Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 25, 2025

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Hopalong Cassidy: The Legacy Collection Volume One from ClassicFlix.

William Boyd had already had a rather significant and successful career as both a matinee idol and leading man by the time the Hopalong Cassidy films came along, but even so, the long running film franchise (and, later, television series) absolutely cemented Boyd's cinematic persona as virtually indistinguishable from the (in the original version at least) irascible cowboy created by Clarence E. Mulford. The Hopalong Cassidy series was a huge money maker for Paramount for around five or six years beginning in 1935, attracting such consistent box office returns that these so-called "B" movies were often exhibited at emporia that would otherwise have thumbed their nose at such "lowbrow" fare. The series continued at United Artists for several more years after leaving Paramount, first under the imprimatur of original producer Harry Sherman, but then Boyd himself, and Boyd's "management" of the series and subsequent smart rights acquisitions meant Boyd was able to also exploit the character on both radio and in one of the first "smash hit" television series to hit the airwaves in 1949. Kind of interestingly, the series may have actually given birth to two firmly cemented screen personae, in that frequent sidekick George Hayes, who ultimately recurred as a character named Windy Halliday, later matriculated over to Republic Pictures playing much the same character there in a slew of westerns under the (mandated) new name of "Gabby" Hayes. ClassicFlix, which has already offered collectors Blu-ray releases devoted to The Little Rascals and The Abbott and Costello Show, is now evidently embarking on a new set of releases devoted to this western icon, and considering the fact that there were 66 Hopalong Cassidy features made over the course of a decade and a half or so, this could be a rather extended set of discs. This premiere release offers the first three Hopalong Cassidy films, when certain aspects of the character and his cohort were still being developed.

This third Hopalong Cassidy effort sees one costuming oddity and the introduction of what would become a recurring character. In the first category Hoppy uncharacteristically dons a white hat, and in the second George Hayes begins his long run as the locquacious Windy Halliday, whom he would continue to portray until he left for apparently greener pastures at Republic, where was famously rebranded, evidently by fiat after having been warned not to continue utilizing Windy, as Gabby. In terms of plotting, it isn't exactly surprising to find this film more or less revisiting the general machinations of Hop-a-Long Cassidy, including Hoppy taking on nefarious rustlers and the very ranch name in the film's title.

Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bar 20 Rides Again is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. The only film in this set that ClassicFlix offers some prefatory text about is The Eagle's Brood, but their website mentions that the bulk of these restorations were culled from a variety of sources, "including negatives and fine grains". To my eyes, this was the most consistently pleasing transfer in the first volume of Hoppy films. It can feature better delineated contrast and some at least marginally deeper blacks than Hop-a-Long Cassidy, and the overall presentation has a crisper look, with some really gorgeous accounts of the background scenery. Fine detail in close-ups and even some midrange shots is commendable. Grain resolves without any issues. Age related wear and tear can be spotted, but it's pretty miniscule.

Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bar 20 Rides Again features another DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track like the two other films in this set. As with those tracks, there's noticeable hiss running throughout the presentation, but this doesn't have the same thin brash sound in the higher frequencies the two other films can offer, and some of the music, as in the charming credits tune sung by none other than Chill Wills (!) actually has a rather nice midrange. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. My score is 3.75. Optional English subtitles are available.

Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Since this is in essence a triple feature on one disc, there are both film specific supplements as well as some that are more generalist in nature.

• Audio Commentary by film historian Ed Hulse on Hop-Along Cassidy can be accessed either under the Bonus Features menu or the Play menu for this film.


• Audio Commentary by film historian Toby Roan on Bar 20 Rides Again can be accessed either under the Bonus Features menu or the Play menu for this film.


• William Boyd - Becoming Hopalong Cassidy (HD; 32:33) is a really excellent overview of Boyd's early career and ultimate metamorphosis into Hopalong.


• Hopalong in Hoppyland (HD; 9:29) is an archival newsreel type short documenting Boyd's pre-Disneyland amusement park.


• Bonus Reels (HD; 7:03) are snippets culled from the Hopalong Cassidy Film Archive. These have no sound.


• The Eagle's Brood Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:14)


• Image Gallery (HD; 2:17)

The insert sleeve features an inner print with plot synopses and key art.

Bar 20 Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is probably the least effective of the opening hat trick of Hopalong features, if only because it's so seemingly deliberately similar to the first film. Still, there's some standout material here, as in the technically amazing traveling shot of the stagecoach in the opening vignette, which must have been done on the back of a flatbed truck or something similar, and which helps to invest the film with an opening salvo that unfortunately may not be consistently sustained. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements very appealing. With caveats noted, Recommended.