Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Not having seen it in over 30 years, I just went to YouTube and watched Ride 'Em Cowboy again. Hilarious stuff almost from beginning to end with occasional interruptions for music and romance between Dick Foran and Anne Gwynne. Loved that car chase scene with some Indians (or Native Americans as they're now called) involving both rear projection and stunt driving. And, yes, there's a cow milking scene with Costello asking "The cow's udder what?" when Abbott tells him to put the bucket under it. All in all, one of the funniest ones from the boys. P.S. Since it's almost Black History Month, I have to cite the contributions of singer Ella Fitzgerald for both "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (which she co-wrote) and a jive square dance number called "Rockin' and Reelin'" with The Merry Macs. Fine numbers both among others. Also, during the latter, there's many African-American dance couples joining in of which one of them had reportedly Dorothy Dandridge there. There was also a trio of male tap dancers called The High Hatters at the ranch. One more thing, I always like to cite anyone from my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life whenever they appear in another movie or TV show so it is that George Bailey's father-Sameul S. Hinds-appears here as Ms. Gwynne's father. He was previously in A & C's Buck Privates. And Charles Lane-the one who showed Potter George's plans for Bailey Park-plays Martin Manning, a columnist critical of Foran's character.

When Universal found they had a gold mine in two burlesque comedians named Bud Abbott and Lou Costello they rushed them into film after film. In the early years of their Unviersal contract the boys did film after film. Since Universal did most of it's product on the cheap for a major studio Bud and Lou became major moneymakers. Have you ever noticed that in their earliest films while they are top billed, Bud and Lou are extraneous to the plot. There's usually some romantic story plot and always some musical entertainment. Ride 'Em Cowboy fits this formula perfectly. Dick Foran who appeared in three Abbott and Costello films in this period is a western story writer who's publicity agent has made him a western superhero. Foran sings real nice, but he can barely ride a horse. Anne Gwynne, daughter of a dude ranch owner, learns the truth and spurns him. But the smitten Foran is determined to make himself all the cowboy she expects of him.Dick Foran who had done some singing cowboy films at Warner Brothers in the Thirties was now at Universal and he had a pleasant singing voice and an easy manner that never intruded on the comedy of Bud and Lou. A big hit song for the World War II years, I'll Remember April, was introduced by him in this film.And if Foran introducing a hit song wasn't enough, Universal got the Merry Macs to perform a few numbers and Ella Fitzgerald reprised her A Tisket A Tasket hit from the mid thirties. Something for everyone.But after all this is Bud and Lou's film and they have some good moments themselves. Funniest I think is Costello trying to break a horse and he literally ropes Abbott along for the ride.Douglass Dumbrille plays an Indian chief. For me, just the sight of the polished villainous Mr. Cedar of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in an Indian suit is funny enough. But Costello shoots an arrow through the painted heart of his daughter's tepee which in that tribe is a marriage proposal. Costello is going to be wed to an Indian princess who looks like Rosie O'Donnell. He balks at the prospect and a running gag throughout the film is Dumbrille and the tribe chasing Costello to get him to the altar in a bow and arrow wedding. This same gag with the same principal players is used in their later film Lost in a Harem for MGM.This is one of my favorite Abbott and Costello films and when you get to see it, it will be a favorite of your's as well.

Abbott and Costello found themselves in a wide variety of films; "Ride 'em Cowboy" is their take on mangling the Western genre. They're aided by genuine "B" Western stars Johnny Mack Brown and Dick Foran along with pretty Anne Gwynne as the romantic interest for Foran's character, Bronco Bob Mitchell. Bronco Bob is largely a mythical character, invented by Mitchell when he was a starving writer. But his Western stories were hugely successful, so the Mitchell exploits grew larger than life until he can no longer live up to the image of his creation. Arriving at the Lazy S Ranch, Mitchell and the boys take a stab at dude ranch life and try to get ready for the annual rodeo celebration, in which Mitchell has agreed to compete. Therein lies the recipe for this Abbott and Costello brand of Western fun.With no sign of the Andrews Sisters from their earlier films, the musical chores are picked up by The Merry Macs and Ella Fitzgerald. A quick peek at Ella's filmography reveals that her standard "A-Tisket, A-Tasket was performed in seven films between 1939 and 1948, and it's done here in fine fashion. Dick Foran also croons a tune as the obligatory singing cowboy.Lou Costello proved he could ride a runaway torpedo in 1941's "Keep 'Em Flying"; here he does the same on a stampeding bronco, with Bud along for the ride. The film also offers some of the same sight gags found in Warner Brothers cartoons of the era, notably Lou's having his "palm re(a)d" in a dream sequence dominated by Indians."Ride 'em Cowboy" gallops along at a fairly quick eighty six minute run, a lot of it at a frenetic pace. Abbott and Costello fans will enjoy their favorites here, as the boys show they can be at home in any setting.

Ride 'Em Cowboy has always been my favourite Abbott & Costello film, since the first time I saw it at 10 years old. Other films of theirs had some of the classic routines, maybe better stories too, but this one has some great routines, great atmosphere and a lot of great songs too. And just as importantly Anne Gwynne never looked lovelier ... even when she was ogling Dick Foran! Was that why she didn't she make the A-list?!It's that Universal Studios 1941 atmosphere that counts most, and Don Raye & Gene de Paul had cooked up some marvellous tunes as well, my favourite being Give Me My Saddle. The marvellous Merry Macs had their bit with Wake Up Jacob, a glorious little ditty I think is still not available on CD. Most of todays music experts would go for Ella's classic A-Tisket A-Tasket though, whilst probably commenting on how demeaning it was for her to appear in such a film. But as far they're concerned not for anyone else appearing though!Favourite bits: Lou's dream sequence "You will You won't"; in the chase "putting out the brake"; the romantic midnight horse ride to the gorgeous I'll Remember April; many other bits of Bud & Lou's, all putting a smile on my face: not forgetting the poker game, breaking in Wildcat, the Red Indian dummy sketch etc. Was Sunbeam the young squaw an inspiration for Tex Avery's cartoons?82 minutes of joy to fans, however if you don't like A&C, b&w films from 1941, Westerns or slushy music there's nothing for you here.