Three on the Trail (1936) User Reviews

Shootout at the dance hall

[Mike-764 · 7/10 · 10 January 2005]

Hoppy and Johnny arrive in Mesquite to pick up supplies, while a stagecoach comes at the same time with a coach full of dance hall girls for the saloon owned by Pecos Kane, who also happens to organize a band of rustlers. Kane robs a stage with supplies for British rancher JP Ridley (who doesn't think all the robbing is abnormal for a western town) and kills the driver. Kane frames the crime on Johnny (through Sheriff Corwin, who is a stooge for Kane), primarily because Johnny became friendly with Mary Stevens, the new schoolmarm, whom Kane had his lustful eye on. Hoppy prevents Corwin from taking Johnny into jail, so Kane ambushes Johnny and Hoppy and takes them to an isolated spot in the desert so Kane can convince the townspeople of their guilt. Hoppy and Johnny escape and trek their way through the desert and back to the Bar 20 ranch where he convinces Corwin, the other ranchers and hands to apprehend Kane, who has barricaded himself in the saloon (with Mary) to engage in a shootout with the ranchers. Very good Hoppy film being most notable as the first appearance by Hayes in his Windy Halliday role. Stevens makes for a notable adversary for Hoppy, but the script really didn't make much use for his acting talents. Evans is cute, but all of her scenes are useless to the rest of the film. Bretherton made excellent use of the location scenery, making this one of the more visual Hoppy films. Excellent climax to the film. Rating, based on B westerns, 7.

Citizen Kane is the crooked town boss

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 8 January 2019]

This is yet another western that revolves around a crooked 'town boss' and his eventual downfall. He is Pecos Kane, and as is frequently the case, he runs the town saloon, and puts on an act of being the most sophisticated, suave, gentleman in town. Always with a small cigar in his mouth, and, surprise, his men rob stagecoaches and rustle cattle, probably among other things. From the beginning, the townies are clearly divided into the crooks and the honest people. Perhaps, this is most clearly illustrated by the arrival of a stage full of women, most destined as saloon girls for Kane. However, as they emerge from the stage, Hoppy is impressed by one sweet-looking woman(Mary), who actually came to be the school mistress, as he soon discovers. The only problem is, according to Kane, here are no children in this town nor surrounding country! Yet, as we latter see, there is an old school house. So, what happened to all the children? As Kane reads Mary's letter of assignment, he notices that her assignment is actually in Mesquite Junction, not the present town of Mesquite. But, again, there is a big problem: this town recently burned down! Thus, Kane offers to employ Mary in some way, in his operations. But, she seems uncomfortable with that prospect, so jumps at the news Hoppy brings, that she is expected to come to the Bar 20 ranch. Windy(George Hayes) happens to have brought the Bar 20 buckboard, but declines the privilege of driving her to the ranch. We soon learn that's because she's a woman. Windy is especially down on women, in general, in this episode. Thus , Hoppy's friend Johnny Nelson, gladly takes the assignment........... Along the trail, Mary mentions that she's never been on a horse. Johnny facetiously replies that they will then have to give her a horse never ridden, to even things. She didn't take the joke well. Later, they stop and watch several men dynamite some rocks, causing them to block a side road. Then, they see a stagecoach approach the rocks. They see the driver shot dead. So, Jimmy gets off the buckboard and onto a horse, to gallop toward the coach.(Just where his horse came from is a mystery!). He exchanges shots with the thieves, but is wounded, and nearly executed. Fortunately, Hoppy comes along and shoots his would-be executioner. They note that the dead man is one of Kane's men.......... A little later, Conchita: an aggressive saloon girl, comes over next to Windy, swipes the coin he put on the counter for a beer, and deposits it between her breasts. Unwilling to stick his hand in there to retrieve it, he vigorously shakes her until a number of coins fall out of her dress: the comic highlight of the film........Johnny and Mary go visit the old schoolhouse. Mary plays teacher, while Johnny plays an unruly student. Then, the crooked sheriff: Kane's puppet, comes along with 2 men, and wants to arrest Johnny for the stage holdup and murder, Fortunately, Hoppy shows up and points out that the sheriff doesn't have a warrant to arrest Johnny. ......Later, the sheriff gets English cattleman Ridley to sign a warrant for the arrest or death of both Johnny and Hoppy(since it was his gold that was stolen from the stagecoach). Outside a Bar 20 party, Johnny, then Hoppy, are captured and taken to a place where they can see cattle nearby. They notice that the cattle have several brands, including the bar 20, suggesting rustling activity. Hoppy tricks the guard, and takes his gun. Since they have no horses, they have to walk somewhere. Eventually, the sheriff and 2 companions happen along. Hoppy sticks them up, and takes their horses, giving the captured man one. They ride to Ridley's ranch, and their hostage tells him that it is Kane and his men that actually staged the robbery. Ridley believes this, and changes his warrant to read Kane, rather than Hoppy and Johnny. Men from Ridley's ranch and the Bar 20 gather and head for town, hoping to trap Kane. Unfortunately, Kane gets advance notice of this, and orders everyone out of his saloon, save for his own men, who build a barricade behind the front door, then scatter to take up defensive positions. A prolonged gun battle follows, extending into the dark. Surely, at their rate of fire, they should have run out of bullets long before! Idaho shows Hoppy a home-made bomb, but Hoppy tells him it's to risky to try to get close to the saloon. Nonetheless, Idaho crawls toward the saloon and is shot. Hoppy decides to try it himself, and throws the bomb through a window, not knowing if it would explode immediately. Very fortunately, Hoppy gets back behind a building before it explodes, demolishing most of the saloon, and setting the rest on fire. Hoppy learns that Mary was in the saloon: a captive of Kane, who somehow also survived. Apparently, none of his men survived. Hoppy goes into the inferno to save Mary, succeeding, and shooting Kane, who was about to shoot him. Hoppy tells Ridley to give the reward money to Johnny and Mary, to give them a start as a couple.........See it at YouTube.

Tinhorn saloon owner sets Hoppy up

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 20 March 2000]

A cheap, lowdown, underhanded, thieving, whiskey and woman peddler tries to frame Hoppy and his sidekick for a stage robbery. He and his bought and paid for sheriff convince a local rancher to press charges and offer a reward of "dead or alive" for the pair. But they made a mistake messing with this steely eyed two gun buckaroo. Clouds of gunsmoke and barrels of lead were expended in this exciting tale.

They kinda grow on you.

[Byrdz · 16 December 2016]

Thing about these old westerns is that they kinda grow on you after a while (no... NOT "like a fungus" !)

The plot is rather typical with new schoolmarm endangered by the dastardly gambling hall owner, rustler, robber, kidnapper, politician corrupting (etc.) villain. Hoppy and young and romantic sidekick and woman-hating Windy/Gabby are the "three" of the title.

The scenery looks familiar and it's rather nice being able to look up locations here on IMDb. Kernville, CA and the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA were used and films are still made in both locations. Great rocks for shoot-outs and hiding stolen animals.

"Three on the Trail" is an early Cassidy film. Hoppy really looks a lot younger than usual. This has NOTHING to do with the film itself... just a side note.

Read the biography page of the lady playing that nice "Rose Peters". Cool !

If you like shooting and galloping horses and even some square-dancing, this 1936 Western is another one that is worth a look-see.

Who's dishing out the law and order?

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 4 February 2014]

Hopalong Cassidy and his Bar 20 sidekicks Jimmy Ellison and Gabby Hayes have their hands full in Three On The Trail. In one of my favorite John Wayne episodes Gabby had a line in there about how he believes in law and order, but 'depend on who's dishing it out'. That question could well be asked by Gabby in this film.

If anything Hoppy's always on the side of law and order, but not when it's bought and paid for by Onslow Stevens who's the local saloon owner and head of the local outlaws. He's got sheriff John St. Polis on his payroll through bribe and intimidation. He's also got another cattle owner, an Englishman played by Claude King thoroughly convinced he's the good guy here. King's a decent soul, but a bit thick.

That's what Bill Boyd has to deal with and in the end of course the riders of the Bar 20 ranch set law and order on a righteous path. Great shootout in the end.

thoroughly enjoyable Hoppy film

[chipe · 7/10 · 12 July 2014]

I really like this one. Nice to praise a Hoppy film for a change. Nothing untoward in the movie, and many things to praise: scenery, shoot-outs, acting, pleasant characters. Particularly enjoyable was the fussing about the new schoolmarm. She's helpless and friendless when she arrives in town by mistake. The saloon owner makes lecherous moves on her, but she is diverted to the Bar 20 ranch by Hoppy, who flirts with the bar girls in the saloon. Then Hoppy's pal Johnny has a go at her, going back and forth attracting her and then repelling her over some faux pas. Hoppy joins in too, as does Gaby Hayes.

A few minor issues I have with this movie as well as most B-Westerns. (1) At the end of these films, the bad guys are usually routed by the hero by setting a fire or using dynamite. Here Hoppy threw some dynamite into the basement of the saloon where the bad guys were holed up. (2) The bad guys made the usual mistake of trying to frame some good guys for the crimes. It leads to their downfall. They should have let well enough alone. (3) The top bad guy usually leads a double life as an honest citizen in town. Meanwhile his identity and gang are sought by the law abiding citizens. He leads a large gang and has a secret hideout for his men and the rustled cattle. He is often cruel to some of his gang. There is usually a big reward on him. Thus, it is surprising that one of his men doesn't turn him in for the reward.

Hopalong Cassidy fights crime....and babysits Johnny as well!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 30 September 2020]

A while ago, most (if not all) of the old Hopalong Cassidy B-westerns were completely restored. The prints not only look good, but are complete, as during the 1950s many of the famous cowboys' films were hacked to pieces to make them fit TV time slots. Fortunately, William Boyd (Cassidy) kept copies of the original prints and his family released them to YouTube.

The plot to "Three on the Trail" is rather familiar. In Mesquite, a local baddie, Pecos Kane (Onslow Stevens), controls the local sheriff and he's behind all sorts of criminal activities...including rustling and holding up the stage. The film begins with Hoppy and his pals witnessing one such hold up. But, since the sheriff only does what Kane tells him, the good people of town seem unable to do anything to stop this reign of terror....that is, until Hoppy gets involved. And, naturally, his two sidekicks, Johnny and Windy, are there to help....well, at least Windy. As for Johnny, he's incredibly impulsive and stupid...and seems to be more a liability than asset in this story. Can dopey Johnny redeem himself and can Hoppy, once again, save the day?

This is all pretty standard stuff for a Cassidy western except for how pig-headed and annoying Johnny was...that seemed out of the ordinary and wasn't particularly an example of good writing! Still, the rest of the film is good and it's nice to once again see Gabby Hayes as Windy. Worth seeing but only about average for a Hopalong Cassidy flick...which is still slightly better than average for a B-western.

Musty!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 26 March 2018]

Copyright 24 April 1936 by Paramount Productions, Inc. U.S. release: 14 April 1936. Australian release: 18 November 1936. 7 reels. 67 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A new schoolteacher offers an alibi for Johnny when he is accused of robbing a stagecoach.

NOTES: Number 5 of the 66-picture Hopalong Cassidy series. COMMENT: Paramount publicity claimed that the 48-year-old Hayes had planned to retire "and never act again" at the age of 45 so that he could "spend the rest of his life puttering around the garden of his little home just outside Hollywood. But then producer Harry Sherman came along and insisted Hayes go back to work. All Hayes' protests were unavailing..." What absolute rubbish! What impossible drivel! People will certainly believe anything! Admittedly, Paramount's publicity flacks did not mention Hayes' actual age at any stage, so it's a sure bet many fans would have assumed that Hayes was ten or twenty years older!

COMMENT: Leisurely Hoppy entry, though there are some thrilling action spots, especially the climax in a burning saloon. Unfortunately, the lack of background music gives the movie a musty museum air, which certainly militates against its acceptance by today's audiences.