- 5 weeks ago
Hoppy is obsessed with finding bank robbers working in nearby counties who killed a sheriff friend and begins to suspect a kind young area woman
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00:00Here he comes, here he comes, there's the trumpets, there's the drums, here he comes,
00:10Hopalong Cassidy, here he comes.
00:30Red Connors and I had ridden the 50 miles from the town of Twin Rivers to attend the funeral of my old friend Clem Watson, sheriff of Pima County.
00:40Clem's death had come as the climax of a strange series of bank burglaries in the surrounding counties, each spaced exactly a month apart.
00:50And in each case the method of operation would be the same.
00:54An elderly woman would come into the bank to open an account.
01:00That night someone would break into the bank, manipulate the combination of the safe and make off with its contents.
01:07But not until the robbery of the bank in Pima City had the old lady been connected with the burglaries.
01:14Two days ago the banker there advised the woman on some investments.
01:20That evening returning to his office to take care of some unfinished work.
01:30Was one of the two years ago the nicer powers was a doctor of theką chalice.
01:33That evening I am taking care of someações.
01:34To be
01:53Help! Help! The bank's been robbed!
02:19Clem Watson and his deputy answered the call for help on the run.
02:22Clem died instantly with a bullet through his heart.
02:27By the time the deputy regained consciousness and a posse could be formed, it was too late to do any good.
02:39The empty buckboard had been found in a canyon a few miles out of town,
02:43and a thorough search of the surrounding countryside failed to reveal the slightest trace of the old woman or her companion.
02:52The banker thought it unlikely the case would ever be solved, but I didn't intend to give up so easily.
02:57Clem Watson had been too good a friend of mine to let his murderer go unpunished.
03:02But without a trail to follow, it was a puzzler.
03:06Then a thought struck me.
03:08Each robbery had been closer and closer to home.
03:11And since Twin Rivers was the nearest town to Pima City, it was logical that our bank might be next.
03:17You got the answer, Hoppy?
03:20I don't know, Red. It's just a hunch. Let's go.
03:24Oh, Mr. Vick, we've had a series of robberies now all over the state in the last month.
03:33We haven't too much to go on, but we think it's an old lady.
03:36So if any old lady should come in here and want to have a talk with you, you'll be sure and let me know, will you?
03:40You bet I will, but I'd like to see anybody figure out the combination on that safe.
03:45It looks like a new one.
03:47It is. It came from Boston.
03:48I bought it when the Cattlemen's Association started making such large deposits with me.
03:52I see. Well, nevertheless, you keep your eyes open. This woman's a pretty smart operator.
03:57I used to be pretty good at these things.
04:00Be careful, you might leave fingerprints.
04:09I was only kidding.
04:12We'll check with you later.
04:14All right.
04:15So long.
04:16So long.
04:27Hi, lawman. Have time to say hello, Hoppy?
04:30Well, hi there.
04:34Hello, Harry.
04:35Hello, Hoppy.
04:36Nice to see you.
04:37How are you, Dad?
04:38Good.
04:39When did you get back from Santa Fe?
04:40Last night.
04:41And, Hoppy, we have the most wonderful news.
04:43The doctor there said that Harry was strong enough to go back east for another operation.
04:48The one we hope will give him back full use of his legs again.
04:51We expect to leave by the end of the week.
04:53Oh, that is good news.
04:56And it was good news.
04:58For in the five months that had passed since the wealthy Adele Keller had brought her accident crippled husband out from the east and had taken a house out on the nearby hills where he could regain his strength, we had all come to like and admire her.
05:12Not only for her devotion to her husband, but for her kindness and charity to everyone in the neighborhood.
05:18Well, we'd better be on our way.
05:21I'll give you a hand here, Harry.
05:22Oh, thank you, Hoppy.
05:23Oh, Red.
05:26You could save me the trouble of going out of my way if you take these groceries out to Mrs. Pagel's place.
05:35Poor dear, she's had a hard time since she lost her husband.
05:38You're not going to trust Red to deliver food, are you?
05:41Now, Red, no nibbling on the way.
05:43Not even one of these big newtons?
05:45Not even one.
05:46Not even one.
05:47But I tell you what I'll do.
05:48How about you and Hoppy coming to dinner tomorrow night?
05:51What about tonight?
05:52Well, um...
05:54Red, it's a long drive from Santa Fe.
05:57Give the lady a chance to catch her breath.
05:59Well, I'll be holding mine.
06:01I'll eat some of Mrs. Adele's fried chicken.
06:03Yummy, yummy.
06:04Now, Red, don't you burst until tomorrow night.
06:06It's about six.
06:08Just let me in.
06:13Red, how careless can you be?
06:14Well, I didn't mean to squeeze your hands so hard.
06:17I guess you don't know your own strength.
06:20Until tomorrow night.
06:21Goodbye.
06:22Goodbye.
06:27Well, go on and deliver your groceries.
06:29Where are you going?
06:30Back to the office.
06:31I got a lot of work to do.
06:33I had worked far into the night trying to find a police circular I remembered seeing a long time ago.
06:44At last I found what I'd been looking for.
06:46Red.
06:48Hey!
06:49Hey!
06:50Look at this!
06:52What is it?
06:53Take a look at this.
06:54It's a wanted circular put out by the Chicago Police Department about four years ago.
06:59Wanted for bank burglary.
07:01Frank Ballard.
07:03Age 50.
07:04Height five feet four and a half inches.
07:06He has smooth fair complexion and talks in a high pitched voice.
07:10His mo-
07:11Mo-
07:12Mo-
07:13Does.
07:14Oper-
07:15Oper-
07:16Oper-
07:17Oper-
07:18Oper-
07:19When did that foreigner get in there?
07:20Mo-
07:21Does Oper-
07:21That's big city police talk for method of operation.
07:24Why didn't they say so in the first place?
07:26Read on.
07:28His modus oper-
07:29Oper-
07:30Is to use a pretext to look over a small town bank.
07:33Then to return at night and learn the combination of the safe by feeling the clicks of the tumblers.
07:39With his fingertips which he sand papers to the quick.
07:43He.
07:44That's a pretty slick one that is.
07:46That must be how that safe in the bank at Pima City was opened.
07:50Oh you're barking up the wrong tree there Hoppy. That was a woman.
07:53Now wait a minute.
07:56Fowler's description says he's a small man with a high pitched voice.
07:59He could have passed himself off as an old lady.
08:02Maybe that's how he threw everybody off the track when he changed back into men's clothes.
08:06Say, maybe you got something there.
08:10Ah, maybe and maybe not.
08:13But nevertheless, I'm gonna send a telegram to the Chicago Police Department.
08:17I want all the information on Frank Ballard I can get.
08:21I'll be right back.
08:22At nine o'clock the next morning I received the answer to my telegram.
08:29All it said was, Frank Ballard died in Illinois State Prison two years ago.
08:35That let Ballard out as far as I was concerned.
08:37Cassidy!
08:38Cassidy!
08:39Come here, quick!
08:40Come here!
08:41It happened!
08:42What's happened?
08:43Come inside and look for yourself.
08:44Come on!
08:45It was this way when I opened the bank this morning.
08:46They got away with over $25,000.
08:47That's what you get for not letting Hoppy me know as soon as the old lady got in here.
08:50There wasn't any old lady, there wasn't a stranger in the place all day yesterday.
08:55Hoppy?
08:56That's a different modus operandi.
08:57I'd say it was the same.
08:58Modus operandi?
08:59What's this idiot trying to say?
09:00By that city talk for her, how the burglars did it.
09:02I don't care how they did it.
09:03How the burglars did it.
09:04There wasn't any old lady.
09:06There wasn't a stranger in the place all day yesterday.
09:08I mean, that's a different modus operandi.
09:11I'd say it was the same.
09:13Modus operandi?
09:14What's this idiot trying to say?
09:16Why, that city talk for her.
09:17How the burglars did it.
09:19I don't care how they did it.
09:20I want to know who did it.
09:22If I don't get this money back, I'm a ruined man.
09:24Mr. Biggs, I have a much better reason than that for getting these burglars.
09:28Come on, let's see if they left any train on the alley.
09:34So far, the pattern was the same, even to the jimmied rear door.
09:47And, as usual, they had erased their footprints.
09:50They had left no trail.
10:04Well, it looks like we're stuck, Harvey. What's the next move?
10:07We're going to round up every stranger in this community for questioning.
10:13We spent the day questioning every dubious character we could find.
10:18But in every case, they either didn't fit the description or they had perfect alibis.
10:22All right, you two can get out of here.
10:29What do we do now?
10:31It's too late to do anything now, but the first thing in the morning, we're going to head south and warn that bank at Mesa Verde.
10:36If the old lady hadn't been there first, you mean?
10:38If she has, we're going to put a guard on every bank in the state.
10:41Now, come on, we're due out at the Kellers.
10:43At least we won't leave in the morning hungry.
10:45Yeah, Del's been simply wonderful.
10:50Nothing's been too much trouble for her.
10:52Oh, never mind that now, Harry.
10:54Come on, everybody. Dinner's ready.
10:55Let me give you a hand, Mr. Kellers.
10:57Oh, thanks, Red. I can make it red.
11:02You're getting clumsier every day.
11:06Now, where have I seen that face before?
11:09Well, it does look a little like Ed Casey, but not very much.
11:15Of course, that's not very flattering.
11:17Ed Casey was a bartender that left town and owed Red $10.
11:21Yeah, yeah.
11:22I could have sworn that was Ed's picture.
11:29Come and get it.
11:32Hoppy, you sit there and Red right here.
11:35Yeah.
11:35Thank you, Red.
11:40Red.
11:42Well, I'm just passing it.
11:45Have all you want, Hoppy.
11:47There's plenty more.
11:50We heard there was a hold-up at the bank last night.
11:53Was anyone hurt?
11:54Oh, fortunately not.
11:56It wasn't exactly a hold-up.
11:57It was a burglary.
11:58More than likely, the same old woman did them other jobs.
12:01An old woman bank robber?
12:03Well, that's preposterous, Red.
12:05Oh, it ain't so pretty...
12:06It ain't so preposterous.
12:08Well, what do you think, Hoppy?
12:12I think Red's been reading too many detective stories.
12:17When do you figure on leaving for the East, Harry?
12:19Well, Hoppy...
12:19The day after tomorrow.
12:21We're driving into town in the morning to telegraph a reservation.
12:25I hate to see you go, Mr. Dale.
12:26Sure gonna miss your fried chicken.
12:28Well, we'll miss you too, Red.
12:29Why don't you have some more?
12:30Well, you don't mind if I do.
12:36You know, this gun belt seems a little tighter.
12:39Thanks very much for the dinner.
12:41We were glad to have you, Hoppy.
12:43Good night to you.
12:44Have a good night, Hoppy.
12:45Good night.
12:46Good night, Red.
12:47Good night.
12:55Hey, Hoppy.
12:56Good evening to you.
12:57That there picture didn't look any more like Ed Casey
12:59that a mountain goat looks like a short-horned steer.
13:01I know that, and you know it,
13:03but Adele and Harry don't know it.
13:05Would you please tell me what this is all about?
13:07I'll explain it to you on the way into town.
13:24Adele's sore fingertips, I had noticed at dinner.
13:26The fact that they had been away
13:28every time a bank had been burglarized,
13:30and the picture we had seen in their home
13:32certainly pointed the finger to Adele and Harry.
13:37That looks just like the fellow in the other picture.
13:40I'm sure it's the same man.
13:42Well, let's take some handcuffs
13:43and go out there and bring them in.
13:45All we've got is circumstantial evidence.
13:47I can't accuse them of anything
13:48until I've got some proof.
13:49Now maybe I can get the proof I want.
14:08I'm going out and search their house.
14:10You stay here and keep an eye on them.
14:12I want a full report on every move they make
14:14just in case I don't find what I'm looking for.
14:45Yeah.
14:46Yeah.
14:47Yeah.
14:48I want to see you.
14:59That's what I want.
15:30I made the reservation. We pull out of here tomorrow. I wish it were today.
15:34Calm down. You've been jittery ever since last night.
15:37I can't help it. That crack Red made about the old woman has me thinking that Cassidy's close to the truth.
15:43Ah, forget it. If Cassidy had anything on us, he'd have made a move by this time.
15:48Where are you going?
15:50If I can get Red alone, I'm going to get some information out of it.
16:00Hello, Red.
16:12How do you do?
16:20Where's Hoppy?
16:22Oh, uh, he went out on business.
16:25Oh.
16:26I just came by to...
16:27I just came to tell you and Hoppy that Harry and I have made train reservations.
16:34We're leaving today instead of tomorrow.
16:37So if we don't see Hoppy again, tell him goodbye for us.
16:41Yes, I'll tell him.
16:42Goodbye, Red.
16:44Goodbye, Miss Odell.
16:45We're in trouble.
17:01Cassidy's closing in on us.
17:03What makes you think so?
17:03There was a file of wanted circulars on Cassidy's desk.
17:06And it was open to Dad's picture.
17:08We get to get out of here fast.
17:09We'll pick up our money and hit for the border.
17:11Let's go.
17:15I had made a search of the living room,
17:44the bedrooms, and the kitchen.
17:46I had turned up nothing that would confirm my suspicions.
17:50But in the corner of the cellar...
17:51I had made a search of the living room.
17:59Hey, Hoppy, where are you?
18:26Be right with you, Red.
18:29Yeah, give me a hand with these bags.
18:34Kellers are headed this way.
18:36I've got to cross the hill to warn you.
18:37Good work.
18:39What'd you find?
18:40Money.
18:41Lots of them.
18:41Some of them are still wrapping up Pima City bank wrappers.
18:44Found the old lady, too.
18:46What?
18:46Where is she?
18:47Right here.
18:49There's her white wig, her glasses, theatrical makeup, the whole works.
18:52Where's the old lady?
18:54She'll be along soon enough.
18:55We'll go out and hide our horses and let them walk right into our trap.
18:59Get your hands up, Cassidy.
19:00You two, Red.
19:01Get their guns a-down.
19:09Now go downstairs and see if you can find some rope to tie them up with.
19:15Keep them up.
19:19All right, downstairs, you two.
19:20Hold by the post.
19:39Keep them covered while I tie their hands.
19:42Come on, get your hands behind you.
19:44This was one time you were too smart for your own good, Cassidy.
19:49Or your big-mouthed friend was too dumb.
19:52What'd I do?
19:53You tipped me off when you made that crack about someone pretending to be an old woman.
19:58And when I saw the Frank Ballard wanted circular on Cassidy's desk,
20:01I was sure he was tying me up with a deal.
20:04So the old coot was your pop, huh?
20:06Never mind the talk.
20:09You'd get the suitcases out to the buckboard while I set the police on fire.
20:11So that's the way it's going to be, huh?
20:14Why don't you just shoot us and get it over with?
20:16Have your friends hound in us when they find your bodies?
20:19Oh, no.
20:19This way it'll look like you were trying to put out a fire and got trapped.
20:24Nice people.
20:25Sour necks are yours, Cassidy.
20:30Killer had done a good job with the ropes.
20:32And now I could smell the coal oil he was sprinkling around the kitchen.
20:35And I could hear the crackle of flames as tinder-dry wood caught fire.
20:41This old place will go up like a furnace.
20:43Don't give up, Red.
20:44Just keep working.
20:50It's getting awful hot, Hoppy.
20:52Looks like we're goners.
20:53Oh, we'll make it.
20:55Hey, there's a knife and a string blade in that pocket.
20:58Can you get to it?
20:59I'll try it.
21:01Get a little closer.
21:02Get it, got it.
21:14Oh, I can't get it.
21:17Oh, I can't get it.
21:18There, I got it.
21:20Now, watch your hand.
21:26Hold on, Red.
21:27I'm just about to get it.
21:28Not that way, Red.
21:35You'll never make it.
21:36Stand back, then.
21:37Stand back.
21:40Come on, out the window.
21:42You go first.
21:43No, come on.
21:43Get out, sir.
21:46Come on.
21:47The tracks of Adele's buckboard left an easily red trail.
22:12Tex, let me have your gun.
22:14I'm after a couple of bank robbers.
22:15Oh, come on.
22:17Come on.
22:30Adele's team had plenty of speed.
22:32It was some time before we caught sight of them.
22:34Again, that's a good luck.
22:36Come on.
22:37Let's get it.
22:53I'm after them.
22:55And from those trees over there, we'll fight it out in there.
23:25And from those trees over there, we'll fight it out in there.
23:48Let me have your rifle.
24:11Don't work heavy left, Cassidy! We've had enough!
24:30Come on.
24:32Come on.
24:40Like a lot of others, Adele and Harry thought they were smarter than the law.
24:44And now they'd spend the rest of their lives in the New Mexico State Prison,
24:48learning the hard way that crime never pays.
24:51Hi, little partners.
24:59Have you been doing anything to help Mom around the house lately?
25:02You haven't?
25:04Let's do all we can to help her, huh?
25:08I'll bet you'll have fun doing it, and I know Mom will appreciate it.
25:12Will you do that for me?
25:14Not a next week so long, and good luck.
25:21There he goes on his way
25:24Down the movement trail to where cowboys ran
25:29Hop along, Cassidy
25:33Hop along, Cassidy
25:35So long, hop along
25:45Come on, Cassidy
25:47So long, hop along
25:49Run
25:54Run
25:56Run
25:58Run
25:59Run
26:00Run
26:03Run
26:05Run
26:08Run
26:09Run
26:10Run
26:11Run
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