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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Gay Buckaroo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this worth watching today? Honestly, yeah, but only if you have a soft spot for 1930s dust and guys who wear their trousers way too high. 🤠
If you like Hoot Gibson and his weirdly relaxed way of being a hero, you'll have a good time. If you want a deep plot or something that makes you think, you should probably skip this one and watch something else.
The first thing you have to get past is the title, The Gay Buckaroo. Back in 1932, it just meant Clint Hale was a happy, carefree guy, which he definitely is until the gambling starts.
The plot is pretty simple. Clint Hale wants to marry Mildred Field, but Dave Dumont is in the way.
Dave is a gambler and he’s played by Roy D'Arcy. He has one of those faces that just looks like he's about to cheat at poker or kick a puppy. 🃏
I noticed early on that the sound is a bit wonky. It's an early talkie, so everyone sounds like they are shouting at a hidden flowerpot in the middle of the room.
There is a scene where Hoot is just leaning against a fence. He looks so bored that it actually makes him more relatable as a character.
He isn't trying to be a super hero. He's just a guy who wants his ranch and his girl, Mildred, who is played by Merna Kennedy.
Merna is fine, but she doesn't have a whole lot to do except look worried. She spends most of the movie looking like she left the oven on back at the ranch.
Roy D'Arcy as Dumont is the real highlight for me. He leans so hard into the villain role that I expected him to start twirling his mustache every five seconds.
He has this way of looking at the camera that feels a bit like he's in a silent movie still. It’s a bit much, but in a movie this short, I’ll take it.
The movie moves pretty fast. It doesn't overstay its welcome, unlike some other westerns from this era like The Valley of Bravery which can feel a bit sluggish in the middle.
There’s a lot of horse riding. I mean, a lot of horse riding.
Sometimes it feels like they just filmed people riding horses for ten minutes because they didn't have enough dialogue to fill the hour. I don't mind it though, the scenery looks real and the horses look like they actually work for a living.
One thing that bothered me was a background extra who kept looking directly at the lens during a bar scene. He’s just standing there, holding a mug, staring into your soul while Hoot is trying to act.
It’s those little mistakes that make these old movies feel more human to me. It wasn't a polished factory product back then; it was just a bunch of people in the dirt making a flick.
Hoot wasn't like John Wayne. He was more of a comedian in some ways, or at least he didn't take himself as seriously.
In The Gay Buckaroo, he has this little smirk that makes you think he knows the plot is kind of silly. It makes him very likable compared to the stiff heroes you see in Breed of the Border.
There is a specific moment where he gets into a scrap and his hat stays on way longer than it should. Physics just didn't apply to cowboy hats in 1932, apparently.
The writing by Lee R. Brown and Philip Graham White is... well, it's a script. It gets the people from the ranch to the town and back again without too much trouble.
I did find myself wondering why Mildred would even consider the gambler guy. He’s clearly a jerk from the first frame.
But that’s movie logic for you. You need a conflict, even if it’s a bit thin.
If you've seen things like The Sheriff of Hope Eternal, you know what the vibes are here. It's comfort food for people who like the sound of spurs jingling.
I also liked the supporting cast, especially the guys like Skeeter Bill Robbins. These old character actors had so much more personality in their ears than most leads have today.
The ending is exactly what you think it is. No spoilers, but come on, it’s a 1930s Western.
It doesn't have the dark edge of something like Thunderbolt. It’s much more lighthearted.
Is it a masterpiece? No way. Is it better than sitting through a modern three-hour blockbuster that takes itself too seriously? Absolutely. 🐎
It reminds me a bit of High Speed in the way it just tries to entertain you for a bit and then gets out of the way. It’s honest filmmaking.
Sometimes you just want to see a guy ride a horse and save the day. The Gay Buckaroo delivers that, even if the sound is scratchy and the plot has holes big enough to drive a stagecoach through.
I’d say give it a watch if you’re bored on a Sunday afternoon. It’s got a certain soul that’s hard to find now.
Just don't expect it to be If I Were King. It's just Hoot being Hoot, and sometimes that’s enough.
IMDb —
1918
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