sol- Not really a sequel to 'Support Your Local Sheriff!', but rather a completely different western comedy from the same director with a substantial number of cast members in common, the similar title and on-screen cast nevertheless renders comparisons unavoidable while watching 'Gunfighter'. The basic plot here is actually more innovative and clever if anything, clearly inspired by 'Yojimbo' as a conman drifter plays two warring factions in an Old West town against one another by claiming that his clueless recent acquaintance, played by Jack Elam, is a legendary gunfighter. Elam is excellent as the hapless lonely soul in question, equally as confused by the situation as he is delighted by the attention it affords him, and his performance is probably the strongest of either 'Support' film. Garner is far less appealing this time round though. He shows just as much ingenuity as his 'Sheriff' character at times, but he equally as often seems an utter fool with a perplexing gambling habit that makes for a very lousy running gag. The film has some pacing issues too with lots of lags between the truly funny moments. Everything culminates in a memorable conclusion though with an uncredited Chuck Connors great as the formidable legendary gunfighter, come to town to protect his good name. Garner also nicely gets a chance to prove himself just as much this time round; here he is a confidence trickster, trading on another man's name, who gradually proves himself worthy of the other man's status and so much more.

ma-cortes Riotous as well as delightful Western spoof compellingly directed by Burt Kennedy with entertaining and amusing scenes in which a racketeer decides to go with the mistaken identity and use it to his profitable advantage along with his bumbling sidekick . Deliberately cliché-filled , ironical Western with top-notch starring duo as James Garner as a likable swindler and Suzanne Pleshette as fem-lib daughter and his love interest , both of whom giving great lots of fun . In the old west , a stranger trickster becomes a gunslinger just for the pay , figuring he can decamp if things get tough . The picture starts and finishes with a train (it is the Durango & Silverton narrow-gage sight-seeing train in Colorado) , as it appears in the opening credits , as in closing scenes . The film talks about a con man just passing through who gets roped into being a false gunfighter (James Garner) who at the end meets his nemesis , the real infamous Pistolero named "Swiftie" Morgan (Chuck Connors) , the fastest finger in the west . As when a card player called ¨Latigo¨ comes to the small town of Purgatory , things go wrong ; as one trouble-shooting gambler always puts his finger on it or in it . He has a big problem that requires a doctor (Dub Taylor), but that is not immediately disclosed . In Purgatory two rival companies of miners, led by Taylor Barton (Henry Morgan) and Colonel Ames (John Dehner) , are in a frenetic round-the-clock race to seek "the motherlode" of gold buried somewhere under the town . Meanwhile, Latigo is helped by an inept and botcher outlaw , Jug May (Jack Elam makes a robustly likable characterization with his tongue firmly in cheek) . In the final , he uses ingenuity instead and gets to tame a lawless mining town against all odds . This wacky spoof is packed with mayhem , lots of silly laughs and great entertainment and fun . Most of the laughters and sight gags galore work acceptably well ; humor is also bold and intelligent with a myriad of imaginative sketches . Demystified Western was one of a group of much-imitated which changed the concept of this particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth , yet tinged with humor , spoof and combining with anti-heroes , and the inevitable protagonist decadence . Neatly subverts every Western cliché it encounters , yet keeps respect for formula Western . This is a follow-up , not a sequel to ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (1969) also starred by James Garner , Jack Elam and Harry Morgan . The formula deals to enhance the comics observations of the western originated on the decade 60s with the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen and Burt Kennedy , fine director of this movie , and a bit later on , Mel Brooks directed the indispensable ¨Blazing saddles¨ , a surrealist , extreme and gross-out spoof with the ordinary bunch of loonies and loopies . Burt Kennedy directed similar Western blending comedy such as : ¨Support your local gunfighter (one of his better spoof Western)¨ , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ , ¨War Wagon¨ and ¨ The Good guys and bad guys¨ . The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable , with James Garner as a tough gambler in his Maverick image who uses brains as well as brawny and guns . James Edward Grant's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines , throws up rich roles . Thus , James Garner is perfect as the deadpan womanizer who winds up becoming a fake gunman , as he convinces a colleague to carry out several lies among townsfolk . Special mention to Jack Elam as the sympathetic , snide brawler clearly relishing his comic relief . Remaining support cast is excellent , such as : Harry Morgan , Henry Jones , Joan Blondell , John Dehner , Willis Bouchey , Dub Taylor , Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez , Ellen Corby , Gene Evans , Ben Cooper , Kathleen Freeman and Marie Windsor replaced Marilyn Maxwell as "Goldie". Colorful cinematography rightly shot by magnificent cameraman Harry Stradling Jr , Burt Kennedy's usual . Jolly and lively musical score by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson .This very funny and amiable motion picture with more than its fair share of laughters was well produced and directed by Burt Kennedy . He initially was screenwriter , his initial effort, ¨Seven men from now¨ (1956), was a superb western, the first of the esteemed collaboration between director Budd Boetticher and star Randolph Scott. Kennedy wrote most of that series, as well as a number of others for Batjac , although it would be nearly 20 years before Wayne actually appeared in the film of a Kennedy script . In 1960 Kennedy got his first work as a filmmaker on a western, ¨The Canadians¨ (1961), but it was a critical failure . He turned to television where he wrote and directed episodes of "Lawman" (1958), "The Virginian " (1962) and most notably ¨Combat!"(1962). He returned to films in 1965 with the successful ¨The Rounders¨ (1965) with Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford , later producing and directing the pilot for the TV series of the same name. ¨Support you local gunfighter¨ results to be one of his best Western . The film will appeal to absurd, unruly , wacky Western comedy fans . This raucous Western spoof is a James Garner vehicle , if you like his particular performance , you'll enjoy this one .

dougdoepke Occasional knee-slapping follow up to "… Local Sheriff" (1969). It's over-the-top, except for Garner, who plays his clever Maverick character right down to the gentlemanly attire. But it's a goofy Elam who steals the film as a gunfighter whose spastic moves and relentless mugging appear to be on a different wave-length from planet Earth. Meanwhile, Pleshette manages her berserk gunfire in comical fashion, that is, when not beating up on the nearest guy. Plot-wise, it seems two mining outfits are trying to sabotage each other using fair means but mainly foul. Each wants to employ, yes, the fastest gun in the West, who turns out to be, not Elam, but a bald Chuck Connors who's apparently left his rifle and hair back in the '50's.At times, the movie tries a little too hard to keep up the comedic pace and various gimmicks. Plus Garner's little roulette fixation comes across as rather clunky given the generally light-hearted pace. But get a load of the great supporting cast. So many familiar names and faces from that era and earlier (Blondell). I'm glad a lot of these deserving folks got a payday and some screen time. (Look fast for WC Field's favorite Grady Sutton in a small role.) Anyway, it's a fun 90-minutes with that master of the sly grin, Jim Garner, and a cast of fun-loving roustabouts.

clck2001 Hilarious, but not nearly as funny as, or as good overall, as Support Your Local Sheriff, which shares many of the same cast as this one, and the same director. Burt Kennedy was good with comedy, whether he was directing Garner in this and Support Your Local Sheriff, or he was directing John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in The War Wagon. I love the scenes with the double meanings involving the donkeys. Priceless! Chuck Connors gives a good performance as a bald outlaw, who in the end, has boot trouble. I enjoy the last line, last scene with Jack Elam. He says that he went on to star in "Italian westerns". Coincidentally, he was in an Italian western, a Sergio Leone film, "Once Upon a Time in the West", playing the role of Snaky, a member of Henry Fonda's character's gang. 'Nuff said!