"Sinister Journey" is one of the last Hopalong Cassidy films. However, despite there being more than five dozen before it, the story is original and is well worth seeing. I appreciate this because MOST B-westerns have 2 or 3 basic plots...and this one doesn't fit into any of them.
When the story begins, Hoppy helps a young couple. It seems that someone deliberately contaminated their well with loco weed...and Hoppy's quick thinking helped the wife feel much better. Then you learn that the husband, Lee, is NOT exactly the local railroad owner's pal, as Lee ran off with his daughter against her father's wishes. They seem happy enough and it looks like Hoppy has made a couple friends.
Soon after this, Hoppy goes to see the father-in-law, Tom Smith. As you'd expect, they know each other and are long-time friends...but Smith insists that Lee is a jerk and he's not about to forgive and forget. Into this animosity lurks a stranger...one who will exploit this animus for his own awful reasons. Soon, Smith is murdered and Lee is set up for the killing....and it's all part of this awful plan. What is the plan and why and who is behind it? See the film.
This film has a lot of false leads and surprises...nearly earning it an 8. Well worth seeing, and if you want to see it, try YouTube as they have the most pristine and well preserved prints--not the trimmed down TV versions of the 1950s.
When the story begins, Hoppy helps a young couple. It seems that someone deliberately contaminated their well with loco weed...and Hoppy's quick thinking helped the wife feel much better. Then you learn that the husband, Lee, is NOT exactly the local railroad owner's pal, as Lee ran off with his daughter against her father's wishes. They seem happy enough and it looks like Hoppy has made a couple friends.
Soon after this, Hoppy goes to see the father-in-law, Tom Smith. As you'd expect, they know each other and are long-time friends...but Smith insists that Lee is a jerk and he's not about to forgive and forget. Into this animosity lurks a stranger...one who will exploit this animus for his own awful reasons. Soon, Smith is murdered and Lee is set up for the killing....and it's all part of this awful plan. What is the plan and why and who is behind it? See the film.
This film has a lot of false leads and surprises...nearly earning it an 8. Well worth seeing, and if you want to see it, try YouTube as they have the most pristine and well preserved prints--not the trimmed down TV versions of the 1950s.