Copyright 4 December 1941 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 4 March 1942. U.S. release: 13 February 1942. Australian release: 24 September 1942. 7,859 feet. 87 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An author of dime-novel westerns who pretends to be a real cowboy is in danger of being exposed as a fake. So he books himself into a dude ranch in Arizona to learn about the real thing. A pretty cowgirl whom he bumps into at a rodeo has something to do with this decision. On arrival at the Lazy S, however, he discovers he has a rival for the lady's affections. Matters are further complicated by the town gambler who kidnaps the ranch foreman in order to prevent him competing in the local rodeo.COMMENT: Beautifully photographed and directed with some element of visual style - particularly in its spectacular action climax which incorporates some good stunts excitingly filmed with running inserts on actual locations (though process screen inserts and equally obvious undercranking don't help). Dick Foran gets to sing a couple of songs, including the beautiful melody "I'll Remember April", as well as joining a jostling parade for the rousing title tune (reminds us of Rio Rita). Anne Gwynne makes an attractively personable heroine and is effectively doubled for her stunts. The agreeable Johnny Mack Brown is also on hand. Helping out with the singing chores are the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald and the so-called Merry Macs. The support players headed by Richard Lane, Douglass Dumbrille and Samuel S. Hinds include a number of our firm favorites. The movie is colorful, very slickly produced and often most effectively staged. The script on which the musical numbers are pegged is pleasantly light, the songs themselves are appealing, the players ingratiating. The only thing mostly missing is fun. Abbott and Costello are a couple of damp squibs. Their material is a wet blanket of tired slapstick and verbal bullying. Not only are their puns weak and unfunny, but their gauche, unstylish slapstick fails to strike even the mildest of sparks. Worse, obvious doubles and stuntmen substitute for the oafish comics whenever there's any real work to be done, as in the bronco-busting sequence.

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.

Ella Fitzgerald, in her first screen role, plays Ruby, who fills several roles as one of the employees of the ranch. At the opening rodeo, she is dressed as a rodeo clown, and comes to Anne's side when she is hurt. Later in the film, she can be seen removing an apron before singing. Ella sings A-Tisket, A-Tasket in the bus, as the ranch crew drives from the railway station to the ranch. Ruby and the other employees interact playfully during the song.In the one dance scene in the film, a square dance is being held in a barn. The Merry Macs interrupt the square dance caller with the musical question, "What kind of old fashion jive is that you've got?" And end up telling him "Don't be a chump. Do a square dance, but make it jump." They then launch into an upbeat swing tune. The Macs sing "Ruby, Ruby. We want Ruby", and ask her to come out and sing jive. She takes off her apron and sings a few verses. Still singing, she introduces dancers who will "show you how they drop the square. You know. Back in Harlem up on Sugar Hill." Several couples come out and put on quite a display of Lindy Hop. Ruby and the Macs each take a turn with additional verses, and over a dozen couples take the floor doing swing. Well known swing dancers Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan dance along side the other couples in this scene. Although Dean is known for a smooth style of Lindy, he and Jewel perform two "around the block" moves, as well as some energetic kicks during their short time on camera. Most of the songs in the film are cowboy songs, which were very popular at the time. The presence of Ella Fizgerald and swing dancers demonstrates another popular music and dance of the early 1940s.

Abbott and Costello found themselves in a wide variety of films; "Ride 'em Cowboy" is their take on mangling the Western genre. They're aided by genuine "B" Western stars Johnny Mack Brown and Dick Foran along with pretty Anne Gwynne as the romantic interest for Foran's character, Bronco Bob Mitchell. Bronco Bob is largely a mythical character, invented by Mitchell when he was a starving writer. But his Western stories were hugely successful, so the Mitchell exploits grew larger than life until he can no longer live up to the image of his creation. Arriving at the Lazy S Ranch, Mitchell and the boys take a stab at dude ranch life and try to get ready for the annual rodeo celebration, in which Mitchell has agreed to compete. Therein lies the recipe for this Abbott and Costello brand of Western fun.With no sign of the Andrews Sisters from their earlier films, the musical chores are picked up by The Merry Macs and Ella Fitzgerald. A quick peek at Ella's filmography reveals that her standard "A-Tisket, A-Tasket was performed in seven films between 1939 and 1948, and it's done here in fine fashion. Dick Foran also croons a tune as the obligatory singing cowboy.Lou Costello proved he could ride a runaway torpedo in 1941's "Keep 'Em Flying"; here he does the same on a stampeding bronco, with Bud along for the ride. The film also offers some of the same sight gags found in Warner Brothers cartoons of the era, notably Lou's having his "palm re(a)d" in a dream sequence dominated by Indians."Ride 'em Cowboy" gallops along at a fairly quick eighty six minute run, a lot of it at a frenetic pace. Abbott and Costello fans will enjoy their favorites here, as the boys show they can be at home in any setting.