Trail Dust: A Dusty Old Ride With Hoppy and the Gang

Is it worth your time?

If you've got a soft spot for 1930s B-westerns, you'll probably get a kick out of Trail Dust. If you need complex character arcs or, I don't know, a plot that doesn't feel like it was written on a napkin, maybe skip this one. It’s pure comfort food for people who like watching horses gallop across the desert for no reason.

William Boyd is doing that stoic, serious thing he does as Hoppy. He doesn't really change his face much, but he doesn't have to. You know exactly what he’s thinking: "I’m going to catch these bad guys, and then I’m going to eat lunch."

The Rhythm of the Trail

The pacing is… well, it’s fast. Maybe too fast? They have to move these cows, and they have to fight the bad guys, and they have to banter, all in about an hour. There’s no room to breathe. Sometimes they’re riding horses, then suddenly they’re in a gunfight, and then they’re back on the horses. It’s a bit dizzying, honestly. 🐎

George 'Gabby' Hayes is in this, obviously. He plays the comic relief, and his voice sounds like someone gargling gravel while reading a poem. It’s great. There’s a scene where he gets flustered by a situation that isn't even that funny, but he sells it so hard you end up smiling anyway.

Odd Little Moments

• The way the extras just sort of stand around in the background during the big fights, looking like they forgot why they’re there.
• The sound of the horses' hooves is way too loud, like they’re running on a wooden stage instead of dirt.
• Those hats. I don't know how they stay on during the chase scenes. Gravity clearly works differently in 1936.

There's a moment toward the middle where the film reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Western Rover. It’s got that same "let's just keep moving and hope nobody notices the holes in the story" vibe. It’s not trying to be The Birth of a Nation, that’s for sure. It’s just a job being done.

The bad guys are total caricatures. You can spot them a mile away because they scowl at everything and have shifty eyes. It’s almost funny how obvious it is. I found myself wishing just once someone would be a bad guy but also, I don't know, like to garden or something. Just give me one hobby, guys!

Anyway, it’s a short, punchy watch. If you’re tired of modern movies that go on for three hours and explain every little thing, this is the perfect antidote. It doesn't ask much of you. It just wants you to sit there and watch some cowboys get into trouble. That's fine by me. 🤠