The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970) (TV)

Director:

George McCowan

Writer:

Richard Carr (writer)

Release Date:

17 November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western | Family

Plot:

Walter Brennan is back as the clever and funny over the hill Texas Ranger Nash Crawford. This time the...

Plot Keywords:

Texas Ranger | Retired Lawman | ABC Movie Of The Week | Town Drunk | Unsold TV Series Pilot

Cast

Walter Brennan	...	Nash Crawford
Fred Astaire	...	The Baltimore Kid
Edgar Buchanan	...	Jason Fitch
Andy Devine	...	Amos Polk
Chill Wills	...	Gentleman George Agnew
Paul Richards	...	Sam Braham
Lana Wood	...	Katie Flavin
Parley Baer	...	Waco Mayor
Walter Burke	...	Mac aka Tom - Waco Stableman
Lillian Bronson	...	Mrs. Louise Murphy
Jonathan Hole	...	Parson
Burt Mustin	...	Best Man
Don Wilbanks	...	Bar X Cowboy
Pepper Martin	...	Drifter

Runtime:

75 min | USA:73 min (2005 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Unrated

Company:

Thomas/Spelling Productions

Quotes:

[speaking over The Baltimore Kid's grave]
Nash Crawford: And in a way, you know, it was kind of fitting that of all of us, the Kid was the first to go. He, well, he always did like to lead the way.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sobre las Olas(Over the Waves)

The Scene Stealers Ride Again

The first Over-The-Hill-Gang movie proved so popular on television that a sequel was practically demanded from producers Walter Brennan, Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas. Probably only the age of the protagonists kept this from becoming a regular series. Maybe if Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan, and Chill Wills had been ten years younger it might very well have become a weekly series.

After settling things in Nevada for Pat O'Brien in the first movie the other three retired Texas Rangers go back to their settled lives and then they receive another summons. It's from Andy Devine who was a crooked judge in the first movie, but who now is a newspaper editor in Waco. An old friend of their's, the Baltimore Kid has been accused of a stagecoach robbery and murder. When Brennan, Wills, and Buchanan, arrive in Waco they hear the Baltimore Kid has been lynched for those crimes.

But that can't be when they spot the Baltimore Kid in a saloon looking three sheets to the wind. The Kid is played by Fred Astaire who finally got a western to his credits. He dances nary a step, but he staggers a lot.

The old Rangers sober him up the way Robert Mitchum was in El Dorado and Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou and clear the blot upon his reputation. So much so that the town offers to make him marshal. After that they have to stay around and back him up so he doesn't get himself killed. And that gang that did the robbery is still around.

Brennan, Wills, Devine, and Buchanan settle back comfortably in their parts. So does Lillian Bronson who Buchanan was about to get married to when the second summons comes. Parley Baer plays the unctuous mayor of the town and Lana Wood plays a femme fatale saloon girl with quite a scheme of her own.

If you liked the first Over-The-Hill Gang movie, no reason you won't like The Over-The-Hill Gang Rides Again.