Bud Abbott and Lew Costello provide plenty of laughs in this comedy Western musical. As Duke and Willoughby, respectively, the boys go from selling peanuts at a New York rodeo show to being hands on a dude ranch in Arizona. Dick Foran plays Bronco Bob Mitchell and croons a couple of songs. The object of his affections is the dude ranch owner's daughter and trick rider Anne Shaw (played by Anne Gwynne). This is Ella Fitzgerald's movie debut, and she sings a couple of numbers as Ruby, including her 1930s hit, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." The Merry Macs sing some cowboy songs. "Ride 'Em Cowboy" has a few scenes of rodeo performers, and escapades that Lou gets into with Indians. One of the funniest sequences is when Willoughby are told to rope one of the wildest horses for Bronco Bob to break and ride. Somehow, Willoughby winds up on the horse and we see a fast-motion frantically bucking horse. Then, when he tries to help Willoughby get off, somehow Duke winds up on the horse with him. I don't know who they used for doubles, but that was a real bronco-bursting' sequence. I laughed most though at the end of their ride. A quick scene shift shows the boys on a heavily lathered black horse (obviously not the wild bay in the bucking scene). As the horse approaches a fence, a couple of hands take the bridle and help the boys off the horse. As soon as they alight from the horse, we see clearly the swayed back of the horse. It looked as though Lou was sitting in a big notch in the horse's back. What a hoot. That's the funniest looking horse I've ever seen. Another very funny sequence occurs when the boys have to go to milk the cows. As with all Abbott and Costello movies, this is one the whole family may enjoy.

Not having seen it in over 30 years, I just went to YouTube and watched Ride 'Em Cowboy again. Hilarious stuff almost from beginning to end with occasional interruptions for music and romance between Dick Foran and Anne Gwynne. Loved that car chase scene with some Indians (or Native Americans as they're now called) involving both rear projection and stunt driving. And, yes, there's a cow milking scene with Costello asking "The cow's udder what?" when Abbott tells him to put the bucket under it. All in all, one of the funniest ones from the boys. P.S. Since it's almost Black History Month, I have to cite the contributions of singer Ella Fitzgerald for both "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (which she co-wrote) and a jive square dance number called "Rockin' and Reelin'" with The Merry Macs. Fine numbers both among others. Also, during the latter, there's many African-American dance couples joining in of which one of them had reportedly Dorothy Dandridge there. There was also a trio of male tap dancers called The High Hatters at the ranch. One more thing, I always like to cite anyone from my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life whenever they appear in another movie or TV show so it is that George Bailey's father-Sameul S. Hinds-appears here as Ms. Gwynne's father. He was previously in A & C's Buck Privates. And Charles Lane-the one who showed Potter George's plans for Bailey Park-plays Martin Manning, a columnist critical of Foran's character.

This is one of Abbott and Costello's best, in my opinion. This was actually my first Western film, and it remains one of my favorite Westerns. Abbott and Costello, still young and with perfect timing, are on hand as two goofy peanut vendors at a rodeo show. After getting in trouble with their boss, they run away and get into more trouble with Indians. Another highlight in this film is the inclusion of my very favorite actress, Anne Gwynne, who is just as beautiful as ever in this film. She herself claimed this to be one of her favorite films she was in, and she even takes part in the Crazy House routine. Can't get better than that!

With this, their first release of 1942, Abbott and Costello continue in the same vein as their four previous starring successes; they are supposed to be the stars, but are often second fiddle to music and a romantic subplot. Not that that's bad, considering the appearance of the one and only Ella Fitzgerald -- but the formulaic way Universal was treating the team begins to wear thin with each new film.There are still plenty of laughs, however; enough to rate this a slight improvement over their previous release, "Keep 'Em Flying." A western setting for Abbott and Costello provides enough comedy hijinks to offset the romance. Dick Foran is back, crooning his way into a girl's heart (in this case, it's Anne Gwynne), and really good music is provided by the aforementioned Miss Fitzgerald (though "Cow-Cow Boogie" mysteriously and unacceptably was cut from the final release) and the Merry Macs.As top box office attractions, it can be understood why Universal stuck by the comedy-romance-music formula. However, it's wearing thin by even 1942 standards. "Ride 'Em Cowboy" is good, but one waits for the film where Abbott and Costello take center stage throughout the film (fortunately it happens before year's end with the release of "Who Done It"). 7 out of 10.