Borderland (1937) User Reviews

The Nasty Side of Hoppy!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 14 June 2003]

"Borderland" offered William Boyd to play against type and be nasty to all around including his two sidekicks Johnny Nelson (Jimmy Ellison) and Windy Halliday (George "Gabby" Hayes).

Hoppy is sent undercover to infiltrate the organization of a gang of outlaws headed by "The Fox" (Stephen Morris). He agrees to turn against all of his friends in an effort to convince the outlaws that he is on the level. "The Fox" meanwhile masquerades as the town idiot Loco. Hoppy gradually gains the confidence of the gang but is discovered by Loco before he can bring him in.

Boyd must have enjoyed this one. He gets to belly up to the bar and have a few drinks and even gets nasty with a little girl (the charming Charlene Wyatt). Morris (aka Morris Ankrum) equally has a hoot playing the dim-witted Loco.

According to Phil Hardy in his book "The Western", this film with a running time of 82 minutes was the longest of any series western.

Jimmy Ellison left the series after this film. Hayes still hadn't adopted the "Gabby" moniker at this point. Others in the cast include Trevor Bardette as a Mexican Colonel and the venerable George Chesebro as one of Morris' henchmen.

A very different Hoppy movie.

[jeeves-7 · 7/10 · 30 August 1999]

Unlike most Hopalong Cassidy movies, Borderland shows how well William Boyd can act. The same also goes for Gabby Hayes. In the movie, Hoppy attempts to infiltrate a gang of cattle rustlers whose leader, Fox (appropriately named), has been able to escape detection or capture. Hoppy has been "hired" by the Texas Rangers to track down this gang and its leader. In order to make himself credible to the gang, Hoppy acts and behaves as miserably as he can. Even with close friends such as Jimmy Ellison and Gabby Hayes, he appears very crusty and obnoxious, all in an attempt to appear convincing to the local townsfolk, some of whom are members of the Fox gang. Even with a very friendly woman and her young daughter, Hoppy is quite miserable. What is interesting about the movie is how close Boyd comes to destroying a very popular figure during the 1930s. One can imagine tears flowing from the young audiences of that day because of the reaction of the main characters to Hoppy's demeanor as well as being shocked at the contrast in character to the one William Boyd had cultivated over the years. Another interesting sidelite to viewers, but probably unnoticed by the moviegowers of the day is the leg brace worn by the little girl in the movie. No mention of her handicap is mentioned in the movie, so I concluded that the girl had had polio, a common affliction at that time.

If you want to see a completly different Hopalong Cassidy movie, check this one out.

superior Hoppy movie

[chipe · 7/10 · 8 July 2014]

This movie is generally a treat. Better than most B-movies, it has a superior cast. I particularly liked child actress Charlene Wyatt. She was so sweet and darling. I'm surprised she didn't have a bigger career. Maybe it had to do with her leg brace, which was never commented on in the movie. James Ellison was a fine sidekick for Hoppy. One of the best moments in the movie was the times Hoppy and Ellison rescued each other in the same way. Perhaps the best feature in the movie for Hoppy fans was seeing him act mean and nasty to all his friends, due to his undercover assignment.

Three minor criticisms are (1) at the start of the movie a lot of time was wasted in the top Ranger brass having Ellison arrest Hoppy and bringing him into headquarters so they could ask Hoppy if he would agree to go undercover as a badman to investigate the bad guys. It seemed like a waste of time to me. What if Hoppy said "no" to the assignment? Ellison didn't even ask what he was arresting Hoppy for. Why not just invite Hoppy down? (2) I guess they do this in B-movies like this, but the Fox, who incognito pretends to be addle minded so he can gather information to use for his criminal plans, exposes himself to his large gang. In real life, one of them would turn him in. (3) Unbelievable the way Hoppy simply rides out into the vast desert and easily comes upon the gang, their hideout, clues, a shot bad guy and the scene where Ellison is about to be shot.

Crazy like a fox!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 August 2020]

"Borderland" is the most unusual Hopalong Cassidy film I've seen...though I must admit I still have quite a few more of his movies to watch. In nearly all his films, Hoppy is a nice guy who is beloved by everyone. However, in this film, in order to get to the bottom of a gang, he pretends to go bad....and treats those around him like dirt.

The story begins in Mexico. Mexican officials are hosting some American officials and the Mexicans complain that they are sick of incursions into their country by an American gang lead by an unknown character referred to as 'The Fox'. So, they ask Hopalong to help find the guy...but he knows he cannot find him if everyone thinks Hoppy is a do-gooder. He then orchestrates a fight with the authorities and word is leaked he's been helping cattle rustlers! And, as friends reach out to him and try to help, he treats them horribly. The only one who seems to like him now is 'Loco'...one of the most politically incorrect characters you could imagine! How so? Well, he's a guy who is pretending to be addle-brained...but really he is....well, you can guess!

I am pretty sure William Boyd (Cassidy) liked this change of pace. After all, he's a nasty, cold jerk during much of the movie...not the usual sweet guy with a heart of gold. Playing a nice guy was lucrative...but probably a bit boring. This new Hoppy sure isn't boring!! In some ways, he reminds me of the Lighting Bill Carson films with Tim McCoy, where in order to investigate crime, Bill Carson poses as a Mexican bandit! Both portrayals are fun to watch...though I must admit that the hero pretending to go bad isn't exactly unique. Roy Rogers and Gene Autry also played similar types on rare occasions.

So is this any good? Well, yes. I liked the change of pace as well as the more leisurely pace, with a run time of 82 minutes...making it the longest Hopalong Cassidy film. Overall, one of his better efforts and a nice change of pace.

Outfoxing the Fox

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 22 November 2016]

Borderland finds Hoppy on assignment from both the Texas Rangers and the Mexican Rurales headed by Earl Hodgins and Trevor Bardette respectively. He has to locate and destroy the Mexican outlaw known only as 'The Fox'. The problem here is that no one knows what he looks like.

In order to that Hoppy has to shed his good guy image and become a real louse. Part of the cover is to not tell both Gabby Hayes and Jimmy Ellison and make them think he's gone bad. The better to infiltrate the Fox's gang.

The Fox is one clever and ruthless villain. He literally hides in plain sight. So does Trevor Bardette as Hoppy's contact.

Borderland is a well done Hopalong Cassidy western with Bill Boyd facing a very determined foe.

Hoppy vs. the Fox, Part 1

[Mike-764 · 9/10 · 24 July 2007]

A bandit known as the Fox is leading his band of outlaws burning ranches, rustling cattle, and committing all other sorts of crimes on both the US and Mexican border. Colonel Gonzales, of the Mexican Secret Service, and Major Stafford of the Texas Rangers devise a plan to have Ranger Johnny Nelson arrest Hoppy and have him (unknown to everyone except Col. Gonzalez, Maj. Stafford, and Hoppy) go undercover as an outlaw, be discredited and join the Fox's gang, despite having to go against his character by yelling at everyone from Johnny, Windy, boarding house owner Grace Rand, and her handicapped daughter Molly. Unknown to Hoppy, the Fox is really Loco, the village idiot who is able to find out all sorts of information and pass it on to henchmen Parker and Morgan (who introduces himself as the contact between him and the Fox.) The Fox later suspects that Hoppy is playing a trick with his bad guy persona, and kidnaps Windy and Molly taking them to his shack in the desert. Hoppy follows along, but can he overcome the Fox having his two friends hostage and Morgan and other henchmen racing in the cabin for a shootout. A very different and excellent entry in the series with great performances by the entire cast. Boyd is able to brilliantly go against the Hoppy character that we all are familiar with. Ankrum is able to be sinister (which he always did well) throughout playing both the Fox and Loco. Stunningly photographed and the direction by Watt creates lots of suspense and action, even though at 82 minutes (the longest Hoppy film) there are several slow stops, but is countered by the tense filled climax (perhaps the best of any Hoppy film). Rating, based on B westerns, 9.

Hoppy masquerades as anti-Hoppy, to help outfox 'The Fox'

[weezeralfalfa · 6/10 · 16 January 2019]

This episode of Hopalong Cassidy will make Hoppy fans shudder in disbelief. Hoppy takes on a negative personality, not so different from that of the original Hopalong Cassidy, as described in various books written by Clarence Mulford. Here, Hoppy is nasty even to his long time friends, such as Johnny Nelson(James Ellison) and Windy Haliday(George Hayes), and even to sweet 6y.o. Molly(Charlene Wyatt), to whom he announces "I don't like kids". Only Major Stafford, of the Texas Rangers, and Colonel Gonzales, of the Mexican police, understand why Hoppy has changed so overnight. Of course, Hoppy was initially very reluctant to take on this role, but the Major was persistent that this seemed their best hope for capturing the notorious border bandit labelled 'The Fox' , and his gang. The Fox(Morris Ankrum), in turn, is masquerading as a moron who hangs around town, and is generally known as Loco. Presumably, he does so in hopes of picking up information on potential robbery jobs. When Hoppy first arrives in this border town of El Rio, Loco is shooting up the town, with little Molly on his back, to her mother's(Grace) fright. But, usually Loco just hangs out. .......Loco got wind of the timing of a gold shipment from a gold mine, via burros and Mexicans. He instructs his second in command : Tom Parker, to lead a raid on the burro train. Unfortunately, the Mexicans put up a stiffer defense than expected, and Parker only gets 4 of the 10 burros before retreating, with the loss of several men. When The Fox learns about their only partial victory, he is very disappointed, and shoots Parker dead, appointing Dandy Morgan to take his place........Eventually, The Fox and Morgan become interested in this dishonored gunslinger(Hoppy), and talk about some collaborations. Hoppy demands to be the head of a trail drive of stolen cattle to an appropriate buyer he claims to know. But this never comes about, due to other events...........Windy and Molly emerge from her mother's boarding house, and Molly again talks about her disappointment that Hoppy doesn't seem to like her. Windy suspects Hoppy is up to something in his new persona, but doesn't know what. He tells Molly that Hoppy is just pretending to be nasty, and will get over it eventually. Loco happens to overhear this, and concludes that Hoppy is putting on an act to worm his way into his gang. Loco lures Windy and Molly out of town, to his hideout, saying that Hoppy wants to meet them there. But when they arrive, The Fox emerges from Loco. Meanwhile, Hoppy is actually in town, learns about this journey, and takes off after them. There is a confrontation between Hoppy and The Fox outside his hideout. They strike a bargain. Hoppy will give up his guns, in exchange for the freedom of Windy and Molly, who are told to walk back to town. Inside the hideout, The Fox is about to shoot Hoppy, when Hoppy knocks his gun away and sticks up The Fox. But during this exchange, Hoppy is wounded in the leg, and is about to pass out from loss of blood. Fortunately, Johnny, whom Hoppy had earlier saved from a gunshot wound, arrives and takes over the guarding duty from Hoppy. Meanwhile, The Fox's gang, who were headed toward the hideout, are surprised by a platoon of Mexican police, whom Hoppy had instructed to take this trail,(I'm not sure whether this region is in US or Mexican territory). The two groups start a gun battle. We never learn the outcome, but are supposed to assume that the Mexicans won. The ending is too quickly truncated. Hoppy doesn't get a chance to show the authorities their capture of The Fox, and doesn't get a chance to greet Windy nor Molly in his normal way.........I will say that completely changing Hoppy's personality to make him an effective undercover agent doesn't sound very convincing, as The Fox was never completely satisfied that he wasn't bluffing. The periodic appearance of Molly serves to soften the otherwise serious business..........At 82 min., this was the longest running Hoppy film. It was also James Ellison's last film as Hoppy's young sidekick.

No matter what, the law will eventually triumph.

[PWNYCNY · 10/10 · 14 January 2014]

What is this movie about? It is about how law enforcement lacks the resources to combat crime and as a result needs to enlist the support of the private citizens who may or may not be willing to help. This movie is also about how people are willing to do thankless jobs and also how a criminal element can cleverly infiltrate itself into the fabric of a community. The movie is also about the extraordinary measures that must be taken to weed out corruption. In this movie Hopalong Cassidy is a private citizen who is asked to engage in highly risky work for the good of his community. The implications are obvious -law enforcement itself cannot deal with the problem which suggests a community that is at risk of being overwhelmed by crime and collapsing. This movie was made in the 1930s when the viability of the economic and political system of the United States was being put to the test. The message of this movie is obvious - the country needs an army of Hopalong Cassidys to save it. The criminal element in this movie - a gang of cattle rustlers - are portrayed as being well organized with a system of informants, led by a man who one would not suspect was the head of a crime syndicate. His resourcefulness is impressive and further reinforces the need for radical action to defeat him and his plans. The actual star of this movie is not Hoppy but the bad guy who is able to organize an entire gang that successfully eludes law enforcement until its leader is tricked, which shows that no criminal is ever so smart that they can evade the law. William Boyd of course plays Hopalong Cassidy with much bravado, and Morris Anktrum plays Cassidy's nemesis. Both actors are excellent. Charlene Wyatt plays the little girl who is a symbol of innocence and reason why the community must be preserved.

Disappointing!

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 6 April 2018]

Copyright 26 February 1937 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. No recorded New York showcase. U.S. release: 26 February 1937. 9 reels. Yes, 9 reels - the Mulford novel runs over 300 pages. 82 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Hoppy goes undercover as an outlaw. His quarry: a murderous border gang, led by Morris Ankrum (also playing a pretend role as a harmless half-wit).

NOTES: Don Miller says this one holds the record as the longest "B" series western ever made. Number 9 of the 66-picture series.

COMMENT: Solely of curiosity value, this early Hopalong Cassidy has little to recommend it save some nice exterior photography by Archie Stout. The film is poorly directed by Nate Watt and the action sequences are some of the wettest we've seen (though the climax with Hoppy holding a bleeding gun-wound in his leg has a certain novelty value). Screenplay by Harrison Jacobs does a disservice to Clarence E. Mulford's novel.

OTHER VIEWS: Borderland had a strong plot, a strong villain (Morris Ankrum again) and was strung out to 82 minutes, longest of all series Westerns. It was also the last appearance by Ellison as Johnny Nelson. He had been getting a buildup of sorts, including the role of Buffalo Bill in DeMille's The Plainsman.

• Don Miller.

We need a Hopalong Cassidy today

[hines-2000 · 10/10 · 7 April 2022]

Major Stafford (Earle Hodgins) arrests Hoppy so he can go undercover to try to trap a fox (Morris Ankrum). Sidekicks Windy (Gabby Hayes) and Johnny (James Ellison) are confounded that their trusted partner is a horse thieve. He comes across Loco, "He doesn't have all his machinery" or does he? Charlene Wyatt does a great job as the innocent little girl Molly Rand whose image of Hopalong is shattered when he has to present as a menacing goon to stay undercover. The talented Nora Lane, who left us too soon is wonderful as the boarding house hostess who has to tolerate Hoppy's feigned anger. Wyatt has a great scene with Hoppy in counseling him to "reform". He is protecting the innocence and wisdom of our world's greatest resource, our children. Another message that America needs to learn is that we need patriotic citizens as William Boyd portrayed. With the woeful state we're in now, we need patriots to protect our children and country. Also great performances by John Beach, Trevor Bardette, Al Bridge, John St Polis, and George Cheseboro. Also, great review by PWNYCNY.