Forty Thieves (1944)

When he runs for sheriff, Hoppy is beaten by Jerry Doyle, the gutless wonder voted for by every crook in town. When Hoppy moves to have the new sheriff impeached, outlaw leader Tad Hammond ... See full summary »

Director:

Lesley Selander

Writers:

Michael Wilson (original screenplay), Bernie Kamins (original screenplay),

Stars:

William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jimmy Rogers

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Boyd	...	Hopalong Cassidy
Andy Clyde	...	Deputy California Carlson
Jimmy Rogers	...	Deputy Jimmy Rogers
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Tad Hammond
Louise Currie	...	Katherine Reynolds
Kirk Alyn	...	Jerry Doyle
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Buck Peters (Bar 20 Owner)
Robert Frazer	...	Judge Reynolds
Glenn Strange	...	Ike Simmons
Hal Taliaferro	...	Jess Clanton
Jack Rockwell	...	Sam Garms
Bob Kortman	...	Joe Garms

Storyline

When he runs for sheriff, Hoppy is beaten by Jerry Doyle, the gutless wonder voted for by every crook in town. When Hoppy moves to have the new sheriff impeached, outlaw leader Tad Hammond hires forty gunslingers to stop him. Stop Hoppy? Hah!

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | rancher | hopalong cassidy | saloon | judge | 

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Taglines:

COME AND GET ME! That was Hoppy's challenge to the forty gun men!

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quarenta Ladrões

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harry Sherman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fifty-fourth of sixty-six Hopalong Cassidy movies.

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Quotes

Hopalong Cassidy: You'll leave, all right: riding, walking or feet first.

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Connections

Follows Stagecoach War (1940)

User Reviews

Stuffing the Ballot Box

It's a pretty routine Hoppy until we get to that great suspension bridge. What an inspired piece of action, well staged and photographed. It's Hoppy and bad guy Hammond (Dumbrille) trying to stay on the life line high above the chasm, while knocking the other guy off. It's the movie's centerpiece, and I'm wondering if the tightrope was built for this film, or more likely, left over from a big-budget production. Either way, it's a visual treat.

Anyway, Hoppy's a sheriff mixed up in a crooked election master-minded by that fine arch- villain from many a costume epic, Douglas Dumbrille. To oust Hoppy, Hammond assembles forty thieves just like a frontier Ali Baba. Now Hoppy has his hands full, especially in the main street showdown. Not much hard riding or good scenery, however.

Several notable features. Screenplay is by ace writer Michael Wilson who later penned a number of prestige films, including Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Watch for Kirk Allyn as Hammond's feckless sheriff. So how does the screen's first Superman become a "do nothing" sheriff! Speaking of feckless, poor Jimmy Rogers comes across like a big zero and even looks a little like a young jimmy Durante, of all people. Not so, the luscious looking Louise Currie. Too bad they gave her so little to do—just count her lines. Anyway, Bill Boyd is his usual great Hoppy, making the whole thing an entertaining 60 minutes