Wide Open Town (1941) User Reviews

This "Wide Open Town" Holds Good Viewing Fun

[glennstenb · 8/10 · 12 March 2020]

"Wide Open Town" is a basic but descriptive title for a remaking of the earlier-done "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" (1936). The original is often considered a more substantial work, but on its own it is still highly entertaining and is around fifteen minutes longer than a typical B-western. But this is not just a B-western, as its production values really place it a tick higher, maybe at a B+. It very much puts the Alabama Hills around Lone Pine, CA. on display, with many vistas of the snow-clad Sierra Nevada Range and king hill Mt. Whitney to be had. The snow level looks to be down to the 6,000-foot level in some of the scenes so filming must have been done in the winter or spring. The many action scenes take full advantage of the local outdoor beauty.

The cast is deep with many western veterans doing their thing. William Boyd shows himself once again to be a good actor with a strong, handsome presence. He even gets to have the love interest (such as it is) in this one. One of America's true acting legends, Evelyn Brent, has a strong female role in this one, a bad girl at that, and the esteemed Victor Jory gives this film an A-level acting presence. The town sets, including the complex saloon and hotel, are strong and used effectively. The musical score gets a little exuberant in this one, but overall this is a well put-together film with a good story that western film fans will appreciate. The only things really that differentiate this one from an A-level film are the less developed romantic story line and the lack of self-reflection moments. I would suggest viewing "Wide Open Town" first and then look at how the story was filmed five years earlier in Hopalong Cassidy Returns."

Woman villain in love with Hoppy

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 21 May 2015]

Usually its Russell Hayden or whomever is playing the young sidekick that gets the love interest in a Hopalong Cassidy film. But in Wide Open Town its saloon owner and chief villain Evelyn Brent who gets her hormones going in a big way for Hoppy himself.

Hoppy, Lucky, and California are traveling south on the trail of some stolen Bar 20 cattle when they come to Brent's town. It's a Wide Open Town with no sheriff thanks to Brent and Victor Jory who run an outlaw gang out of her saloon with rustling being only one of many rackets this gang is into.

After Jory and his gang beat up newspaper owner Morris Ankrum, Ankrum who also happens to be mayor talks Hoppy into taking the job of sheriff. Now he can use the official authority of the law to both accomplish his mission and clean up the town. Ankrum has a daughter in young Cara Williams but oddly enough Lucky Jenkins isn't buzzing around her as he would normally.

Because of Brent and her feelings for Hoppy she and Jory start quarreling and that puts an end to their partnership and their rackets.

One of the better Hopalong Cassidy features.

"I'm playin' for big stakes, not pennies!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 29 October 2018]

I haven't seen "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" a couple of other reviewers mention, so I don't know it came up in that picture, but this is the one and lonely time I've ever heard reference made to Hopalong Cassidy's real first name. Hoppy calls himself 'Bill' when introducing himself to town of Gunsight mayor and newspaper editor, Jim Stuart (Morris Ankrum), while also tracing his lineage back to Ireland. Kind of makes sense considering William Boyd portrays the character. Another aspect of Hoppy's back story is also revealed when Stuart recalls that Hoppy's an ex-sheriff of Santa Fe who cleaned up the town single-handed. The self effacing Cassidy states that he had plenty of help.

An unusual aspect of this story has the villain gang leader a woman, who just happens to fall for Cassidy in a big enough way to affect the outcome of the picture. Belle Langtry (Evelyn Brent) is the owner of the Paradise Saloon, and routinely sends out her henchmen to rustle cattle and subvert local mining claims. When the 'Gunsight Clarion' calls for local citizens to band together to fight against the corruption, it's only natural for Hoppy to accept a sheriff's badge from Mayor Stuart, especially since he was already hot on the trail of rustlers that ran off with some of his stock from the Bar 20.

So with Belle Langtry sidling up to Hoppy, and the mayor's daughter just a smidgen too young for Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden), it's up to Andy Clyde to provide some of the comedy relief as Hoppy's partner California. There's a running gag throughout the picture where California is repeatedly warned by Joan Stuart (Cara Williams) to keep away from a doo-dad on the Clarion's printing press. You know it was only a matter of time before he got a face full of ink for disregarding that message. There was also a sequence in the story in which California proved he would never make a good busboy.

You know, if you study the cast list for this picture, it reads like a mini-'Who's Who' of B Western character actors, with folks like Victor Jory, Glenn Strange, Morris Ankrum, Roy Barcroft, Ed Cassidy and Jack Rockwell in the mix, and that's just the credited names besides the good guy trio at the top of the bill. I got a kick out of that scene in which Hoppy gets into a scuffle with Victor Jory's character, Steve Fraser. They're in a hotel room, and Cassidy punches Fraser out of a window, but if you take note, Jory had to give himself a little push with his leg to fall out the window!

Accomplished series western.

[Mozjoukine · 20 March 2003]

The Hoppy's were the most respectable and - for an eight year old - the most involving of the series westerns.

WIDE OPEN TOWN is a remake (occasionally shot-for-shot as with the single insert of the bar girls) of the thirties HOPALONG CASSIDY RETURNS with Brent in the same role and Ankrum promoted from heavy to to upstanding newspaper man. Comparing them, it's possible to see the series shift from Harry Sherman's notion of a realist William S. Hart cycle to the kids' heroics Boyd favored.

The later film is more polished and a comparison of the two runaway horse sequences shows the development and the contribution of director Seylander.

The new film foregrounds a pre-teen heroine and lets Brent atone for her sins "I'm playing for big stakes...You & your outfit were nothing but tin horn rustlers till I got here" she cautions nasty Victor Jory.

Hoppy "the ex Sheriff who cleaned up Santa Fe" visits the troubled town and characteristically decides "I'd like to help." Soon he's disposing of henchman Barcroft by flinging the raw liquor he insists Hoppy drink instead of the usual sarsparilla, in the low life's face. "I did invite him out of town, didn't I?"

There's the requisite action with the added pleasure of Hoppy getting fighting mad and taking it out on Jory and rather too much un-funny comedy with California, which probably played better with the original audiences.

The Mount Mitchell, Devils Marbles, Lone Pine scenery, the Wells Fargo box robbery at the rail station, the cattle herd providing foreground action at the hideout, the busy western street and saloon full of costumed extras are all spot on. Throw in a strong support cast well chosen, making this vintage B western, better than a lot of entertainment for big people.

The running shot of Hoppy at full gallop, out to rescue Brent is worth a cheer.

Wide Open Town

[coltras35 · 8/10 · 17 February 2024]

Belle Langtry runs a town being taken over by cattle rustlers. She is also a front for the outlaws, who are led by Steve Fraser. Hoppy gets elected sheriff and cleans up the town with help from the Bar 20 boys.

Wide Open Town is a quality Hoppy western with a higher production value than usual, good energetic action and a charismatic villainess - well not strictly a bad girl - in Belle Langtry, played perfectly by Evelyn Brent, who falls for Hoppy and isn't as nasty as her partner (Victor Jory). Jory is the main villain who is handy with a rifle, especially when his target is showing his back. This western covers the "town taming" plot really well with an energy and a strong plot. Just don't ask California to fix your printer.

A lazy remake...nearly exactly like the original.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 6 October 2020]

Remaking films is not a new thing. In fact, in the 1930s and 40s, it was very common to remake films only a few years after the original. But in almost every case, there was a new cast and significant changes were made to the script. But with "Wide Open Town", the remake is incredibly lazy, as BOTH it and "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" star William Boyd and the details are sure close. If you want to know the very few differences, look at the iMDB trivia for the film.

Hoppy and the gang are following the trail of cattle rustled from the Bar 20 ranch. It leads to a craptastic town that is run by a local baddie, Belle Langtree* and her second in command, Steve (Victor Jory). They are, of course, behind the rustling as well as MANY other crimes. They can do all this because there is no law in town, as the last two sheriffs were gunned down by Belle's men. Additionally, when the local paper tries to drum up support for law and order, her men destroy the presses! When Hoppy sees this, he decides to become sheriff and it puts him on a collision course with Belle.

The only thing I really found interesting in this super-lazy remake is the casting of Morris Ankrum as the editor of the local paper. He nearly always plays the villain in the Hopalong Cassidy films and it's nice to finally see him on the side of the good guys! Apart from that, there really is no reason to see this movie if you've already seen the original. A cynical attempt to make money while delivering nothing new or of substance to the fans of the franchise.

Make sure you don't see this film. See "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" instead!

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 24 November 2017]

William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), Russell Hayden (Lucky Jenkins), Andy Clyde (California Jack), Evelyn Brent (Belle Langtry), Victor Jory (Steve Fraser), Morris Ankrum (Jim Stuart), Kenneth Harlan (Tom Wilson), Cara Williams (aka Bernice Kay) (Joan Stuart), Roy Barcroft (Red), Glenn Strange (Ed Stark), Ed Cassidy (Brad Jackson), Jack Rockwell (rancher), Bob Kortman (Blackie), George Cleveland (Pete), Lee Shumway (bartender), Wen Wright (Spike), Chuck Morrison (man who reports sheriff coming), Ethan Laidlaw (waiter), Frank Darien (Pop), Hank Bell (man who reports herd coming), Frank Brady (man reading poster).

Director: LESLEY SELANDER. Screenplay: Harrison Jacobs and J. Benton Cheney. Based on characters created by Clarence E. Mulford. Photography: Russell Harlan. Film editor: Carroll Lewis. Supervising film editor: Sherman A. Rose. Art director: Ralph Berger. Set decorator: Emile Kuri. Music directors: Irvin Talbot, John Leipold. Property master: Henry Donovan. Assistant director: Frederick Spencer. Sound mixer: Charles Althouse. Producer: Harry Sherman. Copyright 15 August 1941 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. No New York opening. U.S. release: 8 August 1941. Australian release: 6 November 1942. 8 reels. 7,013 feet. 78 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Hopalong Cassidy and his saddle-mates, Lucky Jenkins and California, are on the trail looking for some cattle which had been rustled off their Bar 20 Ranch, when they come upon the town of Gunsight, a wide open frontier community. Centre of attraction in Gunsight, is the Paradise Saloon, presided over by Belle Langtry, a beautiful and cunning woman, who also happens to be the brains of a band of outlaws. Opposed to Belle is Jim Stuart, mayor of the town, and editor of its newspaper. After a meeting with a group of lawful citizens, Stuart and his young daughter, Joan, decide to write a Page One editorial condemning Belle and the Paradise.

In the Paradise, Belle is plying a prospector who had just made a strike and is on his way to file his claim, with drinks. He leaves drunk and is followed by Belle's henchmen, Steve Fraser and Ed Stark. When the two return, it is with the prospector's claim, which they hand to Belle. She dresses hastily, mounts her horse, and sets out for the country seat to file the claim at a mad gallop. On the outskirts of the town, Hoppy sees her and, believing her horse out of control, gallops after her and stops the animal. Belle pulls a gun on him, believing he knows about the murder of the prospector but when he explains, she apologizes and invites him to visit her at the Paradise.

The editorial is published. Fraser and Stark go to the office and proceed to wreck it just as Hoppy and his pals ride in. They succeed in chasing the men off. Stuart, grateful, tells Hoppy what had happened and why, and induces him to become the town marshal. Wearing the marshal's badge, Hoppy visits the Paradise to lay down the law. Fraser is for killing him but Belle prevails upon him to let her deal with him in her own way.

NOTES: Number 36 of the 66-picture series, this entry is actually a re-make of "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" (1936), with Evelyn Brent reprising her original role. Location scenes filmed in Lone Pine, California. Film debut of 15-year-old Bernice Kay (aka Cara Williams).

COMMENT: This entry is almost a re-shoot, not just a mere re-make of "Hopalong Cassidy Returns", on which screenwriter Harrison Jacobs worked for director Nate Watt and players Boyd, Brent and Ankrum.

The only trouble is that the scenes were much better handled in the Nate Watt version than they are here by director Lesley Selander.

Save for the cast, and a few nice exteriors by photographer Russell Harlan, this film has very little to recommend it. The comic relief rates as pitifully poor.

So make sure you don't see this film. See "Hopalong Cassidy Returns" instead!

Not as good as Hopalong Cassidy Returns

[wrbtu · 21 December 2005]

Many Hoppy fans feel that this is the best or one of the best Hopalong Cassidy movies ever made. As another reviewer notes, "Wide Open Town" is a remake of "Hopalong Cassidy Returns." Disappointing to me, it's not nearly as good as "HC Returns", because it's not as violent, not as well-played, & several key elements are weaker here. Despite the relatively high number of gunfights (5), it's one of the only HC films in which he neither kills nor even wounds a bad guy! California & Lucky each actually kill/wound three baddies. Evelyn Brent, playing the same role she did in "HC Returns", suffers consequences not as dire as in the previous version. In "HC Returns", Brent was one of the very few women who was of romantic interest to Hoppy, but here Hoppy is too much of a "goodie two shoes" to even become interested in Brent at all. A foretelling of what is to come, Hoppy's only black clothing is his hat; his shirt & pants are a lighter color, & sure enough, this episode is milder than many others. Leisurely paced, but some good action scenes. Hoppy is wounded in the shoulder by a baddie, but doesn't even shoot back, & rather decides to fight with his one good arm! Involved plot, well-thought-out, but strangely uninspiring & mild compared with "HC Returns", which may be my pick for the best of all Hoppy films. I still rate "Wide Open Town" 8/10 because it's far superior to most other B westerns of the time.