Three Men from Texas (1940) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

Read More

This 31st entry of the 66 films in the Hopalong Cassidy series marks the first of 35 consecutive appearances, in the remaining films of the series, of Scottish-born comedian Andy Clyde in the role of "California Carlson", although his introduction in this film is as "California Jack" Carlson and his credentials won't bear much scrutiny. The film finds local officers in an outlaw-infested town in California helpless to cope with the situation and a citizens committee comes to Texas and appeals to the Texas Rangers for help in organizing the forces of law and order. Captain Andrews (Morgan Wallace) of the Rangers offers the assignment to Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) and Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden), but Cassidy, whose period of service in the Rangers is almost over, refuses. The as-usual impetuous Lucky takes the job alone. While on patrol duty, Cassidy is following the trail of a large herd of rustled horses and discovers the hide-out of the Bruce Morgan (Morris Ankrum) gang. The place is deserted except for a garrulous old cook who calls himself "California Jack" Carlson, who receives Cassidy who is posing as a Morgan friend and fellow outlaw Ben Stokes (Glenn Strange), whom California does not know. Cassidy arrests the frightened cook as a material witness against the gang and starts for Texas Ranger headquarters. Learning from Carlson that Morgan had planned to leave for the west coast, Cassidy gets permission from Captain Andrews to take up the trail. He is made a U. S. Marshal, which gives him blanket authority, and Carlson is taken along as a guide. Cassidy arrives in Santa Carmen, California just when newly-appointed town sheriff Lucky is foolishly setting out single-haned against Morgan and his gang. Cassidy and California join him and escape following a fight in which Lucky is wounded. They find refuge at the hide-out of Pico Serrano (Thornton Edwards), once rich but now penniless, as he and other Californians have been cheated out of and driven from their homes by the unscrupulous Morgan and his gunmen. Lucky falls in love with Pico's daughter, Paquita (Esther Estrella.) Cassidy organizes a posse and engages Morgan and his gang in a gun fight. Morgan, Stokes and others of the gang storm Pico's hide-out and, during the fighting, Paquita is mortally wounded and dies in Lucky's arms. With an augemented posse, Cassidy again invades Santa Carmen and, following a spectacular fight, Pico kills Morgan, while Gardner (Dick Curtis) and Stokes are taken prisoners.

Cast & Crew

Read More

Lesley Selander

William Boyd

Hopalong Cassidy

Russell Hayden

Andy Clyde

California [Carlson]

Morris Ankrum

Morgan Wallace

Film Details

Also Known As

Ranger Guns West

Genre

Western

Release Date

Nov 15, 1940

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Harry Sherman Productions, Inc.

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Screenplay Information

Based on characters created by Clarence E. Mulford.

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 16m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8 reels

Synopsis

With local officials helpless to cope with the outlaws that are infesting their town, the citizens committee appeals to the Texas Rangers to send an experienced man to organize the forces of law and order. Captain Andrews offers the assignment to Hopalong Cassidy and Lucky Jenkins, but Cassidy, whose service is almost at an end, refuses, and Lucky takes the job alone. After resuming his patrol duties, Cassidy comes upon a dying wrangler and learns that a large herd of horses has been stolen. Following the trail of the rustled herd, Cassidy discovers the hideout of Gardner and his gang. The place is deserted except for the cook, Carlson, who calls himself California. Not suspecting that Cassidy is a lawman, California receives him as Ben Stokes, a notorious outlaw and friend of Gardner. Cassidy arrests California as a material witness against the gang and starts for headquarters. When Gardner's attempt to silence California fails, California switches his allegiance to the law. Learning that Gardner is heading for the West Coast, Cassidy takes up his trail with California as his guide. They arrive in the town of Santa Carmen at the moment that Lucky is about to face Gardner, who has teamed up with outlaw Bruce Morgan. Cassidy and California join Lucky and, following a fight in which Lucky is wounded, they all manage to escape. The three find refuge at the hideout of Pico Serranno who, along with the other citizens of Santa Carmen, have been cheated out of their homes by the unscrupulous Morgan and his gunmen. While Lucky falls in love with Pico's daughter Paquita, Cassidy organizes a posse of citizens and apprehends some of Morgan's men, whom Pico then insists upon hanging. In response, Stokes, Morgan and the others storm Pico's hideout and fatally wound Paquita, who dies in Pico's arms. Cassidy then recruits a larger posse to apprehend the outlaws, and in a spectacular shootout, Pico kills Morgan while Stokes and the others are taken prisoners.

Director

Lesley Selander

Cast

William Boyd

Hopalong Cassidy

Russell Hayden

Andy Clyde

California [Carlson]

Morris Ankrum

Morgan Wallace

Thornton Edwards

Esther Estrella

Paquita Serranno

Davison Clark

Dick Curtis

George Lollier

Glenn Strange

Neyl Marx Juanito

Crew

D. M. Abrahams

Assistant Director

Charles Althouse

Henry Donovan

Joseph W. Engel

Associate Producer

Russell Harlan

Carroll Lewis

Earl Moser

Norton S. Parker

Lewis J. Rachmil

Sherman A. Rose

Supervising Film Editor

Harry Sherman

Victor Young

Film Details

Also Known As

Ranger Guns West

Genre

Western

Release Date

Nov 15, 1940

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Harry Sherman Productions, Inc.

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Screenplay Information

Based on characters created by Clarence E. Mulford.

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 16m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this picture was Ranger Guns West. Modern sources add Robert Burns, Jim Corey, George Morrell, Frank McCarroll and Lucio Villegas to the cast. For additional information on the series consult the Series Index and see entry for Hop-Along Cassidy.

By using this site, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use