Silver on the Sage (1939)

best movie i've ever seen.

A Major Disappointment

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Once again, Hopalong Cassidy and his faithful companions Windy, Lucky and Topper are involved with dastardly villains who rustle, lie, cheat and do all sorts of other mean and nasty stuff.Windy and Lucky are still squabbling like little kids.The scenery is beautiful and the rocks look familiar from dozens of other westerns filmed at the same location.One of the better Hoppy films with interesting characters and plot twists and turns ... some of which come as surprises.*I wrote a more detailed review about a month ago when I saw the film but it's in someone's wastebasket or reject file so this one will have to do for now.

Very entertaining movie. Nice pace; moves along to something fresh as it progresses. Very pretty, well-spoken leading lady, Ruth Rogers. Russell Hayden (along with James Ellison) are my favorite young sidekicks, and Gabby Hayes is by far my favorite comic sidekick for Hoppy (Andy Clyde is like fingernails scraping a blackboard, to me). I liked the humor and banter between Ellison and Hayes. It was very funny and cute when twice Happy fired from behind when Hayes was shooting, giving the credit to Hayes. The story was interesting. All the actors were fine. I enjoyed the understated humor, like: seeing one juror at the inquest sleeping; the bar tender trying to break up a brawl by saying "I got some good liquor here; they made a mistake in the shipment this time;" and Gabby haplessly trying to be seen as an outlaw by handing out phony wanted posters with his picture on it (at one point the Marshall turned over one of the posters to use the paper for making notes!). Other good scenes involved Hoppy playing poker, and his noticing who was Talbot and who was the alibi by observing which one licked his thumb while dealing.***spoilers***I liked the movie even with these silly director and screenplay mistakes: (1) in one scene I noticed to myself how slow Hoppy was in drawing his gun during a poker game. An then shortly later, I almost fell off my chair when one bad guy commented that it must be Hopalong Cassidy because only three people could draw that fast: Hoppy and two others that he knew. (2) the Owner of the Lazy J Ranch (Hamilton) ordered his foreman, Talbot, to go to the ranch to work, but Talbot went to town. Shortly thereafter, Lucky brings Talbot to the ranch, and Hamilton says he and Lucky will bring Talbot to the Marshall for questioning. Why? Hardly a good reason. (3) On the way to the Marshall, the bad guys have Hamilton killed. Why? I couldn't see a good reason. (4) Unbelievable coincidence: The bad guys ride out to the range and happened to stop to talk right next to where Lucky and Hayes are camping, and the two secretly hear an important conversation! (5) Similar to the above, the bad guys happen to leave one guy behind on the range. And he secretly hears Hoppy's plan that Hoppy will mark his trail (with ribbons) so his friends can follow him. (6) at a close distance, as Hoppy is riding away, Talbot draws and fires at Hoppy, and misses!

It is good to see this kind of movie in a day when so much violent and profane stuff is present in today's movies. This movie starts out slow; but has a good shoot 'em up ending. The story line is good and will hold one's attention to the end. One can gain an interest in what becomes of the cast.

With Windy and Lucky getting more of a featured play in this movie lent itself to take on a much different feel. I really enjoyed the way that these two characters developed and you really identified more with them in this film, than most of the Hoppy adventures. Of course the main part of the Hero was played well by Boyd and I got the feeling he really enjoyed watching Lucky and Windy step up to featured roles for part of the film! Great Movie!