The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again

After getting a message stating that an old colleague by the name of "The Baltimore Kid" (Fred Astaire) was about to be executed in Waco, Texas for bank robbery, a former Texas Ranger named "Nash Crawford" (Walter Brennan) decides to ride out there to see what he can do. Joining him are some of his fellow Texas Ranger comrades "Jason Fitch" (Edgar Buchanan) and "Gentleman George" (Chill Wills) who also hope to testify as character witnesses. To their surprise, once they get to Waco, they are told by an old acquaintance named "Amos Polk" (Andy Devine) that The Baltimore Kid had just been lynched a couple of days earlier and his grave is on the outside of town. Needless to say, they are quite saddened by this news and, to help ease their sorrow, they decide to head over to the local saloon to commiserate with one another. While there, they each happen to see an extremely intoxicated man who looks exactly like their long-lost comrade. And it's then that they realize that the bank robber who was lynched was an imposter and that their friend is alive and well. The only problem, however, is that the gang who robbed the bank think that Amos Polk knows where the money is and that, to get their hands on it, they to kill the former Texas Rangers in the process. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an adequate sequel to the previous film with both Walter Brennan and Chill Wills putting in solid performances overall. Admittedly, although some of the scenes were rather light-hearted, the comedy itself wasn't very sharp or unique. Even so, it managed to pass the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again is not much better, nor much worse than its predecessor. Rather, it's more of a so-so movie.

The production value, cast, and sets are pretty good. I also like how this movie moved at a faster pace than the original. That being said, it sadly lacks in both humor and runtime (being 75 minutes long, it almost feels like an overly long TV episode).

All in all, The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again is a good movie for families and middle-aged Western fans to see. Its second act is a bit disappointing, but its third act makes up for it, I am glad to say. This movie isn't Oscar worthy, but it has a nostalgic appeal that I'm sure many will love.

With the all star cast helps to make this a good movie. It has already been mentioned that the movie was transferred from television into movie form. The transfers that I have seen are not the best, but once you get into the movie you forget to look at the quality of the movie and begin watching it.

Fred Astaire plays a good part in this film. The film was made in his later years so, you won't be able to enjoy the smooth dances of Astaire's earlier movies. Still, he plays a good part as a drunk and as a fading hero. I really enjoyed the film and the parts that everyone in the cast played.

Other than the old-style television viewing, I have no bones against the movie. I'd say it is certainly worth the money...and don't miss the movie before this one. "The Over the Hill Gang" is a good movie in its own right, perhaps even better than the sequel.

Former Texas Rangers Walter Brennan, Edger Buchanan, and Chill Wills get back together in order to help their old comrade Fred Astaire, who's apparently landed in jail. Arriving, they find Astaire dead - dead drunk that is and the jailed impostor lynched. The gang decides to stick around to keep Astaire sober and out of trouble, as he gets hired on as the new town marshal.

Marginally better than the first film, this still seems a little too much like a long episode of a television series. Still, the cast of veteran actors and old western stars are entertaining, especially Astaire in his first and only western.

Eighteen years later, a new group of aging stars stepped into Brennan, Buchanan, and Wills' shoes for a second, much belated sequel, Once Upon A Texas Train.

We watched this back-to-back with The Over the Hill Gang ... both available on Amazon Prime. We missed Pat O'Brien from the first movie, and I'd still like to know what kept him from being in this one ... unless the budget just wasn't large enough to carry both him and Fred Astaire.

I'll have to be honest. Fred didn't add much to this picture. Although he was a good actor, they gave him very little to work with here. All the juicy lines and action fell to Walter Brennan and Chill Wills, with a bit of "can't see well" humor falling to Edward Buchannan.

And, there wasn't really an overarching story line like the original. Still, it was fun to watch the old favorites gather, and we're glad we saw it.