Month: August 2023

“This is a little bit like murder. I hope you know that.” —Mayor Perkins

Today’s quick review: Support Your Local Sheriff!. The Western town of Calendar comes to life when gold is discovered nearby, drawing prospectors and ruffians from all over. To restore order, Mayor Perkins (Harry Morgan) hires Jason McCullough (James Garner), a responsible stranger, as the town sheriff. With the help of his deputy Jake (Jack Elam) and the Mayor’s daughter Prudy (Joan Hackett), Jason sets out to put a stop to the chaos.

Support Your Local Sheriff! is a Western comedy starring James Garner. The film puts its own spin on the classic premise of a drifter cleaning up a lawless mining town. Jason McCullough is the foundation of the film, an unflappable man with a quick hand and a creative approach to justice. Squaring off against him are Pa Danby (Walter Brennan) and his three sons, tough locals who are used to having their run of the town.

The appeal of Support Your Local Sheriff! is straightforward. Jason brings order to the town by never backing down, by being faster on the draw, and by using a little ingenuity. James Garner is perfect for the role, portraying Jason as a fair man who will brook no nonsense from criminals. Apart from its lead, Support Your Local Sheriff! has a well-picked supporting cast and a good plot progression as the conflict with the Danby family escalates.

Give Support Your Local Sheriff! a shot when you are looking for a lighter movie that still has a worthwhile story. James Garner, a solid supporting cast, and fun humor throughout make the movie an easy pick. Approach with caution if you’re hoping for a full-blown parody. For a more serious Western about a lawman bringing order to a town, try Tombstone. For a similar comedy starring James Garner, try Support Your Local Gunfighter.

[7.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065051/). I give it a 7.0 for solid comedy.

Today’s quick review: Sam Whiskey. Sam Whiskey (Burt Reynolds), a former Union spy, lets Laura Breckenridge (Angie Dickinson) talk him into a dangerous job: recovering $250,000 in gold that her late brother stole from the government and returning it to the United States Mint in Denver. Sam enlists the help of blacksmith Jed Hooker (Ossie Davis) and engineer O.W. Bandy (Clint Walker) lift the gold from the bottom of a river and sneak it into the mint.

Sam Whiskey is a Western crime comedy about a plan to return a fortune in stolen gold bars to the U.S. Mint. The movie is one part Western adventure and one part heist, following Sam and his friends as they brave bandits, treacherous waters, and armed guards to accomplish the impossible. Sam Whiskey has an inventive plot and a tone that mixes light humor with darker peril. However, lukewarm characters and a mediocre script hold the movie back.

The key failure of Sam Whiskey is its main character. Sam is painted as a jack of all trades, a canny man who always runs into trouble as he moves from venture to venture. Unfortunately, Sam is not as dynamic as his reputation makes him out to be. Burt Reynolds’ take on the character is adequate but not enough to carry the movie, and he tends to go with the flow instead of leaving a clear mark on the direction of the story or the audience.

Sam Whiskey fares somewhat better with its supporting cast and its plot. Ossie Davis and Clint Walker fit in nicely as Sam’s compatriots, each bringing his own talents to the enterprise. The story has a novel premise, interesting challenges, and a satisfying heist. But the scaffolding of the movie is unremarkable. Many of the jokes miss the mark, and none of the dialogue is inspired. Finally, characters like Laura are poorly used.

The end result is a Western-tinged heist movie that is enjoyable enough but has plenty of missed potential. Sam Whiskey is worth a watch when you are in the mood for a light watch with no real commitment, but it is outclassed by comedies with sharper scripts and more memorable main characters. For a more lively Western comedy, try Support Your Local Gunfighter or My Name Is Nobody. For a modern heist in a similar vein, try Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

[5.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064923/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a decent story without the characters to back it up.

Today’s quick review: Support Your Local Gunfighter. Latigo Smith (James Garner), a crafty grifter, escapes a bad engagement by hopping off the train at Purgatory, a Western town that is home to two rival mining operations. Latigo takes advantage of the situation by posing Jug May (Jack Elam), a destitute local, as the famous gunfighter Swifty Morgan and selling his services to Taylor Barton (Harry Morgan), the owner of one of the mines.

Support Your Local Gunfighter is a Western comedy starring James Garner. Left in a mining town for a few days, Latigo Smith tries to swindle his way into a fortune using a couple of well-picked lies. The movie is a light romp filled with colorful characters and bold gambits. Although the movie does not cover any new ground with its comedy, the combination of Garner’s performance, clever dialogue, and a chaotic plot is enough to carry the film.

Support Your Local Gunfighter is not abashed about being a comedy. There is no attempt to reform Latigo or make him too sympathetic, there is no shift to a more serious phase of the plot, and there is no pretense at realism when it comes to gunfights, explosions, or Latigo’s luck. Instead, the movie sticks to what it does best: capturing the chaos of Purgatory as its residents quarrel, gossip, and pry into Latigo’s business.

The result is an honest comedy that makes good use of its characters. Fans of the lighter side of the Western genre, or older comedies in general, will find Support Your Local Gunfighter to be a pleasant but insubstantial watch. Its comedy may skew a little overt for some viewers, while others may find it too straightforward. But its characters and its charm make it a fine pick for those interested.

For a Western comedy about a man becoming a gunfighter, try Man of the East. For a more general Western parody, try Rustlers’ Rhapsody or Blazin’ Saddles. For an animated comedy about a con artist who has to live up to his lies to save a Western town, try Rango. For a more dramatic Western about a drifter looking to turn a profit from a conflicted town, try A Fistful of Dollars.

[6.9 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067809/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for spirited fun.