At a film festival in the 1970s I saw the silent film Chip of the Flying U with Hoot Gibson. It was wonderful. Prior to this I had only heard of Hoot Gibson because my father said he was his favorite Western star (given my father's age, I am sure he was referring to the silent films). So I am predisposed to like Hoot Gibson's movies. However, of his talkies that I have seen, none of them have ever come close to living up to the magic of Chip of the Flying U. In this one Hoot plays Tex Mason, a misogynist (hence the title) who inherits half of the Triple X ranch, the other half is inherited by the owner's daughter, Peggy Turner. The local bank owner, John Thomas, wants this ranch and hires thugs to rustle the ranch's cattle. Peggy wants to make the ranch a dude ranch which of course infuriates Tex who does everything he can to humiliate her and her ideas. Fortunately she is generally pretty thick skinned and remains feisty. Thomas tries to convince Peggy that Tex is behind the rustling and has a henchman plant evidence (a horseshoe) of this. The thugs trap Hoot and hold him captive. He escapes and saves Peggy from a stampede. It looked to me as though they used stock footage for the stampede except for the scene where Hoot is redirecting the herd away from Peggy – actually it was a pretty exciting scene. A side story to the movie – and the comic relief – was the interaction between Ranch Foreman Skeeter and Peggy's Aunt Flossie. I found Skeeter's aw shucks demeanor very charming but the Aunt Flossie character not so much. Also, the clear age difference and backgrounds between Peggy and Tex made their romance a bit hard to believe. There were occasional flashes of Hoot's famous boyish charm – I wish it could have come through more. But nonetheless, it is a sufficiently engaging film warranting a watch.
8 Reviews
a pleasant film with a good shot of comedy
AlsExGal12 October 2023
This one has Hoot Gibson chiding his second in command (Skeeter Bill Robbins, who sadly died the following year due to a road accident) for being ambushed whilst mooning over a dud love letter. Several cattle are stolen, and Gibson explains how women have no place on a ranch. Unsurprisingly, a lady (Marion Shilling) turns up to claim her share in the ranch as the boss has died, leaving it to both of them. In fact there are two, as the lady's aunt (Ethel Wales) is in tow as well, and takes an immediate shine to Gibson's pal. Needless to say, there is also a crooked rancher on the sidelines, out to give Gibson the blame for the rustling and to grab the ranch for a pittance.
A very lightweight second / co-feature, but quite agreeable and interesting on its own level. Directed by Phil Rosen, who turned out an awful lot of this kind of thing, but essential for the smaller cinemas in need of inexpensive productions for their audiences.
Not really a professional actor, though he appeared in a few films, Robbins was Gibson's ranch manager.
A very lightweight second / co-feature, but quite agreeable and interesting on its own level. Directed by Phil Rosen, who turned out an awful lot of this kind of thing, but essential for the smaller cinemas in need of inexpensive productions for their audiences.
Not really a professional actor, though he appeared in a few films, Robbins was Gibson's ranch manager.
"I'm tellin' ya' for the last time, this is a man's land."
classicsoncall9 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know, I'd like to be more positive about Hoot Gibson but he just doesn't cut it as a cowboy hero for me. He's got that rubbery face that recommends he should have been making comedy flicks during the era instead of Westerns. His mannerisms and timing are decent enough, but how he ever got tapped for Westerns I just can't figure out.
The story here is pretty standard - Tex Mason (Gibson) inherits half of a working ranch from an owner who's New York City daughter is heading West to claim her interest upon his death. Peggy Turner (Marion Schilling) intends on turning the Triple X into a dude ranch, which prompts Tex/Hoot to declare his opposition in my summary line above. This could spell trouble before the final reconciliation scene takes place where the opposing ranch owners kiss and make up.
I was surprised to learn a few interesting bits of trivia upon researching this film after watching it. The character Skeeter, portrayed by Bill Robbins was in real life a foreman on Hoot Gibson's ranch. I thought it rather unusual the way Hoot roughed him up at one point in the story, but I'm sure there were no hard feelings.
On any other evening I might have overlooked this next observation, but somehow tonight it occurred to me how liberalism was rearing it's ugly head as far back back as 1932 when Miss Peggy had a fit over the ranch hands actually branding calves! Can you imagine? Hoot's character was a good sport about it and called the boys off, but if I were directing the picture I would have had them resume the exercise just as soon as the lady left the premises. But that's neither here nor there.
Anyway, Tex is set up as a cattle rustler of his own herd by villain Thomas (Robert Ellis), but it doesn't take long for our hero to figure things out and make the save for the Triple X. Meanwhile, Miss Flossie (Ethel Wales) takes a shine to foreman Skeeter to suggest a double wedding at the finale. Somehow, that whole business about Tootsie Wootsie turned out to be a maguffin, which is probably a good thing as two leading ladies were about as much as these B Westerns could handle.
The story here is pretty standard - Tex Mason (Gibson) inherits half of a working ranch from an owner who's New York City daughter is heading West to claim her interest upon his death. Peggy Turner (Marion Schilling) intends on turning the Triple X into a dude ranch, which prompts Tex/Hoot to declare his opposition in my summary line above. This could spell trouble before the final reconciliation scene takes place where the opposing ranch owners kiss and make up.
I was surprised to learn a few interesting bits of trivia upon researching this film after watching it. The character Skeeter, portrayed by Bill Robbins was in real life a foreman on Hoot Gibson's ranch. I thought it rather unusual the way Hoot roughed him up at one point in the story, but I'm sure there were no hard feelings.
On any other evening I might have overlooked this next observation, but somehow tonight it occurred to me how liberalism was rearing it's ugly head as far back back as 1932 when Miss Peggy had a fit over the ranch hands actually branding calves! Can you imagine? Hoot's character was a good sport about it and called the boys off, but if I were directing the picture I would have had them resume the exercise just as soon as the lady left the premises. But that's neither here nor there.
Anyway, Tex is set up as a cattle rustler of his own herd by villain Thomas (Robert Ellis), but it doesn't take long for our hero to figure things out and make the save for the Triple X. Meanwhile, Miss Flossie (Ethel Wales) takes a shine to foreman Skeeter to suggest a double wedding at the finale. Somehow, that whole business about Tootsie Wootsie turned out to be a maguffin, which is probably a good thing as two leading ladies were about as much as these B Westerns could handle.
Hoot's no hoot in this one!
JohnHowardReid12 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Hoot's best films are both amusing and innovative. This film is neither – unless you are easily amused. A pity because the central idea – rancher's daughter and the rancher's foreman both inherit his property – had possibilities, few of which are explored. It's soon obvious that the initial misunderstanding between the heirs will be worked out to the complete satisfaction of the foreman. It's also foregone from the start that the villain will be bested by the hero – preferably in some thrilling, interesting and amusingly offbeat way. But thrills are hard to come by in this movie. The villain's days are numbered all right, but he's not overcome by trickery. He fails because he and his confederates are unremarkably stupid. They're not even stupid enough to be amusing. They just waste their time – their own as well as ours. Of course the heroine is also as dumb as they come. She's an easterner, so we know even before she makes her entrance how she will react against our hero and side with the villainous banker instead. In addition, as this film was made at the height of the Depression, we also know in advance that the banker is an irredeemably bad guy. And it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out that before "The End" flashes on the screen, our dumb heroine will wake up and change sides. The only surprise in this movie is that she takes such a darn long time about it. By "B" standards, production values are ample, but Phil Rosen's direction is both slipshod and dull. Available on a good Alpha DVD.
A pleasant, slightly boring, way to relax
MarplotRedux6 October 2011
IMDb's reviews have been extremely helpful to me lately. So, it seems only fair that I should write something about a movie that's lacked any reviews up to now. First of all and very positive, somehow this Poverty Row studio managed to rent a satisfactory number of cattle. In far too many films there are only a dozen or so. Here, I'd guess 50. Taken as a comedy, "A Man's Land" is easy-going, agreeable and stupid
but nice stupid. Hoot Gibson, Skeeter Bill Robbins and Ethel Wales do the comedy bits well. There were the usual amazing things about the Old West that I sure wouldn't have otherwise known when I was a kid: Although there were no electricity and no phone wires, there was a functioning wall telephone. Although there were no filling stations, there was one automobile (solar powered?), which suddenly appeared to frighten the girl's horse. As things developed, it must have frightened her too, since she was unable to control it though later on it was obvious that she was a highly skilled rider.
Another thing about the Old West: as usual, the scheming villain (black hat, thin black moustache, cigar) was a banker. This wasn't surprising in a 1932 movie --- bankers weren't popular back then. Still, it would be nice to see a movie in which the hero or heroes came to the rescue of the banker who was being cheated by all the local deadbeat ranchers, store owners, hotel owners, and saloon, dance-hall, gambling hall, and Even Worse proprietors.
Another thing about the Old West that I wish I'd known as a kid: how to knock somebody down by a punch to the jaw that clearly missed by a couple of inches: Hoot accomplished this with Henchman Joe.
The movie begins promisingly with Skeeter admiring a Bathing Beauty postcard of Tootsie Wootsie, a young woman with whom he's been corresponding. This went straight to my heart, since my wife and I met on the contemporary equivalent, the Internet. Tootsie Wootsie wanted $500 to come to Skeeter. This would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 in today's money, so that portended all sorts of interesting plot possibilities. Sad to say, though, the only woman besides Ethel Wales who showed up was the one whom Hoot eventually married. As a nasty old man, I have nothing against his being old enough, easily old enough, to be her father. However well, let's say that she was unlikely to become a godly, submissive wife. Ever.
I've long known that in detective movies drivers rarely look back when they're being followed or notice when they're being watched from a parked car. Similarly Hoot was unable to hear the bad guys riding off, even though they were only a few yards away. Given the young lady whom he was going to marry, let's hope that this was because he was deaf. However, it may simply have been because of my copy's continuously scratchy background noises that accompanied its constantly blurry screen resolution.
One could go on the rustlers panicking and riding away from Hoot and Skeeter, even though they greatly outnumbered them, the bad guy unsuccessfully shooting twice at Hoot then throwing his gun away before he got into the saddle and chased him. All in all, IMDb might consider adding Comedy to its Western caption. On the positive side, nobody sang. So, I give the movie 6 out of 10.
Another thing about the Old West: as usual, the scheming villain (black hat, thin black moustache, cigar) was a banker. This wasn't surprising in a 1932 movie --- bankers weren't popular back then. Still, it would be nice to see a movie in which the hero or heroes came to the rescue of the banker who was being cheated by all the local deadbeat ranchers, store owners, hotel owners, and saloon, dance-hall, gambling hall, and Even Worse proprietors.
Another thing about the Old West that I wish I'd known as a kid: how to knock somebody down by a punch to the jaw that clearly missed by a couple of inches: Hoot accomplished this with Henchman Joe.
The movie begins promisingly with Skeeter admiring a Bathing Beauty postcard of Tootsie Wootsie, a young woman with whom he's been corresponding. This went straight to my heart, since my wife and I met on the contemporary equivalent, the Internet. Tootsie Wootsie wanted $500 to come to Skeeter. This would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 in today's money, so that portended all sorts of interesting plot possibilities. Sad to say, though, the only woman besides Ethel Wales who showed up was the one whom Hoot eventually married. As a nasty old man, I have nothing against his being old enough, easily old enough, to be her father. However well, let's say that she was unlikely to become a godly, submissive wife. Ever.
I've long known that in detective movies drivers rarely look back when they're being followed or notice when they're being watched from a parked car. Similarly Hoot was unable to hear the bad guys riding off, even though they were only a few yards away. Given the young lady whom he was going to marry, let's hope that this was because he was deaf. However, it may simply have been because of my copy's continuously scratchy background noises that accompanied its constantly blurry screen resolution.
One could go on the rustlers panicking and riding away from Hoot and Skeeter, even though they greatly outnumbered them, the bad guy unsuccessfully shooting twice at Hoot then throwing his gun away before he got into the saddle and chased him. All in all, IMDb might consider adding Comedy to its Western caption. On the positive side, nobody sang. So, I give the movie 6 out of 10.
Enjoyable but not a special "Hoot Gibson" move.
glennstenb18 November 2018
If you like early 1930s B-westerns, this is a fairly good one. Marplot Redux commented on a number of the film's curious moments, and in watching most of these films, one must suspend the idea of reality and allow being transported into another realm, that of the old West through the prism of B-western movie-making. Hoot's films often had comedic touches, but this one had few. But I enjoyed "A Man's Land" reasonably well but will never have a hankerin" to watch it again. Rating this one as a B-western, I will go with what is probably a one-tick too generous six out of ten.
Tex and Peggy....two stubborn cusses who apparently won't bend.
planktonrules24 September 2020
When the owner of a ranch dies, he surprisingly wills half of it to his daughter, Peggy and half to this foreman, Tex (Hoot Gibson). Unfortunately, each has very different ideas what they should do with the ranch....and both are incredibly stubborn. In addition, Peggy is downright dim in that she has never spent much time out west and begins making lots of assumptions without getting the facts. The worst example is the local man she trusts...he's obviously a total weasel who is trying to buy the ranch for a song. But she thinks he's swell and hates Tex....and never gives Tex a chance, as she believes everything the weasel and his men tell her.
Making Peggy this pig-headed and so easily influenced was a bit annoying. I think the notion of a liberated woman being a dummy was a popular notion back in the day...now it not only seems sexist but also shows poor writing. It's really hard to imagine a woman from out east arriving at the ranch and suddenly sizing everything up so quickly. This is a major weakness in "A Man's Land" and making Peggy less gullible and less assertive would have made for a better film. Now I am NOT saying she shouldn't be confident or competent...but a truly confident and competent woman wouldn't have been this rash. Fortunately, eventually she realizes this...but is it too late? See the film to find out for yourself.
This film is okay but no better mostly because the writing isn't great. It's not just the sexism but how gullible and silly the woman is. Plus, Hoot doesn't come off all that well either...and at times he, too, seems a bit dim. Add to that an incredibly obvious villain who no one seems to suspect!! Overall, not terrible...but not all that good.
Making Peggy this pig-headed and so easily influenced was a bit annoying. I think the notion of a liberated woman being a dummy was a popular notion back in the day...now it not only seems sexist but also shows poor writing. It's really hard to imagine a woman from out east arriving at the ranch and suddenly sizing everything up so quickly. This is a major weakness in "A Man's Land" and making Peggy less gullible and less assertive would have made for a better film. Now I am NOT saying she shouldn't be confident or competent...but a truly confident and competent woman wouldn't have been this rash. Fortunately, eventually she realizes this...but is it too late? See the film to find out for yourself.
This film is okay but no better mostly because the writing isn't great. It's not just the sexism but how gullible and silly the woman is. Plus, Hoot doesn't come off all that well either...and at times he, too, seems a bit dim. Add to that an incredibly obvious villain who no one seems to suspect!! Overall, not terrible...but not all that good.
Triple X Ranch
StrictlyConfidential16 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"A Man's Land" was originally released back in 1932.
Anyway - As the story goes - A ranch foreman and the owner's Eastern educated daughter each inherit one-half of her father's ranch upon his death. While the two heirs end up having issues with each other over how a ranch should be operated, the troubles they experience are nothing when compared to the problems a banker, with his eyes on the property, causes them.
Anyway - As the story goes - A ranch foreman and the owner's Eastern educated daughter each inherit one-half of her father's ranch upon his death. While the two heirs end up having issues with each other over how a ranch should be operated, the troubles they experience are nothing when compared to the problems a banker, with his eyes on the property, causes them.
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