Evil Roy Slade (1972) (TV)

Director:

Jerry Paris

Writers:

Jerry Belson (writer)
Garry Marshall (writer)

Release Date:

18 February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Plot:

The meanest villain in the West falls for a pretty schoolteacher and tries to change his ways, but a determined (and egomaniacal) singing sheriff is out to capture him.

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Schoolteacher | Unsold TV Series Pilot | Western Spoof | Reform

Cast

Mickey Rooney	...	Nelson Stool
Dick Shawn	...	Marshal Bing Bell
Henry Gibson	...	Clifford Stool
Edie Adams	...	Flossie
Pamela Austin	...	Betsy Potter
Milton Berle	...	Harry Fern
John Astin	...	Evil Roy Slade
Arthur Batanides	...	Lee
Milton Frome	...	Foss
Luana Anders	...	Alice Fern
Robert Liberman	...	Preacher
Ed Cambridge	...	Smith
Connie Sawyer	...	Aggie Potter
Alice Nunn	...	Claire Beckendorf
Pat Morita	...	Turhan

Runtime:

97 min | USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Roy Slade's name is supposed to be an acronym for "Sneaking, Lying, Arrogance, Dirtiness and Evil."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Evil Roy Slade realizes he has the toy cowboy's hat on, he grabs the hat and starts to take it off. Then when the toy cowboy hands Evil Roy the correct hat, Evil Roy still has the toy cowboy's hat on.

Quotes:

Nelson Stool: Marshall Bing Bell.
Clifford Stool: Who is it?
Nelson Stool: That's his name, you idiot!

Hilarious made-for-TV movie

Evil Roy Slade (Made For TV, 1972, director: Jerry Paris) - I first saw this movie when I was a small child (in an era of rather clever movies of the week), and then a few more times after that. I have not viewed it in over 25 years, however, but I still recall it being one of the funniest films I ever saw.

The humor was dark enough to attract my laughs, but not insulting or offensive (somewhere along the line, Hollywood forgot how to walk this delicate balance). Slade (John Astin, Gomez on TV's "Addams Family")is orphaned after a wagon train is attacked by Indians. No one (even the native-Americans or wolves) will aid him, so he ends up being raised by vultures with just an old teddy bear for a companion.

Naturally, he grows up mean and vile, eventually becoming the leader of a gang of bank robbers. During a heist, he meets pretty schoolmarm Betsy (Pam Austin) and it's love at first sight.

After he quits the gang, Becky tries to reform him, but railroad executive Mr. Stool (Mickey Rooney), hires retired singing sheriff, Big Bell (Dick Shawn, "It's A Mad, Mad Mad, Mad World") to capture the reforming outlaw.

With Dom DeLuise, Milton Berle, Edie Adams, John Ritter (later to star on "Three's Company"), Pat Morita (of "Karate Kid" fame) and narrated by Pat Butrum (Mr. Haney on "Green Acres"), "Evil Roy Slade" was one laugh riot from beginning to end. Maybe it's nostalgia for those good old days, but with others out there expressing the same viewpoint, I believe this picture still holds up well today.

Funniest line of dialogue that I remember: Betsy is trying to teach Slade mathematics. She asks, "You have three apples, and your neighbor has three apples. If he takes three of your apples, what do you have?" Slade: "A dead neighbor and all six apples."