Posts from Stumpy in thread „Hopalong Cassidy (1952-1954)“

Quote from colkid60

William Boyd insisted on speaking grammatical English during this series, because he knew so many children would be watching and wanted to set a good example.

This is one of the foremost reasons why I like older movies, and their stars, much more than the newer stuff. I believe movies, TV, books and everything else in our cultures should be geared toward teaching those younger than us good manners and morals. I'm 75 years old, and a military retiree, so during my lifetime I've heard every profanity ever invented. But I STILL cannot stand the filthy language that is so common in movies, TV and books nowadays. There have been several times I've walked out of modern movies because the dialogue was one "F" word after another.

The latest Hoppy film I watched has him beating up Robert Mitchum. Maybe that little episode inspired old Bob to become a tough guy himself.

Can't believe it - here I've been commenting on the total barrenness of the countryside in the Hopalong Cassidy films and this afternoon I watched one that was filmed in tall timber country and he and his saddle pals played undercover lumberjacks, for gosh sakes.

Quote from ethanedwards

Jim,
I did a random search of the films, and it looks as if most were filmed
in Lone Pine, California, particularly, Alabama Hills, and Kernville.
Indeed many of Duke's movies were shot here,
and here is our thread with those locations highlighted
Duke's Movie Locations- California

Thanks for your input, Keith, but I can't recall a single one of Duke's movies where the terrain looked as bleak and rugged as it does in most of those Hopalong Cassidy films. Maybe in some of his old Musketeer movies the countryside looked that bad but not in his later, greater movies. "Three Godfathers" and "The Searchers" are the only Duke movies I can think of that even come close.

Quote from Richard--W

By the 1940s the screenplays got worse and worse as they strayed further and further away from Clarence E. Mulford and the films got cheaper and cheaper until they were hardly better than grade Z fare.

Actually, Richard, I've now watched several of the Hoppy films made in the 40's that I thought weren't bad at all. Although I have to admit that I preferred Hoppy's saddle pals in the 30's films to his buddies of the 40's movies.

I'm curious, do you know where exactly in California, Arizona, Nevada or wherever it was those 40's films were photographed, what with those lofty, snow-covered peaks in the background and the desert-like terrain with huge granite boulders that the cattle drives and chase scenes were set. That was really some rugged-looking country. I looked up the filming locations but don't know where they are.

Quote from Richard--W

The horses are spirited

Hard to believe some of those chase scenes. I swear, those horses look like they're galloping 150 miles per hour. I don't recall any other Westerns where the horses galloped so fast.

Quote from Richard--W

Glad you enjoy them. My favorites are

Trail Dust
Borderland
Rustler's Valley

and

The Eagle's Brood.

They are true period westerns -- no cars, no paved roads, no telephone polls, no mailboxes, no iron fences, no neon signs in the window, etc. The horses are spirited, the scenery is beautiful and the landscapes pristine. Not anymore, of course. Today many of those locations are housing developments.

Gabby Hayes is an asset, of course. I'm just beginning to realize what a natural actor and brilliant comedian he was.

I confess I do have a problem with William Boyd's outfit. His outfit is all wrong. It is never believable, it calls attention to itself, and it diminishes the films. At least for me it does.

Do you know of another 1930s western series that was as good as the Hopalong Cassidy films?


Richard

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I too liked "Rustler's Valley" a lot. In fact, I haven't watched a single one of the Thirties Hoppy films that I really disliked. When I was a kid back in the Forties and Fifties, I'm sure I saw a lot of these movies, either at Saturday matinees or on TV. But's that been so long ago and this 73-year-old memory sure ain't what it used to be so I had forgotten most of those I've been watching.

I also really enjoy old Gabby's performances. He's a card. I even like the guy that plays Lucky in most of the films. Gabby also played in many Roy Rogers and Duke movies back then.

I have no complaints about Hoppy's black clothes. In fact, they make a nice contrast against Topper's white coat. What is weird is when he comes on undercover dressed like some dude.

I used to also enjoy the Duke's Musketeers movies back in the old days but if I remember right, the plots in those weren't as complicated and well-written as the Hoppy films. And of course, I liked Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers.

I must confess that I've found the old Hoppy movies (at least those made in the Thirties) thoroughly enjoyable. He was a straight shooter, just like the Duke, and there was no cussing, no sex (not even double-entendres), no extraneous violence - in short, they were 180 degrees apart from the garbage that passes foe entertainment nowadays.

Hey Richard,
I'm amazed at the restoration quality of these Hoppy movies. I've been watching the ones filmed in the Thirties and early Forties and they're as clear of defects as modern films.

Couldn't believe it - this afternoon I've been watching 1940's "Santa Fe Marshal" (where he joins the medicine show as cover) and Hoppy shows up dressed like a dude and with a WHITE hat.
Jim

Another surprise this evening - I watched this Hoppy film (which, believe it or not, wasn't all that bad.)

When the bad guy came along, I said to myself "That looks like Lee J. Cobb" but I had familiarized myself with the movie's cast and the cast list had him as "Lee Colt", so I wasn't sure whether it was Cobb or not. Well, when the film ended, I naturally logged onto IMDB to see whether it was or not and sure enough, it was old Lee J. himself.

I began watching some of these old Hopalong Cassidy movies from the early Forties and who should appear as one of the bad guys in several of 'em but Robert Mitchum himself. Guess even the biggest stars had to start somewhere.

Quote from WaynamoJim

I enjoyed reading the Mulford books about Hopalong Cassidy. Louis Lamour also wrote a few just a few years before he died that I read and they were also very good.

I never could understand Lamour's popularity with Western readers. I just never could get that interested in his books.

In Western writers, I started out reading Luke Short, then went to Will Henry and Clay Fisher (same guy with different pseudonyms). I thought Will Henry's "No Survivors" and "From Where the Sun Now Stands" were two of the best Western stories I ever read. For years, I was convinced that Costner's "Dances With Wolves" was made from "No Survivors" but then learned it was another writer.

Thanks for the help, Keith.

Quote from Richard--W

On the other hand, the novels kept getting better and better until the author stopped writing them. He started out defining the western for the twentieth century with his first Hopalong Cassidy novel, called Bar 20, published in 1906. I believe it was more influential and of more value than The Virginian, which gets more credit than it deserves. Anyhow, Bar 20 is excellent book, and the following Hopalong Cassidy novels got progressively more brilliant from there.

The novels are a lot more realistic than the films. Cassidy is more fleshed-out, more down-to-earth on the page. Warner Brothers is tinkering with the idea of reviving the series. Ethan Wayne is just the man to play Hopalong Cassidy. But they'll never even think of him.

Which Bar 20 are we thinking of? Apparently Mulford wrote a group of stories with Bar 20 in the title.

"The 1930s films are the strongest. By the early 1940s the scripts are pretty weak and the productions shot too fast to carry much gravitas, although they maintain their decency and charm."

I've learned that this seems to hold true with about every writer who ever lived. They ALL seem to lose their sense of imagination and creation as time passes, unfortunately.

Quote from Richard--W

Stumpy,

I have an extra copy of Borderland from SinisterCinema.com that I will send to you if you're stateside, but the quality isn't much better than the VHS. As an alternative, you might splurge on this box-set:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ…tails?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

which has gone out of print before the supply runs out and price skyrockets.

Another edition, without the lunch box, is also going out of print:

http://www.amazon.com/Hopalong…TF8&qid=1315395635&sr=1-2

You get all 66 Hopalong Cassidy films restored, uncut and in excellent quality. Try to watch them in chronological order. The 1930s films are the strongest. By the early 1940s the scripts are pretty weak and the productions shot too fast to carry much gravitas, although they maintain their decency and charm. I Know you'll like them.

Richard

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Thanks much, Rick, for pointing me in the right direction. I just splurged. Still wish I could locate reasonably-priced versions of the books.

Quote from Richard--W

The films are good, but the books are better. You won't be disappointed, either way.

Bypass the VHS. Quality is poor and the films are cut. Get the DVD if you can. It's restored and complete.

Richard

Thanks for the advice concerning the VHS versions, Richard. I may just give up on the movies altogether and keep trying to find reasonably-priced books.

Quote from Richard--W

Trail Dust (1936) and Borderland (1937) are two of best westerns of the 1930s, I am inclined to think, and by coincidence, they are also two of the strongest and orniest Mulford novels.

Richard

Durn, Richard, I may have to forego acquiring these two films.

Quote from Richard--W

Last night I watched Rustler's Valley (1937), which I think was the seventh or eighth Hopalong Cassidy film. A warm and agreeable western of the period, well-shot on beautiful locations and well-acted. Well-written, too. The Hopalong Cassidy films had good writing, at least in the beginning. Not the same experience as reading the books; author Mulford achieved greatness on the page. Whenever I watch a Hopalong Cassidy film, I always think it' so good it could have been better if they had only done this or that, instead of that and this. Close, but no cigar.

Trail Dust (1936) and Borderland (1937) are two of best westerns of the 1930s, I am inclined to think, and by coincidence, they are also two of the strongest and orniest Mulford novels.

Richard

I'm always glad to read or hear recommendations about good books and/or movies. Think I'll follow your recommendations, Richard, and try to acquire those Mulford stories you named above. Also the films.