The Frontiersmen

The entire style of "The Frontiersmen" is very different from the other Hopalong Cassidy films I've seen. In nearly most, Hoppy shows no interest in women at all....and the romancing is usually left to other characters, like Johnny or Lucky...if there's any at all. Additionally, his films generally are about fighting, shooting and cattle rustlers...but the focus of this one is more domestic.

The story begins with Artie (Dickie Jones) acting like a total brat on the Peters ranch. He is an even bigger brat at school and he is beyond just a brat! In fact, Hoppy (Cassidy) and Windy (Gabby Hayes) are called to school to rescue the teacher...who the students have taken prisoner!! Artie and the other kids are going to be tough for the next teacher, as the nasty old prune who was taken prisoner quits after Hoppy frees her! Because Hoppy and Windy were busy with this, a local rustler and his gang are able to attack the Peters ranch and run off with many of their cattle....and he can't keep taking time off work to intervene between Artie and his teachers!

Fortunately for Artie and the other kids, the mayor's choice to become the next school teacher is not sent to the town. Instead of a mean man to intimidate the brats, they send a very pretty young teacher (Evelyn Venable) from back east. And, instantly everyone seems smitten by her...the kids AND adults alike. And, as usual, Hoppy is aloof and avoids romance with her...even though she clearly is interested. So how do the two plots converge? Watch the movie!

Seeing Dickie Jones in any western isn't all that unusual. This young boy could ride horses and act and was very popular in B-westerns as well as TV westerns. He was a regular in many of Hoot Gibson's and Gene Autry's films. He also was the voice of Disney's Pinocchio! He also played a brat rather well in this movie.

So is this any good? Yes...it's a nice change of pace seeing the usual story (in this case rustlers) take a back seat to the main story involving the school teacher and the children. Most unusual but quite enjoyable.

William Boyd had no use for singing cowboys and tried to minimize the music in the Hopalong Cassidy movies every chance he got. He lost the battle in this flick. The Brendan Boys choir sing their little hearts out.

I am in perfect agreement with Mr. Boyd. But after you get passed the singing, this movie is a rollicking adventure even if the rustler plot has been done to death. There is a even slight twist to the proceedings that is somewhat of a surprise.

However, it isn't the fate of the Bar 20 cattle that holds your attention here. It's the fun that the three heroes (Hoppy, Windy, and Lucky) have competing for the affections of the new schoolmarm that steal the show. Don't pass up the chance to see Hoppy in an apron and Windy slicked up to go a courtin'.

Taking time away from battling rustlers ever trying to steal Bar 20 stock, Hoppy, Lucky, and Windy have to do some juvenile disciplining because hatchet faced Emily Fitzroy has the kids running wild on her.

The group is led by Dickie Jones as Artie Peters, nephew and eventual heir to the Bar 20 ranch. The rest of the kids is made up of the Robert Mitchell Boy's Choir who you might remember were a similar discipline problem for Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way.

Well Barry got Bing Crosby and Hoppy gets a pretty new school teacher in Evelyn Venable. She's got all the Bar 20 hands in heat, especially Windy and Lucky. Even old Gabby Hayes. She'd like to corral Hoppy though and this film is closest Hopalong Cassidy ever got to romance.

Sad to say though the whole business really did interfere with the main plot about tracking the rustlers down. I will say though the head of the gang will be something of a surprise though with the limited running time, cast of characters, and the general familiarity with B westerns, fans should figure it out.

Now if Hoppy had gotten Father O'Malley..........................

Wow, the other reviewers here were not exaggerating. This was unlike every other Hoppy film. Some 90% of the movie was dialog with and about the new pretty female teacher. We were repeatedly told how important education is and how many ways the cowhands of the Bar 20 could love her — as a husband, brother, father, etc. Constantly fawning over her. It's OK to devote SOME time to things like this; they add local color, character development, flesh out the characters, etc. But it was way overdone here. The movie became a domestic family light comedy. Only ten percent or less of the film was devoted to the cattle rustlers. My advice is: skip the movie.

One observation: I don't know why the leader of the rustlers caused his doom by planning two events at the same time/day: (1) marrying and leaving the West with the school ma-rm, and (2) rustling the Bar-20 cattle with his gang. He couldn't be with the gang, so they exposed him.

Yes it's true, this isn't your typical Hoppy western, but that alone makes it a breath of fresh air, part comedy, part action. William Boyd's star power as Hopalong Cassidy carries much of the film as always, but good turns by Russell Hayden and Gabby Hayes also make good viewing, Evelyn Venables is one of the loveliest of female leads, and young Dickie Jones, the future 'Buffalo Bill Jnr,' is quite endearing and not too brattish! I can't believe that Boyd hated kids and horses and was hard to get along with, everything I've read about him suggests otherwise!