Heart of the West (1937)

One major aspect that made Hopalong Cassidy the superior B-Western series that it became was a real connection to the Old West -- not just a B-Western screenwriter's plot, but themes with some semblance to real life. Heart of the West, which tackles the destruction of the hitherto free range, is no exception. As always, the obligatory melodramatics blend well with a real feeling of outrage at those behaving less than neighborly in what, for all intents and purposes, was still a lawless territory. The fine acting is also a factor to the success of the series, notably that of William Boyd and George "Gabby" Hayes, the latter inching still closer to the cantankerous, but adorable, old coot he would become in later entries. At this point, Hayes' Windy (Jenkins and not yet Halliday) is still at odds with Hoppy at least partway through the film. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide