Deux nigauds cow-boys

Fun Abbott & Costello movie has the boys playing peanut vendors at a rodeo who get into trouble with their boss, so they head West and get a job working on a dude ranch. While Bud and Lou are up to their usual antics, singing cowboy Dick Foran tries to win over cowgirl Anne Gwynne. The problem is Foran's not a real cowboy and Gwynne doesn't think much of him. But when he's set to compete in a charity rodeo, she has to teach him to be a real cowboy fast.

Pretty funny with a good supporting cast that includes Douglas Dumbrille, Samuel S. Hinds, Morris Ankrum, and Johnny Mack Brown. Bud and Lou are in good form with funny lines and banter throughout, as well as some nice physical gags. Dick Foran does fine and lovely Anne Gwynne is charming. This one also has several musical numbers. The Merry Macs sings some nice tunes and Ella Fitzgerald, in her film debut, sings "A-Tisket A-Tasket." Even Dick Foran sings a couple of forgettable songs. Not one of A&C's best but pleasant entertainment. While it's true there's more focus on other characters and music than you might want in an Abbott & Costello comedy, rest assured that every time the duo is on screen they are gold.

Ride 'Em Cowboy has always been my favourite Abbott & Costello film, since the first time I saw it at 10 years old. Other films of theirs had some of the classic routines, maybe better stories too, but this one has some great routines, great atmosphere and a lot of great songs too. And just as importantly Anne Gwynne never looked lovelier ... even when she was ogling Dick Foran! Was that why she didn't she make the A-list?!

It's that Universal Studios 1941 atmosphere that counts most, and Don Raye & Gene de Paul had cooked up some marvellous tunes as well, my favourite being Give Me My Saddle. The marvellous Merry Macs had their bit with Wake Up Jacob, a glorious little ditty I think is still not available on CD. Most of todays music experts would go for Ella's classic A-Tisket A-Tasket though, whilst probably commenting on how demeaning it was for her to appear in such a film. But as far they're concerned not for anyone else appearing though!

Favourite bits: Lou's dream sequence "You will You won't"; in the chase "putting out the brake"; the romantic midnight horse ride to the gorgeous I'll Remember April; many other bits of Bud & Lou's, all putting a smile on my face: not forgetting the poker game, breaking in Wildcat, the Red Indian dummy sketch etc. Was Sunbeam the young squaw an inspiration for Tex Avery's cartoons?

82 minutes of joy to fans, however if you don't like A&C, b&w films from 1941, Westerns or slushy music there's nothing for you here.

RIDE 'EM COWBOY (Universal, 1942), directed by Arthur Lubin, places the popular comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in another funny outing, literally, this time set at a dude ranch surrounded by cowboys, Indians, an assortment Universal stock players, and several fine tunes. It also marked the motion picture debut of vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald (appearing as Ruby), singing her signature song, "A Tisket, A Tasket (My Little Yellow Basket)" while resident cowboy star, Johnny Mack Brown, takes time out showing Bud and Lou the ropes in between time of his own Universal western series of the time.

In a story presented on two levels, the first goes to title character "Broncho Bob" Mitchell (Dick Foran), author of best selling western novels, making his introduction as the feature attraction of Greater New York Bennett Rodeo. In spite of his fame and fortune, Martin Manny (Charles Lane), his severest critic, who doubts him to be "a great western hero," intends on exposing him in his next column. Manny's suspicions are proved correct when a bull breaks away, causing Bob to fall from his horse and cover his face in fear while cowgirl Ann Shaw (Anne Gwynne) steps in to bulldog the bull by the horns. Her heroic deed causes her leg injury that keeps her from riding in the finals to win that $1,000 grand prize. The second level moves to pals, Duke (Bud Abbott) and Willoughby (Lou Costello), working as hot dog/ peanut vendors whose antics get them in trouble with the boss (Wade Boteler). After their latest antic, Duke and Willoughby take refuge in a cattle car taking them to the same train as Ann and Broncho Bob while bound for Arizona. While at the Lazy S Ranch in Gower Gulch owned by Ann's father (Samuel S. Hinds), Duke and Willoughby obtain work as hired hands for foreman, Bruce "Alabam" Corman (Johnny Mack Brown) while Ann helps Bob's cowboy hero reputation by training him to ride a horse for the upcoming Frontier Day Celebration before some unexpected situations take place.

During the course of its 86 minutes, there's time out for music. Songs by Don Rays and Gene DePaul include: "Give Me My Saddle" (sung by Dick Foran); "Wake Up Jacob" (sung by The Merry Macs); "A Tisket, a Tasket" (sung by Ella Fitzgerald/ music and lyrics by Fitzgerald and Al Feldman); "Beside the Rio Tonto Shore" (sung by The Merry Macs); "I'll Remember April" (sung by Dick Foran); "Rockin' and Reelin'" (The Merry Macs) and "Ride 'Em Cowboy" (sung by chorus). While song interludes might become intrusive for those interested in catching those Abbott and Costello routines, some of them work out quite well, in fact, almost working their way as highlights. Aside from Ella Fitzgerald's aforementioned "A Tisket a Tasket," the impressive tune of "I'll Remember April," was one that usually got edited out of commercial television presentations to provide for some paid advertising during its 90 minute time slot. This haunting number introduced by Foran singing it to Gwynne during a mountain moonlight ride is quite impressive, even more so with cowboy/ cowgirl chorus crooning beautifully in the background. The Merry Macs perform their numbers in true 1940s jive style while one notable sequence, featuring three black tap dancers, is presented too briefly, leaving indication of a show stopping number ending up on the cutting room floor.

While Costello's ad-libs and outbursts might come across as forced sometimes, whatever weakness RIDE 'EM COWBOY may have are redeemed by some fine comedy routines, ranging from Abbott and Costello's abridged reworking their poker game routine introduced in BUCK PRIVATES (1941); Costello's attempt to go swimming while wearing a type of bathing suit unseen since the Mack Sennett silent comedy days; Bud and Lou's entanglement with Indians (lead by Douglass Dumbrille as Jake Rainwater); Costello avoiding marriage to Moonbeam (Jody Gilbert), an overweight Indian Girl; to that great climatic chase between Indians on horseback after Bud and Lou in their jalopy, to laugh-filled results. The amusing "The Crazy House" skit, enacted as part of a dream sequence, originally introduced by Abbott and Costello in their burlesque days, was actually used to better advantage in their 1950s television episode titled "Peace and Quiet" from THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW. Interestingly, "Crazy House," immediately following the "I'll Remember April" number, turned out to be another cut segment from most television prints during the 1960s and 70s.

RIDE 'EM COWBOY, distributed to home video and later DVD, had its share of cable TV broadcasts over the years, namely the Comedy Channel (late 1980s); American Movie Classics (2001) and Turner Classic Movies where it premiered July 25, 2010. While not essentially a western, RIDE 'EM COWBOY will sure to please any Abbott and Costello devotees whether they'd be riding horses, milking cows, or time out for others in the spotlight with song and dance. (***)

Hi, Everyone,

I first saw some of this movie in a silent version. It was released by Castle Films as a home movie for people who had 8mm projectors. It was about five minutes in length and the Castle title was "No Indians Please." It had the car chase scene where Abbott and Costello were being pursued by Indians on horseback. The Model A Ford just looks funny even without sound. It has a good special effect where the car is driven underwater.

The spectacular thing about this movie is the music. It was made about a dozen years before Rock and Roll music would be on the charts. This movie has a couple of numbers where Black and White musical artists are mixed musically in a way that basically is Rock and Roll. The combination of barndance cowboy music mixed with an uptempo African American group that is not unlike The Coasters of the fifties is prophetic. I don't think anyone knew what they almost had.

The story is OK. Bud and Lou are their usual selves managing to find trouble in the calmest of settings. A dude ranch, a drive in the desert, a bus trip and a stop to buy some Indian souvenirs causes much chaos.

If you like the bus in this movie, be sure to watch "It Happened One Night." Other bus movies would include "North By Northwest (One scene)," "The Big Bus," "D.O.A. (One scene)," "Speed" and "High Anxiety (One scene)."

Tom Willett

When Universal found they had a gold mine in two burlesque comedians named Bud Abbott and Lou Costello they rushed them into film after film. In the early years of their Unviersal contract the boys did film after film. Since Universal did most of it's product on the cheap for a major studio Bud and Lou became major moneymakers.

Have you ever noticed that in their earliest films while they are top billed, Bud and Lou are extraneous to the plot. There's usually some romantic story plot and always some musical entertainment. Ride 'Em Cowboy fits this formula perfectly. Dick Foran who appeared in three Abbott and Costello films in this period is a western story writer who's publicity agent has made him a western superhero. Foran sings real nice, but he can barely ride a horse. Anne Gwynne, daughter of a dude ranch owner, learns the truth and spurns him. But the smitten Foran is determined to make himself all the cowboy she expects of him.

Dick Foran who had done some singing cowboy films at Warner Brothers in the Thirties was now at Universal and he had a pleasant singing voice and an easy manner that never intruded on the comedy of Bud and Lou. A big hit song for the World War II years, I'll Remember April, was introduced by him in this film.

And if Foran introducing a hit song wasn't enough, Universal got the Merry Macs to perform a few numbers and Ella Fitzgerald reprised her A Tisket A Tasket hit from the mid thirties. Something for everyone.

But after all this is Bud and Lou's film and they have some good moments themselves. Funniest I think is Costello trying to break a horse and he literally ropes Abbott along for the ride.

Douglass Dumbrille plays an Indian chief. For me, just the sight of the polished villainous Mr. Cedar of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in an Indian suit is funny enough. But Costello shoots an arrow through the painted heart of his daughter's tepee which in that tribe is a marriage proposal. Costello is going to be wed to an Indian princess who looks like Rosie O'Donnell. He balks at the prospect and a running gag throughout the film is Dumbrille and the tribe chasing Costello to get him to the altar in a bow and arrow wedding. This same gag with the same principal players is used in their later film Lost in a Harem for MGM.

This is one of my favorite Abbott and Costello films and when you get to see it, it will be a favorite of your's as well.