Series: Streamliner Director: Hal Roach Jr. Producer: Glenn Tryon, Hal Roach Screenplay: Arnold Belgard Photography: Robert Pittack Editor: Bert Jordan Music: Edward Ward Art director: Charles D. Hall Sound: William Randall Stars: Jimmy Rogers, Noah Beery Jr, Mary Brian, Bill Henry, Paul Hurst, Marc Lawrence, William Davidson, Jean Porter, Iris Adrian Company: United Artists Released: 29 January 1943 Length: 5 reels Production No.: F-48 Filming dates: Rating: 4/10

Calaboose

Available on DVD:

With Pidge having sworn off girls, he and best friend Jim head into town on their horses looking for winter jobs. Their old pal Ed, who is a bartender at a local tavern sends them over to Tom Pendergrast at the railroad yard. Tom hires the boys to help load horses for the army and agrees to pay them twenty cents per horse. Jim gets acquainted with a horse in the paddock but after trying to ride it, bronco style, he is thrown off after being distracted by Major Barbara, a young lady who begins waving her handkerchief to get attention. Pidge thinks the girl is trying to signal him and starts to fall in love with her - especially after she shows a generous portion of her leg which causes him to fall off his horse and land in a troth. Despite this Jim and Pidge are greeted by the foreman of a ranch who invites them to work for him. As Jim starts to round up the horses onto the train, the animals begin to bolt off down the street after Pidge wanders off to talk to a girl. They do manage to round all the horses back up eventually before Pidge goes back into the bar where he sees Doris Lane, the sheriff's daughter talking with a town drunk named Charlie. Pidge tries his luck with some smooth talk but Doris isn't interested. She has a reputation for curing criminals who have spent time in the calaboose (jail). This gives Pidge the idea of causing a disturbance in the bar so that he will be arrested. In walks the sheriff to break up the ruckus and arrests Pidge after he kicks him in the rear. Jim visits Pidge in jail, where Pidge is quite content to remain, especially when Doris comes in shortly afterwards with his food and explains that she intends to rehabilitate Pidge. Back at the bar and newly-released convict Sluggsy Baker walks in to use the telephone.

Jim gets the idea of trying to get Sluggsy thrown in jail so that the sheriff's daughter would have a real criminal to focus on so that Pidge can give up his fantasy of her. The bartender conspires with Jim so as to entice Sluggsy to misbehave himself and get arrested. The bartender tells Sluggsy that Jim had been making fun of him and so Sluggsy punches Jim in the face. The plan works and the sheriff arrests Sluggsly and throws him in jail. Jim can't wait to run over to tell Doris as she is in the kitchen with Pidge. Doris leaves quickly and talks the sheriff into giving Sluggsy Pidge's nice cell in the hope she can cure him. Sluggsy gets Doris to telephone his 'Ma' to let her know where he has ended up. At dinner with the sheriff, Pidge discovers he has accidentally dropped the sheriff's valuable watch into the mix. When the sheriff realises this he chases Pidge into the jail block and tells him to get out. Desperately, Pidge assaults him and gets locked in the cell next to Sluggsy, who has witnessed everything and commends Pidge for his actions and tells him he is included in a jail break being set up by his cronies. The bartender gives Jim some sleeping pills to slip into Pidge's soup but Jim ends up taking it himself after Doris offers him a bowl. The next day Sluggsy's guys come down to the jail house and bust him out, locking up Jim and the sheriff in the process. This leads to a shoot out in the street and then in the tavern where Pidge, Jim and the sheriff eventually (and after a long drawn-out scene) capture the bad guys. The sheriff announces that his niece Doris is going to be marrying Tom and with that Pidge and Jim get up and leave town.

Favourite bit The scene in the bar where Jim and the barman conspire to have Sluggsy get himself into trouble.

Trivia • Copyrighted September 24, 1942. • The release date listed here of 29 January 1943 comes from Rob Stone's list and is duplicated by Robert Demoss on his website "The Lucky Corner". However, an article in Variety dated January 13, 1943 states, "Pictures in cutting room or awaiting release: Calaboose." The reviews for the film for both Motion Picture Daily and Variety did not appear until August 3 and 4, 1943 respectively. • This was the thirteenth 'streamliner' film to be released by the studio. • This film was the middle film in a series of three; the first film was Dudes Are Pretty People (1942), and the last part was Prairie Chickens (1943). • When the horses break free they run through the Hal Roach Back Lot. It's lovely to see how it looked during 1942 when the film was shot. • 'Calaboose' is another word for jail. • Some sources list Joe Cunningham in the role of "Henchman Joe". This is actually John Bagni. My opinion • Well it's a massive improvement over "Dudes Are Pretty People" but that isn't saying much.

	Jimmy Rogers Jim
	Noah Beery Jr. Pidge Crosby
	Mary Brian Doris Lane
	William Henry Tom Pendergrast
	Paul Hurst Bartender Ed
	Marc Lawrence Sluggsy Baker
	William B. Davidson Sheriff George Lane
	Jean Porter Major Barbara
	Iris Adrian Ma
	Sarah Edwards The colonel
	Nora Cecil Irate woman in car
	Chet Brandenburg Townsman who dives into manhole
	Jimmy Conlin Charlie, the drunk
	Eddie Hall Man in convertible with horse
	Eddie Foster Henchman
	Brooks Benedict Henchman
	Elliott Sullivan Henchman
	Roy Bucko Deputy
	George Sowards Henchman
	John Bagni Joe, henchman
	Art Dillard Corral cowhand
	Jan Duggan Radio girl [voice only]
	William Farnum Checkers player
	George Hoagland Townsman
	Hans Moebus Townsman
	Victor Adamson Townsman
	Walter Bacon Townsman
	Bob Woodward Cowhand

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

POSTERS (click any image to enlarge)

LOBBY CARDS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE HAL ROACH BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

SET PHOTO (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Craig Calman (trivia information regarding Variety) Jesse Brisson (identification of Brooks Benedict, Elliott Sullivan, Roy Bucko, John Bagni) This page was last updated on: 30 August 2024