Doomed Caravan

One of the more plot heavy, story orientated entries in this long running series. Hoppy and his pals help out the female owner of a freight line which has been plagued by robberies. Along the way there's enough action and adventure to keep things nicely rolling along to the finish.

Again, one of the recurrent themes rears it's head as Hoppy is mistaken for one of the villains to start with before he proves his identity.

As mentioned, there is more story in this as Hoppy uses some neat detective work to deduce who the real criminals are. But it's not all work as all the boys pull in this episode! Lucky chases the young girl, California is chased and caught by an ample Mexican woman who also helps the friends escape a trap laid by the crooks. Although, California as always is more interested in the woman's cooking rather than her feminine charms.

Even Hoppy gets lucky with Jane Travers, the owner of the freight company and shamelessly flirts with her throughout the film. It's refreshing to see in this modern age of films where the leading man's romantic interest is usually young enough to be his daughter, that Jane is the same age as Hoppy. An attractive woman, yes, but certainly not in the first flush of youth. Hoppy seems very taken with her and is greatly impressed with her right hook and her overall fiesty personality.

All in all, a good entry in the series and enjoyable on quite a number of levels.

Hoppy and the Bar-20 boys ride out to protect a freight line from hijackers masquerading as soldiers. In the process, Hoppy meets Jane, Lucky meets Diana, while California un-meets an amorous Mexican lady.

Calling this an "affable" Western isn't much of a compliment given the genre's macho conventions. Nonetheless, there's more chemistry and general good humor among cast members than usual. Sure, there's some of the expected rough stuff and gunplay no one takes seriously, anyway. But even bad guy Morris Ankrum gets several personable scenes, while Trevor Bardette who could frighten a platoon of Marines, e.g. They Won't Forget (1937), has a few kind words. But most of all are Boyd and Gombell, whose chemistry comes across as genuinely charming. In fact, seeing Boyd as Hoppy in these features makes me think he truly enjoyed making them. Anyway, in my little book, he comes across as the most likable of the matinée heroes. And though he could do the hard-eye stare when necessary, those chuckles, guffaws, and friendly faces appear genuine. One thing to note about the movie—it's better produced than usual. Note the well-stocked teams of men on both sides of the law. Also, the ugly town and its muddy street appear more frontier-like than most A-Westerns.

(In passing—the girl Diana is played by Georgia Ellis. Old-time radio fans may recognize her as the radio voice of Gunsmoke's saloon girl Kitty Russell, a part Amanda Blake would later make famous on TV.)

Nobody's fooling Hopalong Cassidy in Doomed Caravans. Hoppy, Lucky, and California with Andy Clyde in his second appearance in that role are protecting Minna Gombell and her freighting outfit from outlaws Morris Ankrum and Trevor Bardette.

These two guys are outlaws who dream and scheme big. They have nothing less than revolution on their minds as they seek to depose a sitting territorial governor.

And they're a bloodthirsty bunch and superstitious. Ankrum has a troop of cavalry massacred and steals their uniforms to escort and then rob Gombell's supplies. But they're a superstitious lot and think it's bad luck to wear a dead man's footwear. So with their cavalry uniforms they're wearing regular cowboy boots and Hoppy spots that right away.

Nice Hoppy western for his many little Podners, young and old.

Agreeing to help a lady freight operator who's suffering attacks and sabotage from possible rivals, Hopalong Cassidy battles a fake military escort and a contrived class war in Mexico!

Story-wise, almost everything about this Hopalong Cassidy adventure, starring William Boyd, is rather ordinary. However, the production values are spectacular compared to other B-westerns of the nineteen-forties, with a real Hollywood sheen, probably due to the fact that this was made at Paramount Pictures.

The detail in the sets, costumes and props are excellent. Photography is first-rate and action scenes are well-handled. It's just too bad that the script is uninteresting and pretty much all over the place.

Director Lesley Selander (who did a few of the Hopalong movies) was a great director and made studio B-westerns from the nineteen-thirties right up until 1968.

Outlaws try to wipe out the Crescent City Freighting Company, but are driven off after a fierce gun battle. A squad of Army Cavalry sent to give protection are massacred by the renegades who then impersonate the soldiers. Hopalong Cassidy foils their plans and later unmasks their mystery leader.

Doomed Caravan is an odd yet different title, especially as the wagon train might be marked for robbery but it certainly isn't doomed, not when Hoppy is around. This 1941 entry is a spirited western, with a strong plot, plenty twists and some robust action. Morris Ankrum plays a slimy villain, though not openly. Only Hoppy susses him out. The man sure has a strong radar for honing in on slippery characters.