Saddle Tramp is a 1950 American western movie directed by Hugo Fregonese.
Lonesome cowhand Chuck (Joel McCrea) ponders going to California to seek his fortune. On the way, he stays the night with an old friend who has four young sons. Unfortunately, the friend goes out during a storm and is accidentally killed by Chuck's horse. Feeling responsible, Chuck reluctantly takes charge of the four orphans and is furthermore forced to go on the road with them when their farm is forfeited due to debt. To support the kids, Chuck takes a job on a ranch, but since his boss, Jess Higgins (John McIntire), hates children, Chuck has to keep the quartet hidden in the nearby woods. Complicating matters further, a young woman, Della (Wanda Hendrix), runs away from home and joins the orphans in the woods, giving Chuck something else to worry about.
Tropes:
- Bear Trap: When Della's uncle comes to the ranch in search of her, Chuck gets some revenge on her behalf by setting a bear trap so her uncle steps on it. As a result, he limps for the rest of the movie.
- Child Hater: Higgins doesn't want to see or hear of any children, or men who might have them, hence why Chuck keeps the four boys a secret. Higgins' wife says that his attitude to kids is due to bitterness that their son left them at the age of 16.
- Creepy Uncle: Della ran away from home because her uncle was inappropriately handsy with her. He would laugh it off when she complained, and her aunt dismissed it as him just joking around.
- Horsing Around: Chuck notes that his horse was trained for rodeos and will go wild at any sudden, loud sound. This costs his friend's life when he makes the unwise decision of taking the horse out during a storm and ends up with a broken neck for it.
- The Runaway: Della is on the run in order to escape a difficult home situation involving an uncle's untoward attentions.
