Les Bandits du Désert

I recently discovered that nearly all (or perhaps all ) of the old Hopalong Cassidy B-movies were posted on YouTube. Normally, this wouldn't excite me, but these films are in pristine condition...an not edited for TV like too many old time cowboy films. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, for example, often only have these abbreviated television time-slot versions...but in this case, you get the entire film...which is USUALLY nice. Why do I say usually? Well, in the case of one of his few duds, "Outlaws of the Desert", had they abbreviated it to 5-10 minutes it wouldn't have bothered me!

Yes, this film is that rare Hopalong Cassidy dud. This is for two main reasons. First, Susan is one of the most annoying and nonsensical characters I've ever seen. She is a one-dimensional stereotype...but also abrasive and stupid. Second, much of this cowboy film is set in Arabia!! Yes, I really said Arabia!!

When the story begins, Hoppy and his two pals have just finally captured a runaway horse. When they arrive in town, Susan immediately contacts the sheriff and reports that these three men are horse thieves!! And, she insists that they are guilty because 'they look like criminals' and she is positive they stole the horse. Well, when they take the prisoners to Susan's father, he thanks Hoppy for bringing back his runaway horse...and tells the police that he paid these men to capture the horse!!

Now you'd USUALLY think that a person would be very contrite after accusing three men of thievery...but Susan was a character apparently written by a really dim chimp. Throughout nearly all the movie, she is surly and insists that Hoppy and his pals are practically demons! This is just bad writing and is a somewhat familiar trope of the era...the emancipated angry woman. But she goes far beyond this to the point of nonsensical.

Next Susan's father inexplicably announces he's going to Arabia to purchase some horses...and he wants Hoppy and the gang to accompany him and make the purchase. Seeing Hopalong Cassidy in the desert is just too surreal...though actually the film was made in the California desert..which actually looked realistic as there are huge dunes there, just like in the Middle East.

After concluding business with the local chieftain, instead of heading back to America, Hoppy and his pals learn that some scumbags who Susan met and trusted have kidnapped her father!! And so, he and his new chieftain friend (Duncan Ronaldo) go on a rescue mission. Oh, Susan, you idiot, you!

Seeing Hoppy in Arabia (they never use the term 'Saudi Arabia'...just 'Arabia'), was not all that terrible. Yes, it made no sense...but at least the filmmakers did a pretty good job of sensitively and realistically portraying these Muslims. But as for Susan, she was hellishly stupid and ruined what could have kind of worked. Overall, though I've only seen about three dozen of the 66 Hopalong Cassidy films, this is, by far, the worst of them. Most are either good or excellent...this one was just dopey.

Looks like producer Sherman was aiming for a change of pace. He got it, but not very successfully. Shifting the action abruptly to the desert sands of Arabia and guys in long robes takes some getting used to. Then again, because of the costuming, it's sometimes hard to tell who's who among the natives. Worse, somebody was ill-advised to slip a robe over Hoppy and put his gun-belt over that. It does look silly compared with what we're used to. Of course, the locale may change, but the idea of good guys and bad guys remains the same. So does Clyde's comedy relief and King's romancing of the spunky girl (Phillips).

Still, there are compensations. The abundant location shots from Lone Pine and nearby desert sands make for some fine eye candy. In fact, some of the horseback shots against the sky are almost striking. Too bad these are interspersed with clumsy studio exteriors that immediately shout 'movie'. Looks like Sherman popped for a lot of extras for the battle scenes and the crowded Arab bazaar. So it's likely the budget was bigger than usual for an oater. And shouldn't overlook slinky actress Deste (Marie). She's an eye-catching presence in an otherwise brief career. Too bad. All in all, the exotic package doesn't work out that well, but does remain a decent try.

I give this film 6 stars only because I know they were trying something different for a change, unfortunately, it just didn't work. Taking Hoppy out of the west is a risky move! They even tried dressing him up as the Sheik in one scene, William Boyd was a fine actor, but even he couldn't save this one. An almost unrecognisable Duncan Renaldo plays a Sheik, years before his Cisco Kid makeover, Andy Clyde tries to lighten things up with a bit of humour, but you can't help but keep hoping Hoppy would get the hell out of there, and back to the old west where he belongs! Well, at least they tried I suppose!

I doubt Outlaws Of The Desert got any closer to Arabia than the Mojave. But this film has Hopalong Cassidy and his two sidekicks Brad King and Andy Clyde going to Arabia to do a little horse trading. They are acting as agents for Forrest Stanley to purchase some Arabian stock to blend with his ranch horses. Stanley is along with his wife Nina Guilbert and daughter Jean Phillips. I can think of much better places for a little getaway myself.

Anyway this family gets victimized by a pair of con artists Albert Morin and Luli Deste. Good thing Hoppy was along and an even better thing he made friends with the local sheik Duncan Renaldo doing his best at a Rudolph Valentino imitation. In fact Renaldo was one of a number of players brought in to be cut rate Valentinos when Rudy was at his height.

I can't think of anything looking sillier I've seen in a while than Bill Boyd, Andy Clyde and Brad King in their western costume riding through the Arabian desert with all those native peoples. They looked so ridiculously out of place.

Only for die-hard Hoppy fans.

While this is probably a poor picture relative to others made at the same time, it has a great deal of sociological and historical value. U.S. citizens at the time knew little more about Saudi Arabia than they do today, and the perspectives are demeaning and arrogant. Their tribal cultures are seen through the concept of native American tribes. However, there are some good comic moments.