Actress Dorothy Page appeared in the last of her three horse operas at Grand National as a hard-riding, sharpshooting dame with lyrics on her lips that she warbles as melodiously as a songbird. When the guys aren't referring to her as a female Buffalo Bill, they're calling her Annie Oakley in director Samuel Diege's B-movie western "Ride 'Em, Cowgirl," an oater that observes all the clichés and conventions of the genre. Incidentally, for what it is worth, this trim, black & white, 53-minute melodrama is a modern-day western. People tool around in jalopies, and you can spot a phone hanging off the wall. "Singing Cowboy" scribe Adolph Hoerl's screenplay is better-than-average, with the usual stock characters, but "Ride 'Em, Cowgirl" may qualify as the earliest sagebrusher where the villains use a depleted mine as a cover to bring illegal silver into the United States. The chief adversary, Sandy Doyle (Harrington Reynolds), is referred to as "foreigner" who is shifty enough to get anything that he wants. According to one character, Doyle is as notorious as they come. Aside from using the mine as a way to justify their silver shipments, "Ride 'Em, Cowgirl" predates the Spaghetti western "My Name Is Nobody," where the villains worked a similar scheme but with gold instead of silver. When our heroine and heroes aren't battling Doyle and his henchmen, they sing songs, like "I Love The Wide Open Spaces," and "A Campfire, A Prairie Moon and You." Character actor Vincent Barrett and Lynn Mayberry provide comic relief, while Milton Frome plays it cool as a stranger in town who is sympathetic to our heroine's plight.
Sandy Doyle wants Hele Rickson's ranch, but neither Helen (Dorothy Page) nor her father 'Ruf' Rickson (Joseph W. Girard) are willing to sell. Consequently, Sandy cheats 'Ruf' are cards to get the old man in a hole that he cannot pay his way out of no matter what happens. Meantime, the Towanda Rodeo is imminent, and Helen believes she can win the $5000 to pay for her debts. Quick-witted schemer that Doyle is, he figures way in plain sight to incriminate 'Ruf' and Helen. First, he has his henchmen watch Helen and company. They notice that Sheriff Larson (Frank Ellis) hands over a bag containing five thousand in cash. Later, after dark, Doyle's henchmen burglarize the Rickson ranch and steal the five grand. The clever and crafty Doyle accuses 'Ruf' of using the five grand to pay off his gambling debts. Sheriff Larson is about to arrest the elder Rickson when Helen empties her holster and holds them at bay long enough to escape aboard her white stallion. Two strangers, Oliver Shea (Milton Frome) and his partner Dan Haggerty (Vince Barrett of "Scarface"), are stretching telephone wire and looking inconspicuous until Oliver takes sides with 'Ruf' when Doyle tries to cheat him. Oliver tries to buddy up to Doyle, but things don't work out as planned. Dan takes two of Doyle's henchmen to Silver Creek where they are supposed to be held. Nevertheless, the henchmen break out and warn Doyle. Of course, Dorothy triumphs in the long run and eventually learn that Oliver and Dan are Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. The 'hallucination of affections' scene where Helen's house guest Belle reprimands a nosy Deputy Sheriff for interfering with her as she is romancing Dan is hilarious. Our heroine displays a cool head under fire. Mind you, this is a low-budget B-oater, but "Ride 'Em Cowgirl" boasts the distinction of being a western where the lady takes care of business. Never do we see Dorothy cook, clean, and furnish her dad with slippers and a pipe after his evening meal.
Sandy Doyle wants Hele Rickson's ranch, but neither Helen (Dorothy Page) nor her father 'Ruf' Rickson (Joseph W. Girard) are willing to sell. Consequently, Sandy cheats 'Ruf' are cards to get the old man in a hole that he cannot pay his way out of no matter what happens. Meantime, the Towanda Rodeo is imminent, and Helen believes she can win the $5000 to pay for her debts. Quick-witted schemer that Doyle is, he figures way in plain sight to incriminate 'Ruf' and Helen. First, he has his henchmen watch Helen and company. They notice that Sheriff Larson (Frank Ellis) hands over a bag containing five thousand in cash. Later, after dark, Doyle's henchmen burglarize the Rickson ranch and steal the five grand. The clever and crafty Doyle accuses 'Ruf' of using the five grand to pay off his gambling debts. Sheriff Larson is about to arrest the elder Rickson when Helen empties her holster and holds them at bay long enough to escape aboard her white stallion. Two strangers, Oliver Shea (Milton Frome) and his partner Dan Haggerty (Vince Barrett of "Scarface"), are stretching telephone wire and looking inconspicuous until Oliver takes sides with 'Ruf' when Doyle tries to cheat him. Oliver tries to buddy up to Doyle, but things don't work out as planned. Dan takes two of Doyle's henchmen to Silver Creek where they are supposed to be held. Nevertheless, the henchmen break out and warn Doyle. Of course, Dorothy triumphs in the long run and eventually learn that Oliver and Dan are Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. The 'hallucination of affections' scene where Helen's house guest Belle reprimands a nosy Deputy Sheriff for interfering with her as she is romancing Dan is hilarious. Our heroine displays a cool head under fire. Mind you, this is a low-budget B-oater, but "Ride 'Em Cowgirl" boasts the distinction of being a western where the lady takes care of business. Never do we see Dorothy cook, clean, and furnish her dad with slippers and a pipe after his evening meal.
