Borderland (1937)

Director:

Nate Watt

Writers:

Clarence E. Mulford (story)
Harrison Jacobs (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 February 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Western

Tagline:

CHARLENE WYATT, the waif of "Valiant is the Word for Carrie", the child Hopalong rescues! (original poster)

Plot:

Hoppy goes undercover as an outlaw (which permits him, for once, to drink and be mean to children) to...

Plot Keywords:

Hopalong Cassidy | Sheriff | Wounded Leg | 1880s | Dual Identity

Cast

William Boyd	...	Hopalong Cassidy
James Ellison	...	Johnny Nelson
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Windy Halliday (as George Hayes)
Morris Ankrum	...	Loco, aka The Fox (as Stephen Morris)
Nora Lane	...	Grace Rand
Charlene Wyatt	...	Molly Rand
Trevor Bardette	...	Col. Gonzales
Earle Hodgins	...	Maj. Stafford (as Earl Hodgins)
John Beach	...	Texas Ranger Bailey
Al Bridge	...	Henchman 'Dandy' Morgan
George Chesebro	...	Tom Parker (as George Chesboro)
John St. Polis	...	Doctor

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U (1937) (cut) | USA:Approved (PCA #2970)

Filming Locations:

near, Joshua Tree, California, USA

Company:

Harry Sherman Productions

Trivia:

The ninth of sixty-six Hopalong Cassidy movies.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Sunset Trail (1939)

Hoppy vs. the Fox, Part 1

A bandit known as the Fox is leading his band of outlaws burning ranches, rustling cattle, and committing all other sorts of crimes on both the US and Mexican border. Colonel Gonzales, of the Mexican Secret Service, and Major Stafford of the Texas Rangers devise a plan to have Ranger Johnny Nelson arrest Hoppy and have him (unknown to everyone except Col. Gonzalez, Maj. Stafford, and Hoppy) go undercover as an outlaw, be discredited and join the Fox's gang, despite having to go against his character by yelling at everyone from Johnny, Windy, boarding house owner Grace Rand, and her handicapped daughter Molly. Unknown to Hoppy, the Fox is really Loco, the village idiot who is able to find out all sorts of information and pass it on to henchmen Parker and Morgan (who introduces himself as the contact between him and the Fox.) The Fox later suspects that Hoppy is playing a trick with his bad guy persona, and kidnaps Windy and Molly taking them to his shack in the desert. Hoppy follows along, but can he overcome the Fox having his two friends hostage and Morgan and other henchmen racing in the cabin for a shootout. A very different and excellent entry in the series with great performances by the entire cast. Boyd is able to brilliantly go against the Hoppy character that we all are familiar with. Ankrum is able to be sinister (which he always did well) throughout playing both the Fox and Loco. Stunningly photographed and the direction by Watt creates lots of suspense and action, even though at 82 minutes (the longest Hoppy film) there are several slow stops, but is countered by the tense filled climax (perhaps the best of any Hoppy film). Rating, based on B westerns, 9.