Fun Abbott & Costello movie has the boys playing peanut vendors at a rodeo who get into trouble with their boss, so they head West and get a job working on a dude ranch. While Bud and Lou are up to their usual antics, singing cowboy Dick Foran tries to win over cowgirl Anne Gwynne. The problem is Foran's not a real cowboy and Gwynne doesn't think much of him. But when he's set to compete in a charity rodeo, she has to teach him to be a real cowboy fast.

Pretty funny with a good supporting cast that includes Douglas Dumbrille, Samuel S. Hinds, Morris Ankrum, and Johnny Mack Brown. Bud and Lou are in good form with funny lines and banter throughout, as well as some nice physical gags. Dick Foran does fine and lovely Anne Gwynne is charming. This one also has several musical numbers. The Merry Macs sings some nice tunes and Ella Fitzgerald, in her film debut, sings "A-Tisket A-Tasket." Even Dick Foran sings a couple of forgettable songs. Not one of A&C's best but pleasant entertainment. While it's true there's more focus on other characters and music than you might want in an Abbott & Costello comedy, rest assured that every time the duo is on screen they are gold.

Sadly, while this is billed as an Abbott and Costello film, like their earliest films, they really are supporting actors and there is a main love story that detracts from the comedy. Other than HOLD THAT GHOST, it wasn't until later that the boys truly were the stars of their films--no longer having to share the spotlight with an irrelevant love story that didn't involve them. As for Abbott and Costello, like in so many of these early films they just seem to be along for the ride and to provide some laughs.

In many ways, the main plot from RIDE 'EM COWBOY is obviously inspired by the Dick Powell film, COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN (1938). In COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN, Dick Powell plays a popular movie cowboy who really knows nothing about being a cowboy. Heck, he's even afraid of horses!! In RIDE 'EM COWBOY, Dick Foran plays a writer who writes cowboy novels and has developed a reputation as a great cowboy, though he doesn't know the first thing about it. So, unlike Powell, Foran sets out to learn what he can about roping and horses and the like. Ironically, Dick Foran is in both films!

Another complaint I have about the film is that it has a lot of irrelevant music. Sure, Foran has a lovely voice as does Ella Fitzgerald (who appears out of no where to sing), but isn't this supposed to be a comedy?! Like too many of their early films for Universal, they are not only saddled with a romantic plot but too many songs that are just distractions. It seems insane to me that these executives were crazy as were the ones who forced the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy (in a few films only) and other comedians to step back for these song and dance numbers.

Unfortunately, since so much time is devoted to these irrelevancies, the film really doesn't have all that much Abbott and Costello and the material they are given isn't their best stuff. As a result, it's a pleasant enough film but a disappointment to Abbott and Costello fans and is among the worst of their early films.