Silent Conflict

Hopalong Cassidy and pals are at the end of a cattle drive. Hoppy seeks the comfort of sleeping in a bed -- the audience is a-tingle, wondering if he wears black pajamas to match the spotless black shirt he wears on the dusty trail. Meanwhile, perennial series juvenile Rand Brooks is fascinated by medicine-showman Earl Hodgins and his talk of his many great inventions, including a glass eye that can wink. Hodgins also gives Brooks a drink of his special tea. He says it will clear his mind. It will clear it so greatly that Brooks will do whatever Hodgins says, including giving him the money from the drive and agree to kill Hoppy.

That would have been one way to end the series, I thought, when I read the synopsis. If I give you the impression that I was not impressed with the story written by Charles Belden, you are correct. It's silly, far-fetched and there's no way that things will turn out badly for Bill Boyd when he's the producer; it would break the hearts of the youngsters who loved his screen character.

Cinematographer Mack Stengler shoots the vistas very nicely, and anyone who has seen more than three B westerns will instantly recognize the familiar rocks of Lone Pine in this placeholder entry to the series.