The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Melvin Frank

Writers:

Barry Sandler (story)
Melvin Frank (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

Once upon a time, If the rustlers didn't get you, the hustlers did.

Plot:

A female hustler is chasing after rich men, but becomes repeatedly mixed up with a suave con man and...

Plot Keywords:

Mormon | Stagecoach | Wild West | Pig Latin | Title In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

George Segal	...	Charlie 'Dirtwater Fox' Malloy
Goldie Hawn	...	Amanda Quaid / Duchess Swansbury
Conrad Janis	...	Gladstone (Widdicombe's assistant)
Thayer David	...	Josiah Widdicombe (Mormon patriarch)
Jennifer Lee	...	Trollop
Sid Gould	...	Rabbi
Pat Ast	...	Music hall singer
E.J. André	...	Prospector (as E.J. Andre)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Stagecoach driver (as Dick Farnsworth)
Clifford Turknett	...	Mr. Weatherly (ticket aent)
Harlan Knudson	...	Cooper
Jean Favre	...	Drunk / Usher
Bill McLaughlin	...	Murdock
Richard Jamison	...	Waiter
Barbara Ulrich	...	Maisie

Runtime:

103 min | Germany:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | French | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The main female character, nicknamed Bluebird or the Duchess of Swansbury, is called Amanda Quaid in the end credits, yet this name is never spoken in the film. Most of the Bloodworth gang members are likewise not given names until the end credits.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The film's raunchy language may have been toned down in post-production to prevent an R rating. After the stagecoach crashes, Goldie Hawn has two lines ("I had to look like a *blue-nosed* duchess" and "It's still there in the *lousy* bottom") neither of which match up with her lip movements.

Quotes:

Charlie 'Dirtwater Fox' Malloy: Here it is... Virginia City, my kind of town.
Amanda Quaid/Duchess Swansbury: What constitutes your kind of town?
Charlie 'Dirtwater Fox' Malloy: Any place I can get rid of you!

A Romp!

Although the music may be a little dated now, I believe any fun-minded viewer will find this offering to be a thoroughly enjoyable romp.

George Segal and Goldie Hawn are at their best and deliver one delightful comic situation after another, much like, and in my opinion, better than, Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster in the also enjoyable but more recent "Maverick." I wouldn't be surprised if Mel and Jodie, not to mention the "Maverick" producers, wisely drew on this film for inspiration as the chemistry is interchangeable between the two movies.

One of many moments not to be forgotten is in the excellent turn of Conrad Janis as the blissfully unaware mark or the sidesplitting pig-Latin (pig-German?) argument Hawn and Segal develop in his presence.

I would very much like to see this film again and so will you.