United Artists
March 26, 1969
Historical Comedy, Western
B-
This film was both better than I expected and somehow not living up to its potential. I like its blend of gentle, even laidback humor with slapstick and cartoony violence, but it didn't seem to have a clear viewpoint. Also, it's a late '60s G-rated movie that involves several deaths and a whorehouse, so the tone is definitely uneven at times. Standout performances are from star Garner (post-Maverick pre-Rockford Files, and it shows) and of course Harry Morgan as the amiably cynical mayor. (The way he pronounces "puberty" is classic.) There were times I liked Joan Hackett, but she's not given a clear, consistent character to play. Burt Kennedy directed, a few months before The Good Guys and the Bad Guys, which lived up to its potential even less.
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