- 5 hours ago
Hoppy tries to help a reformed criminal, the fiancée of a wealthy rancher's daughter, when his former associates try to blackmail him into robbing the cattlemen association's safe.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Here he comes, here he comes, there's the truppets, there's the drums, here he comes,
00:10Hopalong Cassidy, here he comes.
00:30Here he comes.
00:50Yes, I'll be glad to take care of it for you. Goodbye.
01:11Well, what can I do for you, Jane?
01:15Glad to see you haven't forgotten an old friend.
01:18Tom Stacey, meet Norm Blaine.
01:20Used to be Bill Fowler.
01:21Always glad to make the acquaintance of one of Fowler's old cellmates.
01:25What do you want?
01:25Who said we wanted anything?
01:28Just happened to read in the paper where you were engaged to marry Christine Russell,
01:31the daughter of the richest cattleman in these parts,
01:34so we dropped around to offer our congratulations for old time's sake.
01:38Thanks.
01:39Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy.
01:41Oh, now, that's no way to treat an old pal.
01:45You really got yourself a nice setup here.
01:48Treasurer, the cattleman's association, gonna marry a narras.
01:52Still, you shouldn't forget that you and me were pretty close at one time.
01:56I understand you two had a pretty sweet craft.
01:59What happened in the past is a dead issue.
02:01I've gone straight since serving out my time,
02:03and just in case there's any doubt in your minds, I'm still gonna play it straight.
02:06Oh, sure, sure, Bill.
02:07That's the right way to do things.
02:09Your father was telling me he's sure glad to see you straightened yourself out.
02:13Then we have no further business with each other.
02:15None, except one little item.
02:18Watch yourselves.
02:21Good morning, Norm.
02:23Good morning, dear.
02:26Now, if there's anything further we can do for you gentlemen,
02:29don't hesitate to call on us.
02:32There's a little cabin a couple miles outside of Flat Rock.
02:34Meet us there after the office closes today.
02:36I'm not meeting you anyplace.
02:39Oh, yes, you are.
02:40And if you don't show, you're washed up in this town.
02:43And Miss Russell ain't gonna like that.
02:46We'll be seeing you.
02:56What did those men want from you, dear?
02:59Why do you ask that, Christine?
03:01Please, don't snap at me that way.
03:03It isn't at all like you.
03:04I didn't snap at you.
03:06Oh, if it sounded like it, I'm sorry.
03:08It's just that I have something on my mind.
03:09Some business.
03:11Aren't you even going to ask me to sit down?
03:16Of course I am.
03:17Sorry.
03:18I came into town today to buy some things for our wedding.
03:21I thought you might like to hear what they are.
03:23I'm in no mood to talk about things like that now.
03:27Oh.
03:27Oh, it's just that I'm busy.
03:29You'll have to excuse me, please.
03:30Mr. Blaine?
03:32Forgive me, please, Christine.
03:34Mr. Blaine?
03:35Yes.
03:35Would you come here a minute?
03:37I'll be right there.
03:38Wait a moment.
03:45My sidekick, Red Connors, and I never failed to get keen delight out of our trips from the Bar 20 and the Twin Rivers.
03:51Most of the people were our friends, and only on rare occasions did anything out of the ordinary happen.
03:57On this trip, something very unpleasant was about to happen, although we didn't know it at the time.
04:02Hi, young man.
04:18Good morning, Red.
04:20Good morning, Hoppy.
04:21We're going to have to watch them corners one of these days.
04:23We're going to collide.
04:25Good morning, Red.
04:26Good morning, Red.
04:27Young lady, this is the first time I've had a chance to congratulate you on your engagement.
04:31May I wish you all the good luck you could wish yourself.
04:34Thank you, Hoppy.
04:35My speech here is going to be quite as flowery as his Hoppy, but the same goes for me, too.
04:39That's nice of you, Red.
04:46Hoppy, do you know who those men are?
04:49I never saw them before.
04:55Why do you ask?
04:56Well, maybe it's only my imagination, but when I came here a few minutes ago to see Norman, those men were talking to him.
05:04Now, I couldn't hear what was being said, but I do know that Norman looks scared, and he isn't any coward.
05:09Believe me, Hoppy.
05:10I know that.
05:11Well, anyway, after those men left the office, it was obvious to me that Norman, well, he wasn't quite himself.
05:18For the first time since we've known each other, he was downright curt and impatient with me.
05:23Oh, maybe it's important business, but he's probably just got a sour stomach.
05:27You know, if you would just give him a little pitch of soda and some water, I'd take it all the time.
05:32Would it make you feel any better if I tried to find out what was going on?
05:35Well, I really shouldn't butt into Norman's affairs.
05:39I have the utmost confidence in him, really, I do.
05:42Forgive me for taking up your time, Hoppy, and thank you just the same.
05:47Good morning.
05:48Good morning.
05:51Red and I had come into town on business with the Bar 20 Ranch, so we went about it.
05:58Busy as we were, what Christine had said stuck in my mind.
06:01I finally decided to check on the gentleman in question.
06:04I learned that they had registered as Lou Forler and Tom Stacey from St. Louis.
06:13I got off a telegram to the Missouri City, then Red and I decided to head back to the ranch.
06:21Good night, Norman.
06:22Howdy, Hoppy.
06:23Hiya, Red.
06:24Hiya, Norm.
06:25How'd you think?
06:25Oh, fine.
06:26Fine.
06:27Everything's great.
06:28Well, so long.
06:30So long.
06:30He's got something on his mind besides his hat.
06:41Oh, now, Hoppy, you're getting worse than Miss Christine.
06:44Maybe so, but I still think we should find out where he's heading.
06:48I'm afraid something like this wasn't going to happen.
06:51I guess it ain't the first time I figured wrong.
06:54Well, he won't be the last, either.
06:56Well, he's far enough away now.
06:57Let's go.
06:58Let's go.
06:58Let's go.
07:00Let's go.
07:30I told you he'd come.
07:54I'll bet he's plenty scared, too.
07:56Well, why shouldn't he be?
07:57He's got everything to lose.
07:58Now, you follow my lead.
08:00I'm with you.
08:00I've got everything to lose.
08:02Well, let's go.
08:30Well, come in, partner. We were expecting you.
08:36We were interrupted this morning just when our little talk was getting most interesting.
08:54I don't know what you two are getting at, and what's more, I don't care.
08:57Whatever it is you've got on your mind, I don't want any part of it.
09:00That's pretty big talk for a guy who's in the spot you're in, eh, Lou?
09:03Too big. I'll have to take you down a few pegs.
09:06Now, hold on, Lou. Rough stuff isn't going to get you anywhere.
09:08Well, it might, unless you're willing to listen to reason.
09:11All right, what's on your mind?
09:13That's better.
09:13Sit down.
09:24Now, make it short and sweet.
09:26We want $5,000.
09:28$5,000?
09:30Yeah.
09:31A cattleman's association is a rich outfit.
09:33You being treasurer shouldn't have any trouble getting your hands on that amount of dough.
09:36Oh, but you're insane.
09:38Why?
09:39It wouldn't be the first time you've taken money that didn't belong to you.
09:41Forget it.
09:42Now, wait a minute.
09:43Get this.
09:44You have $5,000 at this cabin by this time tomorrow?
09:47Now, you pack up and get ready to leave town.
09:50Yes, and after that, if we ever catch up with you, you'll wish you'd never been born.
09:53Get the window.
10:16You get back there and hide.
10:17I'm going around the back.
10:18Hold it, you.
10:27Tell your friends to come out with their hands up or you'll come out head first.
10:30You're in no position to give orders, mister.
10:32Get your hands up.
10:32Take his gun.
10:37Leave that gun alone.
10:38Get over there, you.
10:39I don't like nosy people.
10:50And that goes for you, too.
10:53Let's get out of here.
10:56All right, let's go.
10:57By the time Red and I regained consciousness, our query had taken flight.
11:14I decided on another step, the direct approach.
11:17I want to talk to you a minute, Blaine.
11:44I'm sorry, Hoppy, but we're closed for the day.
11:46What were you doing out at that cabin?
11:52In that cabin?
11:53What do you mean?
11:54Yeah, we saw you go in.
11:56We'd have seen you come out, too, except for some galoot stuck a bucket in my way.
12:00There's no use denying you were there with a couple of men.
12:02We saw you.
12:03Just as Red says.
12:04They saw us, too.
12:06In a few hours, I'll have a telegram here telling me all about them.
12:09Yeah, Hoppy's only trying to help you if you're in any trouble.
12:12He can do it, too, seeing as he's a sheriff.
12:15Warner and Stacey are after you for something.
12:17All I can say is that you're all wet.
12:19Wait a minute.
12:21All they wanted was the association to unload some cattle for them.
12:24Oh, they could have talked about that while they were here.
12:26You didn't have to ride clear out there to talk about it.
12:29Norman, if you're afraid I'm going to find out about you being the next convict, forget it.
12:33I've known about it since the first day you got to Twin Rivers.
12:36You have?
12:37Certainly I have.
12:38You'd be surprised how much Hoppy knows about what goes on around here.
12:42Well, then I guess I might as well tell you all about it.
12:44I wish you would.
12:45In the following hour, Norman told us the whole story of the land graft for which he and Forler
12:52were sent to prison, of their days in the penitentiary, and finally of his determination
12:58when he'd served out his time to come to Twin Rivers and make a fresh start.
13:02It wasn't a pretty story, but I had to admire the straightforwardness of the man.
13:15So you see, Hoppy, one mistake of the slightest scandal, and I'm all through in this locality.
13:20These people trust me, and I don't want to let them down.
13:22Neither my employers, my friends, nor Christine.
13:25I wouldn't want you to let them down either.
13:28I want to thank you for being so honest.
13:30Now see what I can do for you.
13:31Yeah, that goes for me, too.
13:33Hoppy and me will think of something to do, won't we, Hoppy?
13:35Sure.
13:36Just to know that you're on my side helps a lot.
13:38We'll keep in touch with you.
13:39Thanks again.
13:40Right.
13:49I got a telegram here that says you two are clearing out of town.
13:52Yeah, and I got a lump on my head that says the same thing.
13:55What kind of a telegram says that, mister?
13:58It's from the warden of the Kansas State Penitentiary.
14:00Take a look.
14:01Well, this says I was paroled.
14:06But what you did today violates your parole.
14:08So I'm ordering you both out of town.
14:11Well, that says you're the sheriff here.
14:13And no cow town official is ordering me to do anything.
14:15Wait a minute.
14:16Nobody's going to call Hoppy a cow town official.
14:19Not while I'm around, anyway.
14:20You've got nothing on me.
14:22That telegram says so.
14:23So it does.
14:24But I got plenty on you today.
14:25Besides, I don't like the company you keep.
14:28So come along and nobody will get hurt.
14:30Sit tight, Tom.
14:32All right.
14:34I'm sitting tight.
14:35Come on, Tom.
14:46Let's go.
14:47Come on.
14:48Come out of there.
14:53Oh, my.
14:56Who's going to pay for my broken dishes?
14:58How much is it, Monty?
14:59Well, two cups is out of at least 68 cents.
15:03There, Porter.
15:08Five dollars.
15:09Just keep the change.
15:10Well, who's going to pay for the suppers?
15:12You know they ordered two whole suppers, Mr. Cassidy.
15:14Two whole suppers?
15:15Take it out of there.
15:16Come on outside and on your horses.
15:18Let's listen.
15:21Red!
15:22Come on.
15:30I figured when Red and I rode Forner and Stacy out of town last night,
15:34the matter was closed and Norman Blaine's reputation ensured.
15:37But I was about to find out how wrong I was.
15:43Something awful has happened, Helpy.
15:45What is it, Chris?
15:45Well, last night, Norman was visiting me.
15:48There was a knock at the door and he answered it.
15:50I couldn't see who was outside or hear what was said,
15:53but, oh, Norman appeared quite distressed.
15:56And then a moment later, he told me he had to leave for a few minutes.
15:59What happened then?
16:00Well, he didn't come back last night.
16:04And when I went by his place a little while ago,
16:06he wouldn't let me in.
16:09In fact, he told me to go away.
16:12I'm afraid something's happened to him.
16:14That he's hurt or something.
16:16Maybe them fellers came back.
16:18I'm sure they did.
16:19Let's see what we can find out.
16:20Oh, thanks ever so much.
16:26Thanks again.
16:27Don't worry about it.
16:35Norman Blaine wasn't in his room.
16:37We promised to let Christine know when we found out anything.
16:40I thought we ought to try the office of the Cattlemen's Association.
16:49Norman!
16:54You dead?
16:57Jumpin' mackerel.
16:59Did Porter and Stacy do this to you?
17:01They came to Christine's last night.
17:03What time was that?
17:04Around about ten o'clock.
17:06We ran them out of town about eight.
17:08They must have hid out for a couple of hours and then sneaked back.
17:10You were at that cabin you saw us at yesterday.
17:12Go on.
17:13They beat me up for putting you on their trail.
17:16They gave me until twelve o'clock today
17:18to bring five thousand dollars out on the Flat Rock Road.
17:21Where on the Flat Rock Road?
17:22They didn't say.
17:23They said they'd meet me.
17:24Say, maybe we could surprise them
17:26and do the meeting ourselves instead of him.
17:28And do you think they'd show up?
17:29They're not that stupid.
17:31I guess you're right, Hoppy.
17:33Hoppy, I'm sunk.
17:34Why do you say that, Norman?
17:35In the first place, the association hasn't got five thousand dollars.
17:39At least not where I could get my hands on it today.
17:42And in the next place, if they did have five thousand dollars,
17:45I wouldn't steal it for Forler and Stacy or for anyone else.
17:48Wait a minute.
17:50Maybe we can arrange to have them steal it.
17:53What?
17:54Oh, Hoppy's only joking.
17:56Imagine the sheriff fixing it for a couple of crooks
17:58to rob the Cattlemen's Association.
18:01That sounds like a big joke, doesn't it?
18:03But it's such a big joke that at 12 o'clock,
18:05you're going to be riding on the Flat Rock Road.
18:07Huh?
18:08Now, come on.
18:08Let's get that place fixed, Doc.
18:11At 12 o'clock, Norman rode along the Flat Rock Road.
18:15The object was to keep the rendezvous with the two ex-convicts.
18:21My plan was for Norman to pretend to want to play their game,
18:25to plead that they could get their ten thousand,
18:27maybe even more,
18:28and still save Norman's reputation in Twin Rivers.
18:30Instead of stealing the money and turning it over to them,
18:34Norman promised to set the stage for them
18:35to hold up the office at the Cattlemen's Association.
18:39At first, this didn't sound good to the gentlemen in question,
18:42but their greed got the better of them.
18:45They would be at the office at three o'clock sharp.
18:48Unfortunately, we underestimated the cleverness of Forler and Stacy.
18:52Instead of waiting until the appointed time to ride into Twin Rivers,
18:55they followed right on Norman's heels.
18:58Obviously, they had suspected a trap,
19:00and they agreed,
19:01if it proved to be a trap,
19:03then Norman was to die.
19:04My darling, what happened to you?
19:24Christine, you've got to get out of here right away.
19:26I'm not moving an inch until you tell me what this mystery is all about.
19:29I'll tell you everything tonight.
19:31Now, please go.
19:31No, I want to know what happened to you and why.
19:38Chris, I'd have to tell you everything about it anyway
19:41before we got married.
20:01Why, wait till three o'clock.
20:07Let's move in now.
20:08Take it easy.
20:09We'll wait.
20:18There's your answer.
20:19We'll wait.
20:20After what I've done,
20:25I couldn't blame you for calling off our engagement.
20:27I don't deserve anyone as fine as you.
20:30Naturally, I'd hate to lose you, but...
20:32Oh, my dear.
20:33How can you think I'd ever let you go?
20:36What you did years ago doesn't matter.
20:39Since we've known each other,
20:40you've...
20:40you've been fine and honorable and brave.
20:43Well, what you're doing now
20:45is just about...
20:46just about the bravest thing I ever heard of.
20:49Oh, but, darling, I'm afraid
20:50if the plan you and Hoppy have made you turn out wrong...
20:54Oh, but it can't go wrong.
20:55It's all arranged.
20:59That'll be Hoppy now.
21:00You're right on the dot.
21:05It's just one o'clock.
21:06Hoppy and me's always on the dot.
21:08That's the way we work.
21:11Chris, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
21:13I'm staying here, Hoppy.
21:14But you can't do that.
21:16It's all right, Hoppy.
21:17Chris knows the whole story.
21:18She understands everything.
21:19Well, I'm glad she does,
21:20but we don't know what's going to happen here
21:21in the next couple of hours.
21:23You'll have to leave, Chris.
21:24It's too dangerous.
21:26Please.
21:27I understand.
21:28I'll go.
21:29Oh, wait a minute.
21:31You better go out the front door
21:32just in case they're watching the place.
21:34You're right.
21:38Please be careful.
21:40All three of you.
21:46Leave the door unlocked.
21:56I read and I'll be in this closet.
21:58You'll be at your desk.
21:59Where's Sandy?
22:00Oh, I gave him the day off.
22:01He won't be back till tomorrow.
22:02Good.
22:09Long after three and no sign of them.
22:19They said they'd be here at three o'clock.
22:21Well, I guess they're smarter than we thought they were.
22:25Well, what happens now?
22:26I guess we just wait.
22:29They were almost smart enough, but not quite.
22:32Porter decided we had called off the crap,
22:34or else there had been none in the first place.
22:37He decided to move in on Norman Blaine.
22:39You know, I'd bet a suit of last year's underwear
22:43against an old broken washboard
22:45that they're still out there in that cabin.
22:47That's pretty reckless gambling.
22:48What makes you so sure?
22:50My instinct never fails me.
22:53In this case, that's a good sign.
22:54Where's the money?
23:20It's in the safe.
23:21Open it up.
23:21It's already open.
23:22It better be.
23:23Get your hands on the table and keep them there.
23:34Get into the closet.
24:04Get in the closet.
24:06You're in no position to give orders, mister.
24:11Keep them covered, Red.
24:21Come in, Mr. Stacy.
24:23You're just in time for the party.
24:26Only it's going to be over at the jail.
24:29All right, Red, come on.
24:31Let's take them.
24:31Get into the closet.
24:36Nice work.
24:39Get the money.
24:40Get the money.
24:53All right, let's move on.
24:55Well, there's the end of a case of attempted robbery
25:07as our friend over there will be willing to testify.
25:09Hoppy, how can I ever thank you enough?
25:11Or I.
25:12You don't have to.
25:13Just be happy in the fact that your troubles are all over.
25:16You're wrong there, Hoppy.
25:17Norm's troubles ain't over yet.
25:19Well, how do you figure?
25:20Easy enough.
25:21You're getting married, ain't you?
25:22There he goes, on his way
25:27Down the moon, the trail to where cowboys rain
25:32Hop along, Cassidy
25:35Hop along, Cassidy
25:39He'll return soon again
25:42There's no use to say goodbye until then
25:47Hop along, Cassidy
25:50So long, hop along
25:53Hop along bell
25:54We'll return soon again
25:54I'll return soon again
25:55I'll return soon again
25:56There's no use to say goodbye until then
26:11Good morning, not after then
26:15All right, Mike
26:16I'll return soon again
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