Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)

Two peanut vendors at a rodeo show get in trouble with their boss and hide out on a railroad train heading west. They get jobs as cowboys on a dude ranch, despite the fact that neither of ... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Edmund L. Hartmann (story), Harold Shumate (adaptation)

Stars:

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Foran

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bud Abbott	...	Duke
Lou Costello	...	Willoughby
Dick Foran	...	Bronco Bob Mitchell
Anne Gwynne	...	Anne Shaw
Johnny Mack Brown	...	Alabam' Brewster
Judd McMichael	...	Tom (as The Merry Macs)
Ted McMichael	...	Harry (as The Merry Macs)
Joe McMichael	...	Dick (as The Merry Macs)
Mary Lou Cook	...	Dotty Davis (as The Merry Macs)
Ella Fitzgerald	...	Ruby
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Sam Shaw
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Jake Rainwater
Morris Ankrum	...	Ace Anderson

Storyline

Two peanut vendors at a rodeo show get in trouble with their boss and hide out on a railroad train heading west. They get jobs as cowboys on a dude ranch, despite the fact that neither of them knows anything about cowboys, horses, or anything else.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy | horse | dude ranch | rodeo | cowboy comedy | 

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Taglines:

Their newest Universal Picture

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the dude-ranch bus pulls into the station to pick up the train passengers from the "wild west show", the signpost on the depot reads "Gower Gulch". That is an inside joke, as "Gower Gulch" was a longtime name for the area of Hollywood--centered on Gower Street--where many low-budget independent producers and studios, which specialized in shooting westerns because they were cheap to make, were headquartered.

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Goofs

When Willoughby is in Doctor Ha-Ha's sanitarium, he picks up the phone and asks for water. When he hangs up, you can see the water hose connected to the phone.

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Quotes

Willoughby: It's all our fault. Duke and I went running to hide from the boss and I let the cow's husband out.
Duke: He means the bull.
Willoughby: Bull nothin' it's a fact.

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Connections

Referenced in Bowery Buckaroos (1947)

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Soundtracks

A-Tisket, A-Tasket
by Ella Fitzgerald and Van Alexander (as Al Feldman)
Performed by Ella Fitzgerald (uncredited)

User Reviews

A lovely film

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Helden im Sattel

Filming Locations:

B-Bar A Ranch, Newhall, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1