Customer Reviews

The Dude Goes West

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Especially to those who know him primarily from "Green Acres," Eddie Albert probably doesn't seem an especially heroic figure. But in this BW outing, made when he was 42 (though he looks younger) and only 10 years from his film debut, he shows that he can do it, if not always in deadly serious style. He plays Daniel Bone, a young gunsmith who, in 1876, decides that Brooklyn is no longer the place for a man in his trade and sets out for the mining camp of Arsenic City, Utah Territory. On the train from Kansas City he meets Liza Crockett (Storm), who is on her way to the same destination in hopes of finding the golden lode discovered by her father before he was murdered. What neither of them knows is that somebody else wants to find it too, and has sent the Pecos Kid (Roland) to do the job. Daniel saves Liza's map (without knowing just what Pecos was after), and in the process makes an enemy. He also manages, through a series of misunderstandings, to convince Liza that he too is out for the map--and perhaps her virtue as well! Later he saves the life of Pecos's rival, Texas Jack Barton (MacLane), and when he and Liza are captured by Paiutes, manages to use the information gleaned from his extensive reading to gain their respect and friendship. Gradually we learn the extent of the plot, which Daniel continues to foil, and in the end, "with a little help from his friends," all comes out right: the villains are suitably dealt with, Liza's mine is saved, and (as narrator-Daniel tells his grandchildren), "your Grandma...won your Grandpa." Though not notable for fast action and (as we might expect from its date) somewhat given to Political Incorrectness, this little-known comedy-Western gem offers good pace and several memorable characters, including Texas Jack (who comes to quite like Daniel) and prospector Sam Briggs (Gleason). To me, its great strength is that Albert and his cohorts play it straight, even though the audience sees that it's a comedy. Anyone who enjoys more modern efforts like Support Your Local Sheriff will probably like this movie.

I just viewed this film, which I've never heard of before, on TCM. I immediately went to Amazon to see if I could find a copy because I enjoyed it so much. A very amusing script, competent cast, and though a predictable plot - it still had a couple of surprises.

I'm not a big fan of classic westerns, but this one has something for everyone. It has all the stereo-types of bad guys (black hats), native americans (of the "How", and "white man speak with forked tongue" variety), but yet this charming film kept me watching to see what happens. It's kind of a western drama/spoof/romance all rolled into one. Eddie Albert does a great job as the "dude". Gale Storm, while not the greatest actress, does an adequate job and is definitely easy on the eyes.

I thought it was going to be a rip-off of Bob Hope's "Paleface"/"Son of Paleface", but it's not. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

Eddie Albert stars in an early Green Acres-type comedy as New York gunsmith Daniel Bone who heads west to the wicked mining town of Arsenic to cash in on the market for gun repairs. On the way there he convinces the hostile Indians he is a great smoke god and the outlaws that he can outshoot them. Gale Storm enters the picture in search of her late father's gold mine and everyone in Arsenic wants her map. Albert is thwarted in all his romantic advances until he memorizes the map and rescues her to find the gold. Directed with flair by Kurt Neumann (The Fly)

A very entertaining movie somewhat like "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw". Albert was good but let`s hear it for Gale Storm too. Also, I think Warner Archives has a lot of gall asking the price they do for these movies put on inferior discs. Besides most of the movies in their collection are second rate in my opinion. This movie was one of the exceptions.

Texas Jack: "Man alive!!! Where did a DUDE learn to shoot like that???!!!

Daniel Bone [The Dude]: "I told you. I'm a gunsmith. How would I know if I fixed a gun right unless I could shoot?"

As a supervisor, I actually used these lines as an example of a commitment to quality.