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: 385 mins (5 films) DVD ~ Platinum Disc Corp 20759 ~ (7/27/2004)