Copyright 23 June 1944 by United Artists Productions, Inc. A Harry A. Sherman Productions picture, released through United Artists. No New York showcase. U.S. release: 23 June 1944. Australian release: 7 December 1944. 5,441 feet. 60 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Hoppy runs for sheriff, but is defeated when all the rotten eggs in town vote for his rival. He decides to impeach the sheriff but gang boss Tad Hammond hires forty gunslingers to stop him! NOTES: Number 54 of the 66-picture series, and the last to be produced by Harry "Pop" Sherman. When the series resumed in 1946, Boyd himself financed and produced with art director Rachmil acting as his associate. In 1944, Boyd continued his grip on 2nd place in the U.S. money-making list of movie cowboys. Boyd had held this position since 1937, except for 1942 when he came in 3rd to Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Negative cost: $129,925.73. Initial domestic rentals gross: $114,891.40. The last of the Harry Sherman Productions. And no wonder! It was the first of the series to lose money. COMMENT: Some solid action sequences at the climax and an invigorating action montage start, fail to compensate for some very shallow comic relief. Another barrier to satisfactory entertainment in this offering is that what promised to be some lively action material around the halfway mark turns out pretty tame, partly because all this footage was shot without benefit of Boyd's presence. He was cut in later. Outside of a few nice photographic touches by Russell Harlan, some genuine stunt work by Jimmy Rogers, and the charming presence of Miss Currie, the rest of the film is a bit dull. Dumbrille is an oddly dispirited villain. Mort Glickman's music score is strictly "B" material. (Available on an excellent Platinum Disc DVD). The last of the Harry Sherman Productions.

It's a pretty routine Hoppy until we get to that great suspension bridge. What an inspired piece of action, well staged and photographed. It's Hoppy and bad guy Hammond (Dumbrille) trying to stay on the life line high above the chasm, while knocking the other guy off. It's the movie's centerpiece, and I'm wondering if the tightrope was built for this film, or more likely, left over from a big-budget production. Either way, it's a visual treat.Anyway, Hoppy's a sheriff mixed up in a crooked election master-minded by that fine arch- villain from many a costume epic, Douglas Dumbrille. To oust Hoppy, Hammond assembles forty thieves just like a frontier Ali Baba. Now Hoppy has his hands full, especially in the main street showdown. Not much hard riding or good scenery, however.Several notable features. Screenplay is by ace writer Michael Wilson who later penned a number of prestige films, including Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Watch for Kirk Allyn as Hammond's feckless sheriff. So how does the screen's first Superman become a "do nothing" sheriff! Speaking of feckless, poor Jimmy Rogers comes across like a big zero and even looks a little like a young jimmy Durante, of all people. Not so, the luscious looking Louise Currie. Too bad they gave her so little to do—just count her lines. Anyway, Bill Boyd is his usual great Hoppy, making the whole thing an entertaining 60 minutes

This episode of the series hits the ground running from the first scene as Hoppy cleans up the territory while newspaper proclaim this with banner headlines.It's a shoe-in that Hoppy will be re-elected town sheriff, that is until parolee, Tad Hammond rides into town. Still smarting from been sent up the river by Hoppy years earlier, he vows revenge and with the help of the local gangs, he rigs the election. Saloon owner, Doyle is installed as puppet sheriff and the crooks think they've won. Up to the point where Hoppy gives them an ultimatum to leave town and gives the warning of what will happen if they don't in the summary above.Hoppy has his black duds on and his steely gaze is full on too. Even California proves he isn't quite the bumbling comic relief when he saves Hoppy from a back-shooter. Sadly, Jimmy Rogers is useless and just gets tied up at any occasion.Good action all the way through with a big shoot out at the finale and a classic fight on a swaying rope bridge above the river. All of which may be clichés now but still entertaining just the same.

"Forty Thieves" was the 54th and final Hopalong Cassidy series western produced by Harry "Pop" Sherman. It is nonetheless an above average entry in the long running series. It was directed by long time series director Lesley Selander. The production values remained high and the supporting cast was filled with a cast of veteran players.Hoppy (William Boyd) is the sheriff who has driven out all of the bad elements from the town with the help of his trusty deputies California Carlson (Andy Clyde) and Jimmy Rogers (Jimmy Rogers). The film starts out with several hard ridin' chase sequences of Hoppy chasing down the baddies. One day an old nemesis Tad Hammond (Douglas Dumbrille) rides into town. It seems that Hoppy had been responsible for Hammond's recent imprisonment.Hammond vows revenge. Since Hoppy is running for re-election as sheriff, Hammond plans to run his own candidate for the office with a little help from his friends. His candidate is the spineless gambler Jerry Doyle (Kirk Alyn). So Hammond calls in the forty thieves of the title to ensure that Doyle wins. The forty thieves include such "B" western veteran heavies as Glenn Strange, Hal Taliaferro, Bob Kortman and Jack Rockwell.The heroine and love interest of Rogers is Katherine Reynolds (Louise Currie) the daughter of upstanding citizen Judge Reynolds (Robert Frazer).Hammond fixes the election and Doyle is proclaimed sheriff. Hoppy then decides that it is time to clean up the town once more. He is aided by his former boss Buck Peters (Herbert Rawlinson) and the boys of the Bar 20. After a classic climatic gunfight justice prevails and California provides the standard "leave 'em laughing" ending.This would be the last Cassidy feature for two years. Boyd would take over production of the series in 1946 and crank out a further 12 installments before moving on to TV in the early 50s.Kirk Alyn (Doyle) is best remembered for playing Superman in two Columbia serials (1948 & 1950)."Pop" Sherman could hold his head up high as he signed off from the series for the last time.