User Reviews

Joel McCrea, who likes life free, easy, and independent in Saddle Tramp, on an impulse visit to friend John Ridgely finds himself taking responsibility for his four boys when Ridgely is killed in an accident.

That in a nutshell is the film Saddle Tramp. But it's far more than that, it's what is meant when a film is said to be family entertainment. It's one of Joel McCrea's better westerns in his post World War II period.

The change of lifestyle doesn't come without problems for McCrea. Now he has to get some real work in order to take Ridgely's small ranch out of debt and put food on the table for five. During the course of the film it's six as runaway Wanda Hendrix joins the merry band as she's looking to escape from Uncle Ed Begley.

McCrea also finds work for John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan and gets himself in the middle of a range war between McIntire and neighbor Antonio Moreno. Cattle is being stolen from both ranches and the two neighbors are blaming each other. The film gives you two possibilities as the brains behind the stealing.

Best supporting performance is that of McIntire as the irascible ranch owner who doesn't like children and won't hire anyone with them. That fact is the reason for all the machinations McCrea has to go through.

Saddle Tramp is a nice easy to take western and great for a Saturday morning viewing.

An excellent Western. Joel McCrea delivers a fine performance as is usual for this gifted actor. The story moves well, and the supporting cast does a fine job. If you haven't seen it, and love Westerns, by all means don't let this one slide by.

Enjoyed the four orphan boys and also the strong woman characterized by the rancher's wife. I also liked the message(s) of the movie. Simple but true.

1. We have to make something of ourselves.

2. The treacherous divides the good and gets them to fight against themselves while the bad rob them blind.

It was a wonderful story and of course it is from sixty plus years ago so its not going to work for everybody. You have to be in the right mood and not worry about corny and enjoy the ride.

The last two comments talk about creepiness and I need to balance that out. This movie was made when on screen kisses were forbidden. Compared to what passes for prime time family entertainment today of course this super innocent. The issue the comments are referring two is the age difference between the 19 year old "runaway" and the Main character being 15 or twenty years older. Well news flash kids you are living in very different times. What you call creepy was actually a completely common experience not only in the American west but throughout much of the world over for hundreds if not thousands of years.

The reason for the young woman's flight from home was referenced in an innocuous way so that young audiences would have little chance of clueing in to her reasons while the rest of us would know damn well while she left the real "creep".

Hey this is a great family movie and something for kids to see.

A family type western from Hollywood's most underrated cowboy, Joel McCrea. Here he gives up a footloose, carefree life to care for four homeless boys and a run-away girl (Hendrix). It's a low-key little scenic drama, with little gunplay, but one heck-uv-a knock-down drag- out fist fight. Somebody's stealing cattle from Connor's (McCrea) employer and it looks like it's his Mexican neighbor, but is it. Connor gets mixed up in the feud, like it or not.

McCrea delivers one of his typically likable low-key performances. There's not an ounce of swagger or ego to Connor, but you know his character qualities are solid and he'll come through when he needs to. This is not every western fans cup of tea, but it is both offbeat and entertaining thanks to the sterling Joel McCrea.

Joel McCrea is riding along, figuring he'll follow the wild geese to California. First though, he drops in on his brother, who promptly dies, leaving McCrea to deal with his four orphaned sons. He totes them along, hides them while he gets a job with kid-hating John McIntire, and gets caught in subplots involving McIntire's cattle-rustling neighbor, Antonio Moreno, and runaway Wanda Hendrix.

Hugo Fregonese directs this with a rather heavy hand, making sure that the audience is aware of the subtext, and this extends into the various questions and mysteries that the plot concerns itself with, and the heavy-handed musical stings to indicate the jokes. Still, there is some startling original landscape photography by Charles P. Boyle, and Russell Simpson, an inveterate marker of A westerns since he appeared in Demille's THE VIRGINIAN in 1914.

A cowboy , the drifter Saddle Tramp : Joel McCrea as a hobo on horseback , unexpectedly becomes a foster father to 4 children for whom he provides food by taking it from a rancho where he is working . The ranch owner , John McIntire married to Jeanette Nolan as fiction as in real life , is embroiled in a feud with another land baron , Antonio Moreno , and cattle rustlers.

Decent Western with a Family story , but also contains thrills , action , crossfire and cattle rustling. This well made Oater is competently directed , including appropriate settings , atmospheric exteriores and action enough . Joel McCrea provides a nice acting as the Saddle Tramp who reluctantly becomes involved with a large family , their problems and along the way becoming a foster parent . Veteran film cowboy McCrea played lots of Westerns , such as : The Young Rounders , Cry Blood Apache , Wichita town , Fort Massacre , Gunfight At Dodge City , Cattle Empire , The Tall Stranger , Trooper Hook , Oklahoman , The First Texan , Wichita , Black Horse Canyon , Border River , The Lone Hand , Cattle Drive , The Outriders , Colorado Territory. Being one of his last films , and cinematic testament, the notorious "Ride the High County" by Sam Peckinpah. But also Joel McCrea got hits in other genres as Adventures : The most dangerous Game , Comedy : Sullivan's Travels by Preston Sturges and Intrigue : Foreign Correspondent by Alfred Hitchcock . Support cast is full of attractive roles including Wanda Hendrix as his youngest love interest , John Russell , the always likeable Russell Simpson , John McIntire , his wife Jeannete Nolan , Ed Begley , Paul Picerni , Jimmy Hunt , John Ridgely , and previous silent ídol screen Antonio Moreno .

It packs a colorful and glimmer cinematography by Charles P. Boyle , shot on location in Placerita , Canyon Road , Newhall, Iverson Ranch , Los Angeles , California . Thrilling and evocative Musical Score by ordinary Musicians from Universal International Picture : Herman Stein , Henry Mancini , William Lava . Compellingly produced by Leonard Goldstein for Universal International Picture . And adequate screenplay by Harold Shumate based on his own story . The motion picture was well directed by Argentinean filmmaker Hugo Fregonese . He offers a professional direction adding cool characterisations . Hugo Fregonese similar to Saddle Tramp's starring was a drifter who worked in a lot of countries . His films shot in Argentina were Hardly a Criminal, De Hombre a Hombre , Where words fall, Pampa Barbara and its remake Pampa Salvaje . Eventually , he filmed in Hollywood : One Way Street with James Mason , Blowing Wild with Gary Cooper , Harry Black and the Tiger with Stewart Granger, The Mark of Renegade , My 6 Convicts , The King's Thief , The Raid , Man in the Attic , Apache Drums . Then he shot in Europe : Germany , Spain , Italy , various movies as Old Shatterland , Dracuka Vs Frankenstein , Doctor Mabuse , Más Allá Del Sol, Marco Polo , La Spada Imbattible . Eventally he went back Argentina and shot his last movies . Rating 6.5/10 . Well Worth Watching . The movie will apela to Joel McCrea fans

Joel McCrea is very likable in carrying this breezy "B" western with a winning sense of humor and just the right amount of action. John Russell does his usual professional supporting job and Wanda Hendrix is delightfully offbeat as the love interest. Joel McCrea's talent for whistling gets a nice showcase. Not outstanding, but quite enjoyable.

A vagabond cowboy suddenly finds himself taking care of four orphaned boys. The Technicolor cinematography is pleasing and the film is entertaining enough, but is letdown by the routine script that contains a fair amount of corn. McCrea displays his usual easy-going charm in the title role. Hendrix is a runaway teenager who also ends up with the orphaned boys. Although they are not shown getting intimate, it is somewhat creepy seeing McCrea getting romantically involved with Hendrix, who was half his age at the time of the film. The good supporting cast features McIntyre as a grumpy rancher and Nolan as his understanding wife.

Fun for the whole family! One of my favorite Joel McCrae movies! Great western! Great family movie! I wish Hollywood made more family movies like Saddle Tramp today.

Odd little western, in which the various plot strands don't gell and the romantic sub-plot between McCrea and Hendrix - though played low-key - comes over as quite creepy. The character actors are reliable, especially the always excellent John McIntire.

I prefer forget this western as from the great film director of APACHE DRUMS and THE RAID, two awesome westerns for my taste. This one is an oater for me, and with Joel Mc Crea, I don't know why, I am not surprised. It is not a crap although, an agreeable flick destined to wide audiences, the whole family. So please, don't judge Hugo Fregonese with this one, APACHE DRUMS is one of the best westerns ever made in terms of atmosphere, nothing to do with this western. A western buff will appreciate SADDLE TRAMP anyway. It is not rough, violent, gritty as many western goers seek and there is also no real surprise.