mark.waltz
"If your gray, we pay." That must have been the casting call for this TV movie, the "Cocoon" of its day minus the aliens. Actors who looked old in the 1930's, some probably presumed dead, all doing their best to show they still got it. The gathering of western veterans sharing the leading roles (split into quarters) makes this a curiosity from the start. Three time Oscar winner Walter Brennan, grizzled TV uncle Edgar Buchanan, old mule Chill Wills and the plain spoken Pat O'Brien are the four, going up against hot aired Edward Andrews to replace him as mayor with young Rick Nelson. But with squeaky voiced judge Andy Devine and sheriff Jack Elam in Andrews' crooked pocket, it seems unlikely that this odd foursome can get any support, that is until Andrews goes too far with the supporters he has.With John Carradine and Boris Karloff apparently the only available senior actors not cast, this is filled with nostalgia, coming out at a time when TV audiences definitely needed it. Hatchet faced veteran nosy neighbor Almira Sessions, the eternally old coot Burt Mustin and campy strip teaser Gypsy Rose Lee are other veterans cast in juicy supporting roles. Lee, decked out in pettycoats, lace and feathers, is a campy hoot. Each of the veterans gets a moment to show what they do best,and for that reason alone, this is a must for fans of classic Hollywood. The story is far from complex, the humor moderate and the plot revelation predictable. A sequel would increase the gang with a still dancing Fred Astaire, making me wonder if this was ever thought of as a weekly series.
bkoganbing
I do love both of the Over-The-Hill Gang movies mainly because you will never get a chance to see so many scene stealing character actors in one film no matter how hard you look. All these familiar faces, familiar in mostly westerns. I'm betting these guys didn't appear together for the most part before now because it was impossible to have had that much ham in any one film.Yet comedy director Jean Yarbrough took a chance. So did Walter Brennan who co-produced this along with Danny Thomas and Aaron Spelling. I guess Brennan was not afraid to show his acting chops against some of his fellow best scene stealers.Pat O'Brien is a former Texas Ranger captain who is retired and visiting his daughter and son-in-law, Kris and Ricky Nelson. Ricky is the editor of the town newspaper who's running for mayor against crooked Edward Andrews the incumbent. Andrews has sheriff Jack Elam and judge Andy Devine in his pocket and pretty well runs things in that Nevada town. After the sheriff and a few thug deputies beat up Ricky, O'Brien summons some of his most trusted former Rangers to action.The problem is that neither O'Brien nor his former company members have seen much action recently. The other Rangers are Brennan, Chill Wills, and Edgar Buchanan. Looking at the cast of this film, it's got to be one of the oldest aggregate casts ever assembled. And all of these guys stole more scenes from more stars than any other group you could put together. Gypsy Rose Lee is even on hand as a saloon owner and rival of Andrews who wants to see him put out of business because he gives honest folks like herself a bad name.This is a film to be treasured and savored by lovers of westerns and those who just love great character actors.
Tom Willett (yonhope)
Hi, Everyone, The title credits list William Smith as "Amos." If William Smith is in this at all, he is one of the bad guys who comes into the movie very late. Each of the new villains is introduced by the mayor who is the chief bad guy. Not one of the outlaws is called "Amos." In one scene, the mayor refers to the Judge (Andy Devine) as "Amos." I think they might have planned to use William Smith in a major way in this movie and maybe he was not available right away. They might have used him as a bad guy at the end, but I am not sure if that is William Smith or someone who bears a resemblance to him. If it is William Smith he does not have a speaking part.My DVD might be missing some scenes because the length is supposed to be 75 minutes but it is actually just over 70 minutes.Anyway, the movie was a good idea that was well cast and poorly executed. It is not a comedy movie and it is not a drama, but somewhere in between. This could have been as funny as Laurel and Hardy or The Three Stooges or it could have been a Western as good as Ride The High Country (which also featured Buchanan). It is just another good idea that was sculpted into a meaningless glob of celluloid that will be on display in the Museum of Hollywood's Attempted Classics.Tom Willett
Duke-56
Made for TV and it looks it...they musta used the Gunsmoke lot...lots of great classic old grandpa actors...like Andy Devine as a villain...Jack Elam...which eye do you look at?....and Ricky...It was also GYPSY ROSE LEES final film...she died within a year...you never woulda thought by seeing her here...she looked pretty good. Pat O'Brien...Chill Wills...Edgar (clear your throat)Buchanan and GRANPA McCOY himself WALTER BRENNAN....the villains were really funny. Its fun and nostalgic...and that fight scene with Ricky dodging those fake stunt man hits was the best scene for laffs. Available now on Ebay for one cent plus shipping or pick one up a DOLLAR TREE or 99 cent store near you....
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