CAST: William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Elaine Riley, John Kellogg, Don Haggerty, Stanley Andrews, Harry Strang, John Butler, Herbert Rawlinson, Will Orleans, Wayne C. Treadway.
Running time: 59 minutes. (Available on an excellent Platinum Disc DVD).
COMMENT: If you're not a railroad fan, you'll probably not enjoy this movie a quarter as much as I did. Actually photographed in the Owens Valley yards of the Carson and Colorado Railroad, it's a real feast for steam locomotive buffs. Admittedly, the story, such as it is, runs a distinct second place. Little more than an excuse to photograph freight trains, it offers nothing along the lines of conventional "B"-western action and not a great deal more in the way of suspense. We know who the villain is right from the start - and Hoppy himself is on the right trail from the word "go" too. Alas, there's no femme interest either. The one girl in the cast is placidly played by Elaine Riley, minus the enigmatic demeanor she vividly brought to her role in The Devil's Playground (number 55 in the series). Stanley Andrews plays the railroad chief in his usual bombastic style and almost manages to convince us that he's as stupid as the script paints him (although how such a thickhead comes to be in charge of a railroad is not explained). Hoppy, looking particularly well-groomed in light gray, does not carry a gun and leaves all the action to the hired help. This must be the only entry in which his long-time stunt double, Ted Wells, was not employed. Best acting comes from little-known Will Orleans as a shakedown hobo. Not that it matters. In this one, the trains take center stage!
Running time: 59 minutes. (Available on an excellent Platinum Disc DVD).
COMMENT: If you're not a railroad fan, you'll probably not enjoy this movie a quarter as much as I did. Actually photographed in the Owens Valley yards of the Carson and Colorado Railroad, it's a real feast for steam locomotive buffs. Admittedly, the story, such as it is, runs a distinct second place. Little more than an excuse to photograph freight trains, it offers nothing along the lines of conventional "B"-western action and not a great deal more in the way of suspense. We know who the villain is right from the start - and Hoppy himself is on the right trail from the word "go" too. Alas, there's no femme interest either. The one girl in the cast is placidly played by Elaine Riley, minus the enigmatic demeanor she vividly brought to her role in The Devil's Playground (number 55 in the series). Stanley Andrews plays the railroad chief in his usual bombastic style and almost manages to convince us that he's as stupid as the script paints him (although how such a thickhead comes to be in charge of a railroad is not explained). Hoppy, looking particularly well-groomed in light gray, does not carry a gun and leaves all the action to the hired help. This must be the only entry in which his long-time stunt double, Ted Wells, was not employed. Best acting comes from little-known Will Orleans as a shakedown hobo. Not that it matters. In this one, the trains take center stage!