Benedito Dias Rodrigues This a enjoyable comic B Western that l saw for first time in late 1976 in my hometown when l was a boy...Glenn Ford is amazing as outsider and how he wants that the people know him before to bring all sheep to a Cattle's valley...but for me the movie resume in two different and amusing persons Milt (Edgar Buchanan) and Jumbo (Mickey Shaughnessy) Milt is clever,peaceful and funny....Jumbo is thug,stupid and funny... they are the true stars of this comic western....the remains of the movie is usual as always but Milt and Jumbo is remarkable guys!!Resume:First Watch: 1976 / How Many: 5 / Source: TV-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

zardoz-13 "Destry Rides Again" director George Marshall's western "The Sheepman" qualifies as a lightweight, tongue-in-cheek, cattlemen versus sheepherders, oater that turns to violence only as a reluctant last resort. The names of the three scenarists who adapted and wrote the screenplay should tell any western movie fan that Marshall's western is going to indulge in dialogue more than visceral action. James Edward Grant served as John Wayne's personal scriptwriter. He wrote "Angel and the Badman," and he went on to write the serio-comic John Wayne western "McLintock." William Bowers was no stranger to westerns. He wrote "Black Bart" (1948) and its 1967 remake "Ride to the Hangman's Tree," and those two horse operas emphasized humor. Bowers wrote "The Sheepman," and the script foreshadows Bowers' efforts on the James Garner law & order western "Support Your Local Sheriff." The third writer was William Roberts who received credit as the scenarist of "The Magnificent Seven." He also took credit for "One More Train to Rob" (1971) and "Red Sun" (1971). Indeed, an hour elapses before the dastardly villains shoot and kill the first unarmed, innocent sheepherders, but Glenn Ford takes everything in stride as a fast-draw, straight-shooting cattleman. Jason Sweet (Glenn Ford of "Arizona") was born to herd cattle, but the murder of his wife set him on the trail of vengeance. During his search for the killers, Sweet won his herd of sheep in a poker game and delivers them to Powder Valley. No sooner has Sweet arrives in town via the train than he tangles with the toughest man in town, Jumbo McCall (Mickey Shaughnessy of "Jailhouse Rock"), who works for the chief villain. The chief villain is Colonel Stephen Bedford (Leslie Nielsen of "Forbidden Planet") who owns the most prosperous cattle ranch and he is destined to wed the prettiest woman in town, Dell Payton (Shirley MacLaine of "Two Mules for Sister Sara"), the daughter of another cattleman. Eventually, Jumbo and two other cowhands usher a reluctant Jason into the Colonel's home. The Colonel turns out to be one of Jason's former friends. The two of them had planned to shoot it out in a duel, but neither of them showed up at the appointed time to slap leather. Jason knows 'the Colonel' as Johnny, a former outlaw who has changed his name and gone straight. The Colonel asks Jason to keep his real identity secret. Meantime, Jason befriends another character in town, livery stable owner Milt Masters (Edgar Buchanan of "Abilene Town") starts out as a potential adversary and becomes a friend. Interestingly enough, the Colonel orchestrates a party that he invites Jason to while he rounds up Jason's sheep and puts them aboard a train. Once, the Colonel has Jason's wooly horde on the train with the chief sheepherder, Angelo (Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez of "Rio Bravo"), and has told the locomotive engineer to leave them locked up on the freight car for 200 miles before they are to be released. All along our shrewd but amiable protagonist has been on the look out for the despicable man, Chocktaw Neal (Pernell Roberts of "Ride Lonesome"), who killed his wife. Chocktaw and two gunslingers show up at the Colonel's ranch and promptly ride off to murder all the sheepherders and gun down Jason. When they raid the sheep camp, they miss Jason who rides in after they have killed his hired hands and scattered his sheep. Of course, Marshall concludes matters with a showdown on Main Street where Jason has to shoot it out with Neal. Initially, Neal believes that he has Jason caught in a crossfire and it is a foregone conclusion that he will kill him. At this point, Dell has reformed herself and is sympathetic to Jason, and Milt and she gets the drop on Neal's two partners and disarm them. One showdown leads to another, and Jason storms out to the Colonel's ranch for the final shoot-out.The first hour of "The Sheepman" is thoroughly entertaining, and Glenn Ford is terrific. Edgar Buchanan plays another conniving galoot who winds up on the side of good, and Leslie Nielsen is urban as the evil villain. The dialogue is sparkling stuff. One of our hero's interesting ploys that has become a trademark for him is his sharpshooting trick where he balances a whiskey shot glass mouth down on the back of his hand with a poker chip atop it. He flings the glass and chip up into the air above him and adroitly whips out his six-shooter and shatters the glass with his bullet and then catches the poker chip. "The Sheepman" is an amusing oater.

bkoganbing Glenn Ford comes to town after winning a herd of sheep in a poker game and wants to settle down. Unfortunately it's in the middle of cattle country and we western fans know sheep and cattle don't mix. The whole town is against him. Leading the fight against Ford is Leslie Nielson in one of his earliest screen roles. Ford and Nielson have a common past together and Ford knows he's using an alias in the town.It sounds like a serious range war film is opening. But actually it is one of the funniest westerns ever done. Glenn Ford is perfectly cast as the would be sheep rancher and his deadpan delivery is just wonderful to hear. Credit must go to Director George Marshall. Marshall had worked with Ford in one other film before in Ford's early Hollywood days, Texas. After the success of The Sheepman, the two of them collaborated on a whole slew of films. Marshall was one of the best comedy directors ever in Hollywood.Shirley MacLaine has a good Calamity Jane like part and makes the most of it with her special brand of quirkiness. Edgar Buchanan who was in just about every other Glenn Ford film does fine as the livery stable owner with few scruples, but a surprising sense of integrity.However in the supporting cast I have to mention Mickey Shaughnessy as Nielson's chief henchman. Shaughnessy specialized in playing slow witted oafs on the screen who usually were good for a few laughs. His scenes with Ford are something to behold as Ford is constantly getting the better of him in a battle of wits and/or fists. I think this film was Mickey Shaughnessy's finest screen hour.Good comedy and enough action for the fans of traditional western fare.

Slim-4 This movie is played for laughs, particularly in the early scenes. The Fall scenery of the Colorado Rockies is gorgeous. The pretty title theme by composer Jeff Alexander reappears later in another Glenn Ford outing, "The Rounders". The strong cast includes Glenn Ford, Shirley McLaine, and Leslie Nielson. Edgar Buchanan is particularly good in a supporting role.This movie is fun to watch. Ford is good as the sheepman and Shirley McLain does well with her role as the almost-wife of bad guy Leslie Nielson. The film is a little short on action, but the witty script more than makes up for it. Most of the action occurs at the end with Sheepman Ford shooting the bad guys.I particularly enjoyed Shirley McLain's performance. The script gives her a character with some potential and she makes the most of it. If she's done another Western I can't remember what it is.>