The movies are formulaic and predictable. They provide a
certain appeal, though. Back when they were made, even B-movies deserved high-quality
attention. The photography is well-composed and stunning, if repetitive. The dialogue
is trite and sparse, if maudlin. Even a person advanced in age can understand
the words, a welcome relief from the mumbled incoherence of today’s band of “actors.”
The filming formula follows the practice initiated by D.W. Griffith in Intolerance. As the films enter the
final denouement, the scenes get
shorter and more dynamic. This contrasts well with the aggravating practice of
modern directors who aren’t above a forty-minute car chase spoiling the final
solution.
In short, old Hopalong benefited from a professionalism that
eludes the angst-ridden “bumbalongs” that produce today’s offerings. Best of
all, goodness, morality, and admirable motives always rule the day as the hero
carries out his business. As an added bonus, one can sometimes catch a glimpse
of then-unknown actors. I’ve noticed Jason Robards, Robert Mitchum, George
Reeves, and others doing bit, or sometimes major, parts. Hope springs eternal.
There is, sadly, a lack of African-American characters in these
films. The works emanated from the 1940s and 1950s, after all. Native Americans,
Hispanics, and Chinese appear frequently, and Hoppy, on his horse Topper,
always serves as their protector. The films also contain a parade of
strong female character, some as mean as snakes. Hoppy converts those he can
and sends the others away for safekeeping. Ethical confusion never spoils the
ending of a Hopalong Cassidy film.
It all takes me back to a time before “situational morality”
became an acceptable social motivator. Those old films remind one of Ansel
Adams photographs or Dickens novels. In the photographs, Adams creates a range
from pure white to pure black with the tones between providing our eyes a feast.
And, like a work by Dickens, a “Hoppy” film includes characters from purely good to purely evil. Much of the crowd operates somewhere in between, but the good
always wins.
Hopalong would never have mocked a disabled person. Nor
could he have told a lie for personal gain, only during a ruse to trap an egocentric
evildoer bent on deluding the honest but reason-challenged town folks. He
solved problems by straight talk and righteous reasoning. His job was to join
the community through love, not divide it through hatred. What a concept that
is.
Yeah, yeah. The films are fluff, and watching them, even as
background, seems to be a strange gig for a person of such taste and
sophistication. But early mornings are for eccentricities, and, if you ask me,
America could benefit these days from more Hopalongs and fewer “Liealongs.”
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| Here he comes. |
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