Forty Thieves (1944)

Director:

Lesley Selander

Writers:

Bernie Kamins (writer)
Clarence E. Mulford (characters)

Release Date:

23 June 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

COME AND GET ME! That was Hoppy's challenge to the forty gun men!

Plot:

When he runs for sheriff, Hoppy is beaten by Jerry Doyle, the gutless wonder voted for by every crook in town...

Plot Keywords:

Hopalong Cassidy | Number In Title

Cast

William Boyd	...	Hopalong Cassidy
Andy Clyde	...	Deputy California Carlson
Jimmy Rogers	...	Deputy Jimmy Rogers
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Tad Hammond
Louise Currie	...	Katherine Reynolds
Kirk Alyn	...	Jerry Doyle
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Buck Peters (Bar 20 owner)
Robert Frazer	...	Judge Reynolds
Glenn Strange	...	Ike Simmons
Hal Taliaferro	...	Jess Clanton
Jack Rockwell	...	Sam Garms
Bob Kortman	...	Joe Garms

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15

Company:

Harry Sherman Productions

Quotes:

Hopalong Cassidy: You'll leave, all right: riding, walking or feet first.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Fool's Gold (1947)

Pop Sherman Rides Into the Sunset!

"Forty Thieves" was the 54th and final Hopalong Cassidy series western produced by Harry "Pop" Sherman. It is nonetheless an above average entry in the long running series. It was directed by long time series director Lesley Selander. The production values remained high and the supporting cast was filled with a cast of veteran players.

Hoppy (William Boyd) is the sheriff who has driven out all of the bad elements from the town with the help of his trusty deputies California Carlson (Andy Clyde) and Jimmy Rogers (Jimmy Rogers). The film starts out with several hard ridin' chase sequences of Hoppy chasing down the baddies. One day an old nemesis Tad Hammond (Douglas Dumbrille) rides into town. It seems that Hoppy had been responsible for Hammond's recent imprisonment.

Hammond vows revenge. Since Hoppy is running for re-election as sheriff, Hammond plans to run his own candidate for the office with a little help from his friends. His candidate is the spineless gambler Jerry Doyle (Kirk Alyn). So Hammond calls in the forty thieves of the title to ensure that Doyle wins. The forty thieves include such "B" western veteran heavies as Glenn Strange, Hal Taliaferro, Bob Kortman and Jack Rockwell.

The heroine and love interest of Rogers is Katherine Reynolds (Louise Currie) the daughter of upstanding citizen Judge Reynolds (Robert Frazer).

Hammond fixes the election and Doyle is proclaimed sheriff. Hoppy then decides that it is time to clean up the town once more. He is aided by his former boss Buck Peters (Herbert Rawlinson) and the boys of the Bar 20. After a classic climatic gunfight justice prevails and California provides the standard "leave 'em laughing" ending.

This would be the last Cassidy feature for two years. Boyd would take over production of the series in 1946 and crank out a further 12 installments before moving on to TV in the early 50s.

Kirk Alyn (Doyle) is best remembered for playing Superman in two Columbia serials (1948 & 1950).

"Pop" Sherman could hold his head up high as he signed off from the series for the last time.