Customer Reviews

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Robert Mitchum here plays James Flagg, a lawman grown old in harness, who has watched the West evolve from wild to modern and now finds himself an anachronism--or so his boss, Mayor Randolph Wilker (Martin Balsam), would have everyone think. Eager to make his town of Progress seem up-to-date and incidentally grease the skids for his own developing political career, he engineers Flagg's retirement (while making it look like a signal honor, pension and all) and succeeds only in making the veteran marshal, who singlehandedly tamed the town years before, feel useless. But Flagg suspects that the West has some wildness yet, as his old friend, the hermit Grundy (Douglas V. Fowley), has warned him of the presence of a gang of suspicious characters in the neighborhood. What's more, one of them seems to be an old adversary of his, Big John McKay (Kennedy), a famous outlaw long believed to be dead. Taking matters into his own hands, Flagg finds himself unexpectedly allied with McKay as they race to foil the gang's planned robbery of the train bringing a shipment of cash for Progress's new bank.

Apparently set in New Mexico soon after statehood (Wilker dreams of the Governor's seat), this comedy-Western is more serious than many of its type and has some important things to say about honor, justice, and friendship. Both Flagg and McKay are disgusted by the decline in morals typified by McKay's gang of young gunslingers ("They got no pride, they got no honor!" McKay fumes after one of the up-and-comers shoots a man in the back) and eager to prove that though they may be a bit older and slower, they can still do the jobs that made their names. The final chase, involving not only the two old-timers on horseback but Wilker on a handcar and an array of early automobiles, is an utter delight. A movie that deserves to be better known.

Robert Mitchum stars a forcibly retired Marshall with George Kennedy as an over the hill villian being forced out a gang because of his age as they unite forces to break up and bust that same gang set in the American West during the early 1900's.It's a very pleasant western comedy well worth seeing!!

There are overtones of two Sam Peckinpah movies in this engaging and deft Western ,albeit its tone is different.It will evoke memories of The Wild Bunch in its depiction of traditional Western mores being left behind by changing times but where the Peckinpah is blood drenched and violent this adopts a lighter and more relaxed tone.Its theme of ageing men seeking one last hurrah was prefigured in ,what for me was Peckinpah's masterpiece "Ride the High Country" but where that was elegaic and tinged with a bitter sweet melancholy this is nostalgic and mellow.
Mitchum plays Marshall Flagg ,a veteran lawman in the town of Progress ,whose warnings of an impending attack on a bullion train by a veteran outlaw are pooh-poohed by the Major ,an engaging opportunist played with skill and dexterity by the ever dependable Martin Balsam .He is put out to grass by the town and tries to head off the robbery on his own .He discovers that the man he assumed was behind the robbery -an old antagonist "Jack"(George Kennedy)is held in contempt by the youthful leaders of the gang ,headed by a saturnine David Carradine.They two veterans combine forces to try and thwart the robbery ,and the climax as the train is pursued by the bad guys is lively if perhaps overlong and played rather too broadly.
The movie seems to me to reflect the political tensions of its era-the late 60's with the demonising of the long haired young whose lack of scruple is pointedly contrasted with the more restarined approach of an older school of bandit .It is a deeply Conservative movie in that regard .
Fine performances by Mitchum and Kennedy help enormously and the mood throughout is relaxed and tinged with deft touches of comedy.
It stands as one example of the tendency common in Westerns from that era of veteran stars guying their own image eg Mitchum and Wayne in EL Dorado ,Fonda and Douglas in There Was a Crooked Man .
Unassuming and fun -not a great Western but a solid second string one

From Glenn Yarborough's excellent rendition of the "Ballad of Marshall Flagg" at the beginning of the movie, to the end where Robert Mitchum handcuffs George Kennedy to ride him off to face justice....the movie was excellent.....and I still am waiting for it to be transferred to DVD where they could have comments by both Kennedys (director and actor), along with others like David Carradine, singer Glenn Yarborough....etc.
It is my favorite western (tied with Waterhole #3...that starred James Coburn and Carroll O'Connor.....
I think it was better than Kennedy's "Support Your..." movies with James Garner.
I thought it also had the best "ballad" along with Roger Miller's "Code of the West" with Waterhole #3.
If you enjoy comedy or westerns....you should love this movie, it has both .... and has a sly undercurrent of political incorrectness with subjects ranging from lustful politicians (decades before president Clinton)....and their passion for power at any cost (ie. several other presidents)...historical revisionism....age-ism......
I would have called it the best film of the year when it came out....and I love watching it whenever I can run across it.....

It is hard for some people in this film to distinguish good people from bad. The movie is filled with humor, as well as lots of shooting. In fact, the comedian Buddy Hacket appears for about a minute grimacing humorously without getting his name mentioned among the credits, and John Carradine, who usually plays a fearsome man, has a long comedy part, and he smiles.

It is around 1900. There are many cars on the street of this small western town. Robert Mitchum has been the town marshal for twenty years and is nearing old age. He hears that an older acquaintance of his, George Kennedy, a train robber, is coming to town with his gang to rob a train. Mitchum tries to persuade the mayor to allow him to form a posse, but the mayor is more interested in the election, coming in two weeks, and doesn't want to rile up the citizens. (This concern comes second to his interest in sleeping with the wife of another man.) The mayor protects himself against Mitchum's protestations by retiring him. Undaunted, Mitchum decides to go after Kennedy himself. He captures Kennedy in a comical manner, but the mayor doesn't want a disturbance and doesn't want him placed in jail. Mitchum brings him to his home and Kennedy is surprised to discover an indoor toilet.

The gang arrives in town and one of them shoots Mitchum's friend in the back. Mitchum is now more determined than ever to stop the gang and their robbery. But he is one oldish man against a gang of young men. Kennedy is outraged by the back shooting and agrees to join Mitchum in stopping the gang. They decide to board the train while it is speeding and persuade or force the driver to drive through town without stopping so that the gang will be unable to rob it. Or, so they think.

Viewers will enjoy the almost "keystone cop" antics on the train by conductors who think Mitchum and Kennedy are robbers (Carradine is one of them) and the almost ridiculous chase by the town people after the train, led on by the mayor who sees an opportunity to gain good publicity. Will the overly-honest Mitchum consider Kennedy a good guy now since he helped him and most likely saved his life?

If you didn't already get it from the title - "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" - this is a tongue-in-cheek western from Burt Kennedy. It stars Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy as aging rivals from opposite sides of the legal fence, who must join forces and confront their own decline in the face of a changing west.

Robert Mitchum (1917-97) received his only Oscar nomination for his role in "The Story of GI Joe", but movie fans know that Mitchum was a terrific actor who deserved far more acknowledgement, but his "bad boy" persona undoubtedly interfered. Mitchum is probably best known for his performances as Philip Marlowe, and his work in films like "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) and "Cape Fear" (1962). He is ranked by AFI as among the top 100 villains of all time. I liked him best as the drunken sheriff in "El Dorado" (1966). Mitchum plays a retired sheriff.

George Kennedy (1925) is best remembered for his role as the convict who beats up Paul Newman in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) for which he won the Oscar. He could play a good guy (e.g., Major Armbuster in "Dirty Dozen", Chris in "Guns of the Magnificent Seven", Patton in "Brass Target") and a villain (e.g., Red in "Thunbderbolt and Lightfoot", Ben Bowman in "The Eiger Sanction") and was also adept at comedy (e.g., "Airport 1975", "The Naked Gun"). Kennedy plays an outlaw, and Mitchum's nemesis. Kennedy had gone straight, gotten married, and had a child, but when his wife died, he returned to his evil ways (Obviously Clint Eastwood was inspired this film).

Martin Balsam (1919-96) plays the town's mayor, and is clearly the inspiration for Mel Brooks' role in "Blazing Saddles". Balsam won the Oscar for "A Thousand Clowns" (1965), had two BAFTA nominations ("All the President's Men", "The Taking of Pelham 123"), and an Emmy nomination ("Raid on Entebbe"). He gave good dependable performances in more than 100 films.

John Davis Chandler (1935-2010) plays a gunslinger. Chandler specialized in playing villains in nearly 100 films, often westerns such as "Ride the High Country" (1962), "Major Dundee" (1965), and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976)

David Carradine (1936-2009) is best known as Kwai Chang Caine from the TV series "Kung Fu" and from the "Kill Bill" films. He appeared in more than 100 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe 4 times and for an Emmy once. Carradine plays the leader of the outlaw gang, who ousted Kennedy because he is too old.

David's father, John Carradine (1906-88 ) plays a conductor on the train that is at the climax of the film. He was a part of John Ford's Stock Company and gave memorable performances in "Prisoner of Shark Island" (1936), "Stagecoach" (1939) and "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940). He's best known to us today for his continuing role as Serenity Johnson in son David's TV series "Kung Fu" (1972-1975).

Douglas Fowley (1911-98) makes another memorable appearance, this time as a hermit and long time friend of Mitchum. Fowley appeared in more than 200 films and is probably best known for his role as Roscoe Dexter in "Singing in the Rain" (1952). Fowley had a mini-career on TV with a full beard and his best "Gabby" Hayes imitation, and that's how he looks in this film. He's so good you won't recognize him.

Burt Kennedy (1922-2001) directed nearly 50 films, many of them westerns, including "The Rounders" (1965), "Return of the Seven" (1966), "The War Wagon" (1967), and "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969). Most of his westerns had strong comedic elements. By the 1970s he was working primarily in TV, again making TV westerns. He got his break as a writer from John Wayne and worked with Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott on their westerns.

Roger Ebert called it "a fairly good western" but noted "the movie never seems quite sure whether it's serious or not." Regarding the star, Ebert said "Mitchum eventually has to carry the picture, as he has carried so many before, and his scenes work even when they shouldn't." The NY Times was not so kind - "there's nothing even mildly compelling about this anemic, fumbling and altogether aimless little exercise that soundly squanders some fetching color scenery and a trio of professionals like Robert Mitchum and two Oscar-winners, George Kennedy and Martin Balsam."

In 1969 "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was the big box office king, followed by "The Shoot Horses Don't They?", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "Midnight Cowboy", and "Easy Rider". "True Grit" and "The Wild Bunch" rounded off the top 10. So it was a great year for westerns. The big Oscar winner was "Midnight Cowboy" (Picture, Director) and John Wayne won his only Oscar for "True Grit". Other notable films that year were "Hello Dolly", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Putney Swope" and "Z".

There have been more than 100 "comedy westerns". Here's a list of some of the best: Mel Brooks' hilarious "Blazing Saddles" (1974), Lee Marvin's Oscar winning "Cat Ballou" (1965), Billy Crystal in "City Slickers" (1991), Bob Hope's "Son of Paleface" (1952), Jimmy Stewart's "Destry Rides Again" (1939), Gene Wilder as "The Frisco Kid" (1979), the Marx Brothers' "Go West" (1940), W.C. Fields and Mae West in "My Little Chickadee" (1940), Don Knotts as "The Shakiest Gun in the West" (1968), Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood in "Paint Your Wagon" (1969), and James Garner's "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969).

Against these classics, "The good guys..." doesn't stack up that well. At its core, it simply isn't that funny and as an action western it fails too.

This is a great movie. It is typical of Robert Mitchum. He is a really great actor who has been undersold by the Oscars. But then again, the Oscars did not really like John Wayne either?

This is a very fine wide-screen production (2.35.1) by Warner. It was filmed in the state of New Mexico in the fall and the scenery is spectacular.

Robert Mitchum plays Sheriff James Flagg who, it would seem, has outlived his usefulness. He hears that a famous train robber from the old days, Big John McKay (George Kennedy), is planning a robbery in the town of Progress. The Sheriff tries to warn the Mayor, who takes no notice and replaces him with a younger, incompetent man. Following complications, Flagg and Big John join forces: they are pursued by outlaws and a frantic train chase ensues.

Mitchum and Kennedy are wonderful as men used to the Old West, not comfortable living in a more modern age. Ignore the critics, because this is a fun-filled movie and well worth seeing.

Affectionate Western Comedy . The Performances are delightful throughout . The Western has won and a Lawman James Flagg (Robert Michum 1917-1997) was there to help win it . But it's now the early 1900s and time , like a horseless carriage chugging ahead of a saddle palomito , has passed flagg by . He's one of the of a dying breed . And the first to take action whwn old-time thievery returns to his Old West . Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy (1925-) ease into their roles like long-time saddle pals in this fightin', funnin'saga directed by Burt Kennedy (1922-2001). One (Mitchum) is dedicated to the law , the other (Kennedy) to lawbreaking . Each has seen better days . And each gets to relive them when they team to stop ice-blooded Waco (David Carradine 1936-2009) and his gang of god thieves . Good ol'days get a whole lot better when THE GOOD AND THE BAD GUYS ride ! . High Quality Transfer

For a Western movie it's funny. not as funny as Water Hole Number 3 or Dirty Dingus McGee, but it's funny. So if you Robert Mich um and/or George Kennedy Buy it. No regrets.