Ride ‘Em Cowboy (1942)

• Year: 1942
• Released: 13 Feb 1942
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035252/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ride_em_cowboy
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: Approved
• Genre: Comedy, Western
• Runtime: 82 min
• Writer: Edmund L. Hartmann, Harold Shumate, True Boardman
• Director: Arthur Lubin
• Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Foran
• Keywords: musical, black and white,

	6.5/10
	46% – Audience

Ride ‘Em Cowboy Storyline

On “‘Bronco’ Bob Mitchell Night” at the Greater New York Benefit Rodeo, newspaper columnist Martin Manning tells his friends that Bob will not show up, as he has exposed the singing cowboy and author as a fraud. Bob, whose only experience with the West comes from the books he writes, foils the reporter, however, by successfully mounting a horse for the very first time in his life and singing to the appreciative throng. Later, peanut and hot dog vendors Duke and Willoughby accidentally set a bull loose backstage, and rodeo rider Anne Shaw is forced to save Bob when he falls off his horse directly in front of the wild animal. Anne is injured in the rescue, costing her a chance at the rodeo’s $10,000 grand prize and the much needed publicity for her father’s dude ranch in Arizona. She returns home to Gower Gulch, only to discover that Bob has been on the train with her, having made reservations at her father’s “Lazy S” ranch. Duke and Willoughby end up in Gower Gulch as well, and when Willoughby mistakenly becomes engaged to Indian girl Moonbeam, the two escape to the “Lazy S,” where they are hired on as cowboys by ranch foreman Alabama Brewster. Meanwhile, Manning enters Bob in the local charity rodeo, so the writer convinces Anne to train him to become a real cowboy. Later, the local Indians abduct Duke and Willoughby during a barbecue, and they tell Willoughby to prepare for his wedding to Moonbeam. Meanwhile, Anne and Bob discover their true feelings for each other when he falls off his horse while learning to trick ride, and confirm their love on a moonlight ride. Afraid of his prospective in-laws, Willoughby, meanwhile, dreams that he is sent to “Dr. Ha-Ha’s Sanitarium,” which is fully staffed by Indians. Later, Bob is approached by crooked bookmaker Ace Henderson, who tells him that Anne’s father has placed a $1,000 bet on the “Lazy S” team in the state rodeo championship. Bob agrees to take over Mr. Shaw’s bet, and he is given ten to one odds. Ace later tells Alabama that the rodeo has been “fixed,” but when the ranch foreman refuses to go along with the plot, he is abducted by Ace’s henchmen. When the day of Frontier Day Celebration/State Rodeo Championship finally arrives, Duke and Willoughby tell Anne that Bob has bet against the “Lazy S” team. Thinking the worse, she leaves him behind at the ranch, but Bob manages to get a ride from his two accusers to the rodeo. Along the way, the three are ambushed by Ace’s men, and Bob is taken prisoner. Bob and Alabama escape from Ace’s hideout, but Alabama is wounded. Meanwhile, Duke and Willoughby are chased through the wilderness by Moonbeam’s tribe. They finally elude the angry Indians, find Bob and Alabama and arrive at the rodeo just in time for Bob to win the bronco riding contest. After the “Lazy S” wins the rodeo competition, Bob and Anne are reunited, and Willoughby escapes his “bow and arrow” wedding by having Duke disguise himself as Moonbeam.

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Ride ‘Em Cowboy Movie Reviews

It’s a pleasant enough film but a bit of a disappointment to Abbott and Costello fans.

Sadly, while this is billed as an Abbott and Costello film, like their earliest films, they really are supporting actors and there is a main love story that detracts from the comedy. Other than HOLD THAT GHOST, it wasn’t until later that the boys truly were the stars of their films–no longer having to share the spotlight with an irrelevant love story that didn’t involve them. As for Abbott and Costello, like in so many of these early films they just seem to be along for the ride and to provide some laughs.

In many ways, the main plot from RIDE ‘EM COWBOY is obviously inspired by the Dick Powell film, COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN (1938). In COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN, Dick Powell plays a popular movie cowboy who really knows nothing about being a cowboy. Heck, he’s even afraid of horses!! In RIDE ‘EM COWBOY, Dick Foran plays a writer who writes cowboy novels and has developed a reputation as a great cowboy, though he doesn’t know the first thing about it. So, unlike Powell, Foran sets out to learn what he can about roping and horses and the like. Ironically, Dick Foran is in both films!

Another complaint I have about the film is that it has a lot of irrelevant music. Sure, Foran has a lovely voice as does Ella Fitzgerald (who appears out of no where to sing), but isn’t this supposed to be a comedy?! Like too many of their early films for Universal, they are not only saddled with a romantic plot but too many songs that are just distractions. It seems insane to me that these executives were crazy as were the ones who forced the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy (in a few films only) and other comedians to step back for these song and dance numbers.

Unfortunately, since so much time is devoted to these irrelevancies, the film really doesn’t have all that much Abbott and Costello and the material they are given isn’t their best stuff. As a result, it’s a pleasant enough film but a disappointment to Abbott and Costello fans and is among the worst of their early films.

Abbott and Costello

Bronco Bob Mitchell is the star of the rodeo. His book makes him sound like a real cowboy. He may be a good singer but a poor horseman. Duke (Bud Abbott) and Willoughby (Lou Costello) are peanut and hot dog sellers at the event. They cause a problem which exposes Bronco Bob’s deficiency and he’s saved by cowgirl Anne Shaw. The boys get trapped while hiding from the boss. They all end up on a dude ranch.

It’s a musical comedy. Abbott and Costello are in a lot of these where they are the comic relief in their own movies. They are good fun but I always wish that they are the subjects of the story. Instead, they do bits in their sections while the story happens around them. It would be more interesting if Abbott plays Bronco Bob. It’s still plenty fun with their banter but they should be playing the lead roles.

A Bow and Arrow Wedding

When Universal found they had a gold mine in two burlesque comedians named Bud Abbott and Lou Costello they rushed them into film after film. In the early years of their Unviersal contract the boys did film after film. Since Universal did most of it’s product on the cheap for a major studio Bud and Lou became major moneymakers.

Have you ever noticed that in their earliest films while they are top billed, Bud and Lou are extraneous to the plot. There’s usually some romantic story plot and always some musical entertainment. Ride ‘Em Cowboy fits this formula perfectly. Dick Foran who appeared in three Abbott and Costello films in this period is a western story writer who’s publicity agent has made him a western superhero. Foran sings real nice, but he can barely ride a horse. Anne Gwynne, daughter of a dude ranch owner, learns the truth and spurns him. But the smitten Foran is determined to make himself all the cowboy she expects of him.

Dick Foran who had done some singing cowboy films at Warner Brothers in the Thirties was now at Universal and he had a pleasant singing voice and an easy manner that never intruded on the comedy of Bud and Lou. A big hit song for the World War II years, I’ll Remember April, was introduced by him in this film.

And if Foran introducing a hit song wasn’t enough, Universal got the Merry Macs to perform a few numbers and Ella Fitzgerald reprised her A Tisket A Tasket hit from the mid thirties. Something for everyone.

But after all this is Bud and Lou’s film and they have some good moments themselves. Funniest I think is Costello trying to break a horse and he literally ropes Abbott along for the ride.

Douglass Dumbrille plays an Indian chief. For me, just the sight of the polished villainous Mr. Cedar of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in an Indian suit is funny enough. But Costello shoots an arrow through the painted heart of his daughter’s tepee which in that tribe is a marriage proposal. Costello is going to be wed to an Indian princess who looks like Rosie O’Donnell. He balks at the prospect and a running gag throughout the film is Dumbrille and the tribe chasing Costello to get him to the altar in a bow and arrow wedding. This same gag with the same principal players is used in their later film Lost in a Harem for MGM.

This is one of my favorite Abbott and Costello films and when you get to see it, it will be a favorite of your’s as well.