User Reviews

During the 1940s, Victor Jory, Robert Mitchum and George Reeves appeared in several Hopalong Cassidy films. In all of them, Jory played a bad guy...and he was very good at it. As for Reeves and Mitchum, since they were not yet stars, their roles were delegated to henchmen in nearly all the films. However, inexplicably, they decided to change this up in "Bar 20". Reeves was made one of Hoppy's sidekicks...taking on the sort of role played by Lucky or Johnny or Jimmy. And, as for Mitchum, he's a guy who you just aren't sure about through much of the film. Is he evil or a good guy? Well, see the film to find out which.

Shortly after the film begins, Marie's jewels are stolen and she receives a demand for ransom to get them back. Her fiance, Richard (Mitchum), offers to sell some of his land in order to buy them back for her. Additionally, Hoppy has arrived to buy cattle from Marie...and soon he, too, is robbed. Who is behind all this? Hoppy suspects Richard and Richard suspects Hoppy! Well, as I mentioned above, Jory ALWAYS plays bad bosses in these films....so guess who is orchestrating all this!

So is this any good? Of course....nearly all the Hopalong Cassidy B-movies are among the best in the genre due to excellent acting and decent production values compared to other series westerns. Well worth seeing.

By the way, when Hoppy's stolen money is found, it's referred to as 'yellowbacks'. As most know, greenbacks were normal paper dollars back in the day. Yellowbacks, in contrast, were paper dollars which were backed by gold...meaning a bearer could exchange these bills for gold if they desired. This practice was eliminated about a century ago. Also, at 54 minutes this is the shortest Hopalong Cassidy film....and this is the original length, not the length after the film was edited for television (a common practice in the 1950s).

This is one of the better Hoppy movies, with a clever, intricate plot. It is also unusual in that Steve Reeves (TV's Superman) and Robert Mitchum (who went on to super star status), both of whom had minor (mainly outlaw) parts in earlier Hoppy movies, have meaty co-starring roles here.

***Some spoilers. *** The plot revolves around Mitchum's stolen jewels that are worth about $10,000, but the thieves, led by Victor Jory, will take a $3000 ransom for them. Both good-guy Hoppy and bad-guy Jory have an interest in helping Mitchum raise the $3000 to get the jewels back. Hoppy has $4000 cash to buy 100 head of cattle for the Bar 20 Ranch. The cattle are owned by Mitchum's fiancé' who will end up with the jewels as a wedding gift, so $3000 could be used to ransom the jewels. On the other hand, Jory wants to buy some of Mitchum's land, the proceeds of which would ransom the jewels.

Hoppy's $4000 is stolen by Jory's gang, and $3000 of it is given to Mitchum by Jory as part of the land deal mentioned above. Mitchum then takes the $3000 to meet the outlaws and ransom the jewels back. In some complicated maneuvers, Hoppy goes along to help, and he recovers both the money and the jewels. But Jory has poisoned Mitchum's mind into believing that Hoppy is the jewel thief. You'll have to see the movie to see how Hoppy convinces Mitchum that Jory is the bad guy and how Hoppy captures the bad guys.

A United Artists picture. USA release: 1 October 1943. Directed by Lesley Selander. CAST: William Boyd, Andy Clyde, George Reeves, Dustin Farnum, Victor Jory, Douglas Fowley, Betty Blythe, Bob Mitchum, Francis McDonald, Earle Hodgins.

Running time : 54 minutes. (The DVD was formerly available from VintageFilmBuff).

COMMENT: Alas, this entry is well below standard, not only in running time (a mere 54 minutes), but in excitement.

Here is a picture that almost all patrons will find below standard. Not only is the plot dull, affording little in the way of action, but the acting is decidedly hammy, and the direction indifferent.

Even Russell Harlan's photography, normally a high point in the series, seems flat and uninspired.