Customer Reviews

Pardners [VHS]

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

 

 

This video is hard to find, except through Amazon. Worth the price. Soundtrack is one of the better ones, if you can find it, as well. Dean Martin, for western fans, was a very good gun handler (as well as a fine singer) and you get a glimpse of his skill in this flick. I agree with the previous reviewer, the end credits are fun to watch. As always, the plot of M & L movies are far-reaching, but if you are watching a M & L movie for the plot, go back to reading Webster's Dictionary. If you half-way like M & L, half-way like comedies or half-way like westerns, you'll enjoy this movie. Buy it before it's so far out-of-print that you'll never find it. Enjoy.

M&L's next to last film is one of their funniest and shows how much better their movies got into the mid 50s. The prolouge even has M&L playing it totally straight. Some great gags and appearances by some familiar Western character actors give this a fine satiric bite. And don't miss the last shot after Dean & Jerry shoot away the THE END title where they talk directly to the audience and imply that they won't break up.

"Pardners" has always been my favorite Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie. The combination of this famous team's humor and song, along with a western setting make for an enjoyable time. Some excellent character actors in supporting roles, including Jeff Murrow, add to the western action. I'm glad others have commented on the closing where Dean and Jerry speak directly to the audience about continuing to come and see their films. I saw this in a theater just months before their famous breakup and the irony has stayed with me. Optimist that I am, I kept hoping for M & L to reunite for more films. Never happened, but thankfully we have this and other Martin & Lewis films on tape and hopefully one day, restored on DVDs.
D.A.

"Pardners" (1956) was Martin and Lewis' next-to-last film and it remains among their best. A loose remake of Bing Crosby's "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), this breezy western comedy has the duo in good form, with a strong supporting cast featuring Agnes Moorehead and Lon Chaney Jr. Unlike "Hollywood or Bust" (the team's farewell appearance), Dean and Jerry were on speaking terms during the production and their rapport is evident from beginning to end. One of the film's most memorable (and ironic) scenes has Martin and Lewis taking aim at the final credits, while assuring their fans that they will continue to make beautiful cinema together. It didn't turn out that way, but you have to admire Dean and Jerry for breaking up at the height of their phenomenal success - rather than face the downhill trajectory that greeted most comedy teams.