Customer Reviews

The Frisco Kid

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Frisco Kid" didn't do much at all at the box office when it came out. The movie-going world was still reeling from the impact of the previous year's offering of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and a western comedy just didn't have the drawing power.

If you take the time to watch this show, however, you will find that it is a real treasure!

A young student at a rabbical in Poland is enamured with the American west. When he graduates he is given the assignment of his dreams...to take a copy of the Torah with him, sail to America, and lead the fledgling Jewish community in the "village of San Francisco." Where is that? he asks..."By New York."

The casting of Gene Wilder as the young rabbi, and Harrison Ford as a rough and tumble, carrousing, card playing, bank robber clicks.

The gullible young rabbi is fleeced as soon as he hits American soil, but he is still determined to recover what is his, and to make the cross-country journey to California. One thing leads to another, and the rabbi and cowboy meet up. The best parts of the movie are the conversations the rabbi has with himself, as if he were teaching himself.

From mishap to misadventure, this is a real "keeper."

I highly recommend this show...it rings authentic in many respects, and has truly funny parts in it. One of my favorite bits is when the rabbi will not ride his horse until the end of the Sabbath, even though there's a posse on their trail. You'll see one perturbed Harrison Ford in that scene.

5 stars through and through.

This is one of the few films where an Orthodox rabbi isportrayed as a real human being with some depth to him instead of justa stereotype. It's a comedy, yes -- but so much more than a comedy. This film shows us REAL Jewish values -- honesty, devotion, compassion, trust in God, and of course, a sense of humor. I absolutely LOVE this film!

I am sure there are those of you out there that remember this comedy-western form the late 70's. For those of you that don't, I highly recommend this movie. Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford star as an unlikely pair traveling across America in the Old West. Gene Wilder plays a rabbi trying to get to San Francisco for his own wedding. On the way he is robbed by some two-bit thieves. He teams up with Harrison Ford and the two embark on a series of humorous mishaps as they try and get back the rabbi's stolen goods including his Torah. The movie really has some funny moments and even if you are not a big western fan this movie will leave you highly entertained. It will leave you with a "feel good" attitude when the end credits roll. The dance number with Gene Wilder and some Indians is absolutely classic. The movie is a must for Gene Wilder fans. I feel this is one of his best movies. Watch The Frisco Kid today!

"The Frisco Kid" has never gotten a lot of acclaim, and over the years, has been pretty thoroughly neglected, but this is an absolute gem of a movie; it's been on my short list of all-time favorite movies since the first time I saw it, and I like it better every time I see it.

Of course, the humor of the main story line involves the various incongruities of a Polish rabbi traveling in the Old West (the classic "American-journey" theme line), and his unlikely friendship with a cowboy-outlaw (with the requisite heart of gold). But woven throughout the film are themes of integrity, loyalty, and courage that give the film depth far beyond first appearances. I found myself actually being inspired as, over and over, in ways large and small, Avram conducted himself as being accountable to something (Someone?) greater than himself. And his dialogue with Tom near the end contains a profound and thought-provoking twist.

Like other reviewers, I am grateful to finally have "The Frisco Kid" available on DVD. This is a wonderful movie that deserves to be better-known.

If anyone is listening out there PUT THIS ON DVD PLEASE ?
It's one funny movie, good clean fun and that's something you don't see in the movies any longer.

This film is a feel-good crowd pleaser! Gene Wilder is superb in his portrayal of a non-worldly, brand new Polish Rabbi shipped off to America and the Wild West. Hidden within the comedic role of the Rabbi is a man of devote faith and sensitivity. Harrison Ford, the cowboy, fills the role of "straight man" to Wilder's top banana presentation. The two make a great team as they travel from New York to San Francisco through the West of the early 1800's.
OK, this isn't highly sophisticated comedy. The Academy won't ever give an Oscar for it's drama. It is however, a well done film with good character development and besides, it's just plain fun.

My only complaint about this film is that The Frisco Kid isn't in DVD format yet. As soon as it is, I'm trading in my VHS copy.

Maybe it's old fashioned, but goodness is alive and well and in this movie. Coupled with a believable plot and natural humor, this is my all time favorite. Gene Wilder is wonderful. His facial expressions alone deserve an award. As Rabbi Avram Belinski, his innocence, his spirit and determination are the anchor for much of the humor. Enter a young Harrison Ford, who, as Tom, despite being a bandit, has an innocence of his own. In spite of himself, he helps the Rabbi make his way across the frontier West. But this is no namby-pamby goody-goody movie. There are killers on their trail, Indians, and -- thanks to Tom -- the law, and the elements the Rabbi and Tom must contend with.

Robert Aldrich directed, and it shows. There are no slack moments here, and the respect and dignity he obtains from each performer is characteristic. Especially wonderful is the encounter between the Rabbi and Tom with the Indians. All ages can enjoy this movie -- each age will see a different perspective, perhaps, but there is nothing that has to be explained to the young ones because the movie tells the tale so well.

Gene Wilder turns in a hysterical tour de force performance as a bumbling rabbi trying to make his way to San Francisco in the 1850's. Of coarse, he needs a little help from Harrison Ford, who proves he's no slouch at comedy as Wilder's outlaw buddy. Director Robert Aldrich provides us with enough cute humor to make this a family film, but just enough depth and violence to keep adults from feeling it's to sappy (no small feat). If you look behind the laughs, this is a very moving story about a man staying true to his roots despite the obstacles he faces. And if you can't see behind the laughs, they should be enough to keep you entertained anyway.

Of the many wonderful perfomances Gene Wilder has given us--Willy Wonka, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles--his character of the rabbi in The Frisco Kid holds the warmest spot in my heart. There is a sweetness and a depth in Avram that we rarely see in combination. There are humor and excitement and some twists that you just don't expect to find in most westerns. The immigrant Avram encounters a mid 19th century America that is both frightening and uplifting. Watch for the different groups and individuals who help and protect him as he makes his way from Philadelphia to San Francisco. Wilder's performance is dead-on from the moment we see him trying to skate (or is it walk) on a frozen pond in Poland. Harrison Ford's outlaw/best friend starts weakly (probably due to the script rather than his performance), but becomes more and more attuned to what Wilder is doing as the two make their way across the country. Watch this movie with your best friend, and don't turn off your set when the closing credits start to roll. The final shot is something special.

Gene Wilder turns in a hysterical tour de force performance as a bumbling rabbi trying to make his way to a new congregation in San Francisco admist the turmoil of the 1850's. Of coarse, he needs a little help from Harrison Ford, who proves he's no slouch at comedy as rugged bank robber with a heart of gold. Director Robert Aldrich provides us with enough cute humor and pratfalls to make this a family film, and just enough grit, violence and romance to keep even the most sophisticated adults engaged (no small feat). If you look behind the laughs, this is a very moving story about a man staying true to his roots despite the obstacles he faces. And if you can't see behind the laughs, they should be enough to keep you entertained anyway.