Bud Abbott and Lew Costello provide plenty of laughs in this comedy Western musical. As Duke and Willoughby, respectively, the boys go from selling peanuts at a New York rodeo show to being hands on a dude ranch in Arizona. Dick Foran plays Bronco Bob Mitchell and croons a couple of songs. The object of his affections is the dude ranch owner's daughter and trick rider Anne Shaw (played by Anne Gwynne). This is Ella Fitzgerald's movie debut, and she sings a couple of numbers as Ruby, including her 1930s hit, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." The Merry Macs sing some cowboy songs.
"Ride 'Em Cowboy" has a few scenes of rodeo performers, and escapades that Lou gets into with Indians. One of the funniest sequences is when Willoughby are told to rope one of the wildest horses for Bronco Bob to break and ride. Somehow, Willoughby winds up on the horse and we see a fast-motion frantically bucking horse. Then, when he tries to help Willoughby get off, somehow Duke winds up on the horse with him. I don't know who they used for doubles, but that was a real bronco-bursting' sequence. I laughed most though at the end of their ride. A quick scene shift shows the boys on a heavily lathered black horse (obviously not the wild bay in the bucking scene). As the horse approaches a fence, a couple of hands take the bridle and help the boys off the horse. As soon as they alight from the horse, we see clearly the swayed back of the horse. It looked as though Lou was sitting in a big notch in the horse's back. What a hoot. That's the funniest looking horse I've ever seen.
Another very funny sequence occurs when the boys have to go to milk the cows. As with all Abbott and Costello movies, this is one the whole family may enjoy.
"Ride 'Em Cowboy" has a few scenes of rodeo performers, and escapades that Lou gets into with Indians. One of the funniest sequences is when Willoughby are told to rope one of the wildest horses for Bronco Bob to break and ride. Somehow, Willoughby winds up on the horse and we see a fast-motion frantically bucking horse. Then, when he tries to help Willoughby get off, somehow Duke winds up on the horse with him. I don't know who they used for doubles, but that was a real bronco-bursting' sequence. I laughed most though at the end of their ride. A quick scene shift shows the boys on a heavily lathered black horse (obviously not the wild bay in the bucking scene). As the horse approaches a fence, a couple of hands take the bridle and help the boys off the horse. As soon as they alight from the horse, we see clearly the swayed back of the horse. It looked as though Lou was sitting in a big notch in the horse's back. What a hoot. That's the funniest looking horse I've ever seen.
Another very funny sequence occurs when the boys have to go to milk the cows. As with all Abbott and Costello movies, this is one the whole family may enjoy.