JohnHowardReid NOTES: Paramount and Zinman agree: This is number 41 of the 66-picture series. Locations in the Cisco Range.Gentlemen, in general, may prefer blondes - but there's one who doesn't. He's Harry "Pop" Sherman, producer of the popular Hopalong Cassidy films of the wild west. "Every time we've used a blonde for the feminine lead in a picture," Sherman said, "we've slam banged right into trouble." For some strange reason, the fans do not like blonde actresses in Western dramas and send in a flood of complaints every time one appears. Equally strange is the fact that they do not object to blonde men. William Boyd, who has been starred in 41 "Hoppy" films, has never elicited a single protest - and he is so blonde that his hair appears almost white on the screen. (Paramount publicity actually got this one right!)COMMENT: Hopalong Cassidy and his sidekicks impersonate dude Eastern detectives in this yarn, which Boyd plays for laughs rather than thrills. In fact, at the height of the climactic fisticuffs, the camera focuses on Clyde, not Boyd. Directed at a leisurely pace by Howard Bretherton. Co-scriptwriter Ellen Corby is the famous character actress.

bkoganbing More comedy than usual is in this Hopalong Cassidy western as Hoppy, Johnny Nelson and California go undercover as eastern dude type detectives. In fact we don't see them in their traditional western outfits until more than half the film is done.Hoppy with that affected English accent and California Carlson with that ridiculous looking deerstalker cap are funny in and of themselves. Andy Clyde who was from Scotland and started in music hall was funnier than usual.Not that the chief villain is long fooled. He suspects a rat, but the guys put an end to his rustling racket.Brad King was the young member of the trio and he got to sing some cowboy ballads that Paramount owned the right to. If they sound familiar The Funny Old Hills was introduced by Bing Crosby in Paris Honeymoon and Twilight On The Trail comes from the Paramount picture Trail Of The Lonesome Pine. and was also recorded by Bing Crosby who was Paramount's number one star. King didn't last long, he had no personality at all unlike Russell Hayden or Jimmy Ellison.But the comedy is key more than usual in this Hopalong Cassidy western.

chipe One of the worst Hoppy films. Hoppy and his sidekicks take leave of their Bar 20 duties to help an old friend whose ranch is suffering rustlers.The supporting cast was uninteresting. I never cared for Brad King as Hoppy's young sidekick. It seems he was hired mainly for his singing; his acting was bland. I like it when the heroes go undercover to solve the crime. Unfortunately here, their acting as inept British detective dudes got tiring and silly fast. Finally the mystery solving was pretty unimaginative: the bad guys try to kill Hoppy and sidekicks, giving themselves away.

sandcrab This Hoppy film starts off a bit slow. An old friend calls on the Bar 20 trio to help stop cattle rustling. Hoppy and pals show up disguised as dude detectives from back East but that doesn't last long. Once the outlaws realize this group can shoot straight and ride like the wind, its all over. Its typical Hoppy fare as good prevails over evil.