Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)

As with many of the early films of Abbott and Costello this one is composed of 3 basic elements: 1) a budding romance, with its ups and downs 2) several lead singers, with songs dispersed through the film 3)comedy, mainly involving Bud Abbott and Lou Costello(A&C): the nominal leads. This was the last of 5 A&C films that Arthur Lubin directed. He would go on to direct most of the 'Francis the Talking Mule' comedy series, about a decade later.Along with several other A&C films, Dick Foran is the romantic lead, getting involved with pretty Anne Gwynne, and doing some singing. With her help, he's in the process of metamorphosing from a fake cowboy and writer of western novels into a real singing cowboy. Thus, he sings "Give Me my Saddle", "I'll Remember April", and "Ride 'Em Cowboy". Surprisingly, Ella Fitzgerald makes 2 cameo appearances, singing "A-Tisket A-Tasket", and "Rockin' and Reeli'",neither of which has anything to do with cowboys. The Merry Macs, consisting of 3 men and a young woman, sing several songs.The film begins with Foran , as 'Bronco' Bob Mitchell, a popular writer of western novels, being honored at a rodeo on Long Island. He's been recently criticized as never having been in the West, and not being a cowboy. He wants to show that he can ride a horse, even though he's never been on one. All goes well, until A&C accidentally let a bull out of its pen, spooking his horse, which dumps him. Anne comes to his rescue, but sustains a bad ankle sprain which knocks her out of the competition for the best female performer. Fortan takes a liking to her, and signs up as a long-term guest at her father's dude ranch in Arizona. He hopes this experience will transform him into a real cowboy, along with romancing Anne.A&C, who are selling peanuts and hotdogs at the rodeo have a series of misadventures with the customers and their boss. They run onto the train that will take Foran and Anne to Arizona just as it is taking off(What about tickets?). All get on the ranch bus. A&C are tentatively hired, but unclear what they can do. Lou is given the task of milking a cow, with occasional coaching from Bud. But Lou is a very poor student, and at the end still has no idea how to do it, pumping the tail like a hand pump. The boys encounter an open store run by Indians. Lou tries out using the bow and arrow, and puts it through the center of a heart drawn on a nearby tent. The Indians say that means he proposed to someone inside. But, Lou isn't interested, and runs away. For the remainder of the film, the Indians pursue him to make him marry her. A&C try out the ranch swimming pool, which has both high and low diving boards. However, when Lou tries to use the low board, he gets hammered on the head with people bouncing in the high board(A very poor arrangement!). Of course, he can't swim.A&C have a time with a fake Indian placed in their room. When they are out, a real Indian looking identical takes it's place(why?). Lou has a dream where he goes to Bud dressed as a doctor to tell about his fear of Indians. Lou then changes into Indian dress. The nurse looks like Anne, except she's dressed as an Indian maiden. Then , Custer and gang show up on one end of his bed, while Sitting Bull and gang show up on the other side, and shoot at each other, with him in the middle.Somehow, Lou ends up on an infamous bucking bronco, and actually stays on for a long time, never being thrown. Good stunt double work, presumably. He should have been in the rodeo! Bud gets on the bronco with Lou, but without a saddle, and somehow stays on until the end.In all, a fun experience, especially for kids. See it on the DVD set The Best of Abbott and Costello, Vol.1.

While the focus is supposed to be on Abbott and Costello in Ride 'Em Cowboy, the main attraction is Ella Fitzgerald. Do not miss her singing the classic tune 'A Tisket, a Tasket.' There are other musical acts featured in this production, and they are just as worthy of viewers' attention.As expected, the motion picture contains inspired comic performances by the main duo and by some of the costars. For the most part, the gags are more than vaudeville-type bits, and they do contribute to the overall storyline-- even if the duo is shifted to the background during the musical scenes and while the romantic leads are falling in love.

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.

Abbott and Costello, working on a rodeo as hot dog salesman accidently let out a bull while on the run from the boss. The bull gets in the path of celebrated western hero 'Bronco' Bob. He panics and it's up to champion cowgirl, Anne to save his life. She injures her ankle and is out of the competition. He apologises but she's having none of it after discovering he's a big fake. Meanwhile, the boys, still on the run from the boss hide on the train which Anne(and Bronco Bob) are on. A hilarious poker game routine occurs here. Lou's facial expressions are hystrical. Anyway, the boys get jobs on the 'Lazy S' ranch which Anne's father owns where Bob asks Anne for forgiveness and asks her to train him for the upcoming rodeo competition. Meanwhile, Costello accidentally shoots an arrow through the heart of a teepee and by law has to marry a girl(probably played by a man) whom the tent is owned by. So the Indians are after him.The boys do all sorts of routines throughout this very very funny outing which won't disappoint any of their fans. Crazy house routine, swimming pool scene, poker scene and the great driving finale are all highlights in one of their best. One or two of the songs slow the pace though (Foran's only).