Need proof that Burt Reynolds was cool from the get-go?
Look no further than this easy going Western, where Reynolds plays the title character – a wisecracking, hell-raising, wannabe Jesse James. He’s in your face and, shortly afterwards, on his butt as he rarely fails to bite off more than he can chew.
Sam Whiskey has been summoned by a beautiful widow named Laura Breckenridge (Angie Dickinson) and her promise to pay him five thousand dollars if he’ll only do a little something for her.
That little something? Turns out that when Breckenridge’s deceased husband was alive, he snuck into the U.S. Mint in Denver, Colorado and swapped a couple of dozen real gold bars for fake ones. He intended to use the gold to finance a rebellion in lower California, turn it into a republic and make himself its first president – what a guy. Unfortunately for our would-be founding father, while making his getaway aboard a steamer, it sank – leaving him and the real gold bars at the bottom of the Platt river.
Soon, they’ll be minting new coins and Breckenridge is concerned that when they discover the gold’s fake, she’ll be headed to jail, bringing disrepute on her good family name.
Now, Sam has zero interest in fooling with the U.S. government, but money and the literally naked charms of Miss Breckenridge prove too much for him to refuse.
So, he takes the job and starts assembling his mild bunch. First recruit is a blacksmith named Jed Hooker (Ossie Smith). The two had met earlier when Hooker kicked Whiskey’s butt in a dispute over who was going to use a saloon’s public bath first. One of the best scenes in the movie, it showcases Reynolds talent for comedy and his delight in upending his macho poseur of a character. Ozzie plays the straight man perfectly as Reynolds jaws and postures his way into an embarrassing defeat.
With Hooker aboard, Whiskey visits an old friend named O.W. Bandy. A talented inventor, Bandy swears his days of hell raising are through. Undeterred, Whiskey tricks his old friend into getting drunk on corn liquor and, the next morning, loads his sleeping body onto a wagon and off the three go.
Laid back in the saddle, semi-comic western is no classic, but does have some charm, a few laughs and some good chemistry amongst the leads.
The best thing in SW is Reynolds. He’s loose and self-deprecating. Part macho outlaw and part cowboy clown, he finds the sweet spot between handsome hero and good natured goofball and works it to perfection.
Much of the first 25 minutes or so are light and funny. Scenes of Whiskey trading punches with Hooker, “negotiating” with Breckenridge and tricking his old pal O.W. Bandy into joining the team are some of the best scenes in the film.
So, it’s no surprise that what, ultimately, sinks SW is the serious way in which the reverse heist is played. Though somewhat clever, it falls far short of compelling. As the three wander around the U.S. Mint putting their plan into action, the comic tone disappears and is replaced by a decent, but dull series of scenes that fulfill the requirements of the plot, while sacrificing all of the fun.
As it comes to the end of its trail, SW proves to be watered down, but worth a look.
