Bar 20 (1943)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Lesley Selander

Writers:

Clarence E. Mulford (characters)
Morton Grant (writer) ...

Release Date:

1 October 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Stagecoach robbers take the money Hoppy was going to use to buy cattle so Hoppy, California and Lin go after them.

Plot Keywords:

Jewels | Stagecoach | Hopalong Cassidy | Double Cross | Banjo

Cast

William Boyd	...	Hopalong Cassidy
Andy Clyde	...	California Carlson
George Reeves	...	Lin Bradley
Dustine Farnum	...	Marie Stevens
Victor Jory	...	Mark Jackson
Douglas Fowley	...	Henchman Slash
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. Stevens
Robert Mitchum	...	Richard Adams (as Bob Mitchum)
Francis McDonald	...	Quirt Rankin
Earle Hodgins	...	Tom

Runtime:

54 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range System)

Certification:

Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Harry Sherman Productions

Quotes:

Richard Adams: The bolder the outlaw, the more brazan his actions.

Movie Connections:

Follows Stagecoach War (1940)

Entertaining Hopalong Cassidy Western

"Bar 20" was the name of the ranch that Hoppy and the boys worked for. In this entry its hardly mentioned except in passing. As was the case in many series westerns, the title had little or nothing to do with the plot.

The story has Hoppy (William Boyd) and his two sidekicks Andy Clyde and George Reeves on a cattle buying trip but becoming embroiled in a series of holdups for which they are ultimately blamed. It seems that chief villain Victor Jory and his gang (including Douglas Fowley and Francis McDonald) are plotting to cheat young rancher Robert Mitchum out of his land and ruin his marriage plans with fiance Dustine Farnum. Well Hoppy and the boys manage to sort things out and bring the villains to justice by the final reel as we knew they would.

The Hopalong Cassidy series had been going since 1935. The high quality of the Harry (Pop) Sherman produced pictures had been maintained putting it way ahead of other series westerns of the day. Boyd was not your typical "B" western hero. He was middle aged with white hair which gave him an air of respect and maturity lacking in other "B" western heroes of the day. The films were also blessed with good supporting casts and great locations.

George Reeves, who would go on to play TV's Superman, makes his only appearance in the series as Hoppy's sidekick, although he had played other parts in other Hoppy films. Robert Mitchum in one of his first substantial roles, was about to emerge as a major star in "A" budget films. I am not aware if heroine Dustine Farnum was any relation to the silent film star Dustin Farnum.

A solid entry in the series. A good early performance from Mitchum.