Wide Open Town (1941)

Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) and his saddlemates Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden) and California Carlson (Andy Clyde) , are on the trail looking for some cattle that had been rustled from the Bar-20 Ranch, and come upon the town of Gunsight, a wide open frontier town. The center of attraction is the Paradise Saloon, owned by Belle Langtry (Evelyn Brent), who also the brains of a band of outlaws. Opposing Belle is Jim Stuart (Morris Ankrum) , town mayor and newspaper owner. After a town meeting, he and his young daughter Joan (Cara Williams) decide to run a Page One editorial condemning Belle and the Paradise. Meanwhile, in the Paradise, Belle is plying a prospector, Pete Carter (George Cleveland) , who has just made a strike. He leaves drunk, and is followed by Belle's henchmen, Steve Fraser (Victory Jory) and Ed Stark (Glenn Strange.) They return with Carter's claim and hand it to Belle. She mounts her horse and heads for the county seat to file the claim at a mad gallop. Hoppy sees her and believing her horse out of control gallops after her and stops the horse. Belle, thinking he knows about the murder of Carter, pulls a gun on him, but he explains and Belle invites him to visit her at the Paradise. The editorial is published, and Fraser and Stark go to the newspaper office and proceed to wreck it just as Hoppy and his saddlemates ride in and they chase the intruders off. The grateful Stuart tells Hoppy of the lawlessness and induces Hoppy to become the town marshal. Hoppy visits the Paradise and Belle tells the angry Fraser to let her deal with him her own way and invites Hoppyto have a drink with her. He orders a whiskey-and-tabasco and lets it fly into Stark's face.The Vigilante Committee , which now includes town marshal Hoppy, decide on a ruse to get the goods on Belle. They send cowhand Hank (Hank Bell) to the saloon feigning drunkenness and he tells Belle there is a shipment of $20,000 on the morning train. Stark and his henchmen meet the train but instead of finding the money they find Hoppy and his friends. Following a gunfight, Stark is taken prisoner. In order to find the gang's hideout, Hoppy arranges to let Stark escape. Hoppy and the vigilantes follow him and come upon a hidden valley where they see the rustled Bar-20 cattle grazing. Fraser hears about this and decides to deal with Hoppy his way this time. He accuses Belle of double-crossing and of falling for Hoppy, and makes her a prisoner in the Paradise. He then arms his remaining henchmen and posts them around Gunsight to ambush Hoppy and friends when they return. Joan escapes from the newspaper office and rides out to warn Hoppy. The vigilantes return and engages the outlaws in a terrific gun battle, during which Fraser and Stark are killed, and Belle is wounded. Hoppy hands Belle over to the state authorities, resigns as town marshal, and he, Lucky and California , driving the Bar-20 cattle before them, start out for their Bar-20 home.