Unexpected Guest

Kids might not have picked up the tip of the cowboy hat to Agatha Christie but they would have understood the reference to one of Mickey Mouse's enemies, the Phantom Blot. Great film for a Saturday morning showing at the local movie theater for kids. A haunted house, mysterious voices, the murders of various heirs, sliding secret doors, and California Carlson in danger--could it get any better. If you were a typical ten-year old fan of Hoppy then this was pure yummy hamburger. The story moves along quickly and there are a few scares (opportunity to shout out "Watch Out Hoppy!) and just enough laughs to keep a kid's attention focused on the story. Try and remember that this film was made for the eight to twelve year old boy audience of the 40's and 50's and not today's over-sophisticated middle schooler.

And if you don't know The Phantom Blot then you are not the audience for this film.

Some of Agatha Christie's mysteries might have been the inspiration for the plot of Unexpected Guest. This Hopalong Cassidy western where Hoppy and Lucky Jenkins travel with California for the reading of a will where Andy Clyde is one of six heirs to a ranch that has more debts than anything else according to lawyer John Parrish.

But Parrish whose whole demeanor screams shyster has been milking the estate with the connivance of one of the heirs. As the heirs start dying like they do in Ten Little Indians it's up to Hoppy to investigate and find out who's the accomplice. Especially with Rand Brooks accused of murdering one of the heirs.

A lot less action in this Hoppy flick than usual. Still it was acceptable to the Saturday matinée kids and a grownup or two.

At the reading of his late cousin's will, California learns the estate will be divided among whoever remains of the seven relatives. With one already dead, another immediately murdered, and the Lawyer telling them the ranch is almost worthless, Hoppy investigates.

Masked Killer in a cloak, secret passages, people getting bumped off, eyes moving in a moose, and strange maid talking about hearing voices - all these make you think you're watching a dark house mystery than a Hopalong Cassidy Western. It's a mix of two genres, and it works really well, and though it's not action-packed, enough things happen to keep you watching. It's great fun, then again I'm sucker for a dark house mystery, add that to a horse opera and I am happy.

With an eventual total of 56 Hopalong Cassidy features, it was only normal to expect that now and again they'd try something a little different to the norm, sometimes it worked, others not so. To me this one was OK a bit of a mystery with elements of 'Then There Were None', all on the pretext of California showing up for a will reading of his late Uncle's estate, naturally his pals Hoppy & Lucky come along to keep him out of trouble. Not a lot of gun fighting involved it's true, but a couple of decent punch ups with Hoppy and the bad guy toward the end. The buckskin jacket didn't really suit William Boyd who usually looks good in most things, but Hoppy was always at his best in black! But as I say, at least they tried for a bit of variety, and I accept that!

While you might not expect it, YouTube has the best copies of most of the old Hopalong Cassidy films. Not only are they complete, but they are the remastered versions from about 2000...and they look great...practically new in fact.

This film is like the merging of two B-movie genres....a western AND a mystery. Both were very popular short films in the 1930s and 40s. So, while everyone is dressed in western duds, the story is a murder mystery at heart.

It all begins with California (Andy Clyde) learning that he's been named in a will. But there are weird conditions....that the cousin's estate will be divided among seven people...provided they are still alive! This sounds ominous....and it is. Soon, there's a body...which disappears!! Just the sort of thing to expect from an old B murder mystery. Unfortunately, who is responsible for this and more is revealed in the IMDB summary...but I'll still keep this to myself.

As a western, the film lacks a bit. The same can be said about the mystery. I especially disliked the whole 'voices talk to me' part of the story...it's pretty dopey. All in all, a bit of a disappiontment.