The Frisco Kid (1979) User Reviews

THE FRISCO KID (Robert Aldrich, 1979) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 2 September 2006]

Aldrich's penultimate film is an odd and mildly interesting Western which, given its unlikely alliance between Polish rabbi Gene Wilder and young robber Harrison Ford, actually ties in nicely with the various buddy-buddy Spaghetti Westerns I've been going through this past week or so!

Still, the two-hour running-time is too great to sustain its rambling but, ultimately, pointless narrative (Wilder goes through many a misadventure, including being mistaken for Ford's accomplice and then having to depend on him for survival, on his long voyage) and few elements of the typical Western fare are utilized in any significant way (despite trains, banks, shoot-outs, posses, Indians, etc.) - though the landscapes are pleasant enough. Wilder's characteristically energetic performance helps a lot; Ford, however, is both too young and too modern for this type of role (according to Wilder's autobiography, it was originally intended for John Wayne!).

The Wilder Kid

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 15 September 2004]

Robert Aldrich was a director who made entertaining films throughout his career. He can count his blessings in having had the opportunity to work with one of the best comedians of all times: Gene Wilder.

This film is a delight, from beginning to end. Mr. Wilder, as Avram is a man we can't keep our eyes from, as he dominates the screen and makes this film his own. The adventures Avram goes through, coming to a country where everything is so different from the world he leaves behind, is what glues this tale together.

A young Harrison Ford is Mr. Wilder's sidekick. This bank robber shows the naive Avram the tricks about how to survive in a hostile environment. Mr. Ford underplays the role, and it works well because the funny lines are meant for Avram, and how he reacts to what he discovers, as he travels west.

This film will always be a favorite because it is universal and it reaches the audience with its positive message while laughing and enjoying the great Gene Wilder on the screen.

Jew goes west

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 15 August 2001]

Good comedy with Wilder and Ford doing a good job portraying the mismatched odd couple. The whole picture was played for cornball laughs, and there are a few, but I've seen much better comedies. A fun film overall, worth seeing; and the great Arizona backdrop was a real plus.

An overlooked cinematic comedy gem!

[Arthur-23 · 9 July 2000]

This is a great film. Gene Wilder plays an authentic Polish rabbi with a believable Yiddish accent in a buddy movie romp through the Wild West. Harrison Ford, in his pre-Indiana Jones incarnation, makes an effective side-kick. This is truly among Wilder's best roles. Robert Nurenberg's review couldn't have said it any better... except Wilder did not portray a rabbinical school dropout, though he was not likely the most outstanding pupil. He was a trained rabbi sent to America to assume a pulpit in San Francisco where he would marry the woman hand picked by a match-maker. What happens on the way from Poland to California is more than worth a single viewing! The Frisco Kid is a most enjoyable, insightful, and entertaining film. A well-deserved 10/10!

Delightful, if surreal

[leavesonline · 7/10 · 2 March 2011]

This movie is one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. A lot of this, however, is unintentional. At the same time, it also really rather sweet.

The plot is a variation on a theme and the greenhorn Rabbi rescued by the tough old hand offers few surprises. The adventures they encounter, however, are truly fantastic. The railroad scene shamelessly exploits every cultural cliché available in a fine example of political incorrectness. Then of course, there's the Amish - plenty of opportunities for laughs there, except it turns out to be a rather sweet, touching scene. The Italian-American-Indians are hysterical but at the same time there is a very human portrayal quite unusual for the 1970s.

The humour is very Jewish and has a delightful lack of malice. The characters are genuinely likable. Of course it's always funny to see Harrison Ford in his younger days (not to mention the wonderful scene where he does a very girly run in his long johns). Gene Wilder gives a fantastic performance that makes this movie truly worth watching.

So while this movie may have dated more than a little and there are some strange quirks and mistakes that have to be ignored, this is a film that remains enjoyable.

The Frisco Kid

[phubbs · 6/10 · 7 May 2014]

Imagine it, you've got Harrison Ford who's literately fresh off Star Wars and the hottest thing in Hollywood at the time. So what better way to follow on from that with...a Gene Wilder comedy set in the wild west?. This is probably the one type of film that I wouldn't ever expect to see Harrison Ford in.

The plot is very straight forward, a Jewish Rabbi needs to get across the US to San Francisco so he can take up his new position and meet his new wife there. Its a perilous journey and he's gonna need help, luckily along the way he meets up with cowboy and bank robber Ford to guide him. What follows is a classic old fashioned odd couple tale with Ford as the stern dashing risk taking criminal who's good in a fight and fast with his pistol, and dragging his arse behind him is the strictly religious meek kind gentle innocent Rabbi who absolutely refuses to ride his horse on a Saturday.

Its the typical Wilder vehicle really with cheeky clever dialog, visual gags and pratfalls, tonnes of charm and a heart of gold at the centre. You know what to expect along the way, its pretty obvious really, any clichéd predictable cowboy setup and scenario you can think of but stick a Rabbi in the thick of it, you know its gonna be amusing. I won't say its the best comedy I've come across or the best Wilder comedy, its certainly cute cheerful and good viewing for all the family. Its not quite as funny as I thought it might be admittedly, watching Wilder prance around in his Jewish tucks trying to cope with the wild west whilst Ford gruffly shouts at him is funny to begin with but does get a tad dull after a time.

The film does lack a bit of bite and could do with some more outright laughs really. Ford's acting is also a bit touch and go at first but he gets into it later on, only problem is he takes things a bit too seriously I think. You do tend to think this will be a farcical spoof type affair much like 'Young Frankenstein', the films poster hints at it and the combination of the ever lovable goofy Wilder alongside the manly Ford does seem to scream it. But this doesn't really materialise, in fact the film does swing more towards a soppy light-hearted drama towards the end which spoils the fun a bit for me.

The best moments are probably when the duo get caught by native Indians, again there are hints of great comedy here but it doesn't quite make it. And Again when the duo end up in a Trappist monastery (vows of silence)...you know where I'm going with this don't you huh. Yep its the classic setup for the kind of silly laughs you half expect to see in a Mel Brooks parody. Only thing is again they don't quite take advantage of the setup with only one funny silly moment.

I do feel there was a really classic comedy here just waiting to burst free but somehow its been smothered, not sure how or why. Maybe Wilder wanted to actually make a more semi serious comedy with some emotion. Its a strange little movie really, some nice bits of humorous dialog from Wilder at times but they get rained upon by Ford's overly assertive character. The films visuals are nice and cozy overall (you can see its an old film that's for sure) and generally everything ticks along harmlessly giving you the odd smile. Not really the manic wacky zany riot of belly laughs you've come to expect from Wilder. Never the less its a solid quirky alternative little western that's still worth a watch even though it does feel like its missing Mel Brooks' input.

6/10

Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford good duo

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 22 February 2014]

Rabbi Avram Belinski (Gene Wilder) is sent from Poland to lead a congregation in San Francisco. When he arrives in Philadelphia, the naive Avram falls in with three con men who robs him and throws him off the wagon in Pennsylvania. He is hopelessly dependent on the kindness of strangers including a kind hearted robber Tommy Lillard (Harrison Ford) on his long road west.

I never even heard of this movie. I am glad that I caught it on TV. Wilder and Ford make an odd couple. That's the point here. Wilder brings a bit of his humor while Ford is Han Solo without Chewbacca. This a funny buddy comedy.

The running time of almost 2 hours is too long. It would be better to start the journey with Ford. That way they could build up the chemistry earlier. And they need more jokes. Gene Wilder's mannerism is great, but the movie should be more jam packed with jokes. It's hilarious when Harrison Ford starts yelling at Gene Wilder for not riding on Saturday. They make for a fun duo.

A little comedy, but mostly drama

[FlushingCaps · 3/10 · 1 July 2009]

I just saw this for the first time (I somehow missed it when it was released) last night. Admiring Gene Wilder (who I most closely associate with Silver Streak and Young Frankenstein, two top comedy favorites), I expected to laugh a lot. I didn't.

There were some very funny moments, but this was about 75% drama, with this poor Jewish rabbi having all sorts of serious calamities befall him as he tried to cross the U.S. from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 1850. One early scene has him not just being conned out of $50 trying to help two other men travel west, but as they take him along, they suddenly start beating him up--with a bloodied face of Wilder making this not at all comical--before they take his bags and clothes and throw him off the stage.

To make that scene at all funny, you needed no blood and Wilder not being visibly beaten. Maybe a quick scene where the bad guys pull a gun and say, "Now we want the rest of your money" and we suddenly see him sitting on the roadside, in his long underwear, showing the results of their robbery without the unpleasant moments where they rob him.

This is the type of thing that seems to dominate this film. Some good comedy, but lots of death-defying serious episodes that take away most of the comedic atmosphere.

Other reviewers have gone over the many inaccuracies and illogical portions of this film. They were numerous enough to obstruct my enjoyment--even though I usually overlook things like that in a comedy.

Possibly the dumbest scene was where Wilder and Ford have chased away the bad guys (killing one of them) and are now happily swimming and laughing when the remaining bad guys confront them, holding their guns on them. Intent on killing our heroes--for killing the one bad guy's brother--it was idiotic of them to let the good guys get anywhere close to their own guns, just so we could have an extended gunfight. The guns had been left on the beach and the bad guys had the drop on the good guys. The bad guys should have easily been able to grab the guns while the good guys were swimming, or shoot before they could retrieve the guns.

Too many poorly-written scenes like this and humor parsed out way too seldom kept me from finding this film worth watching. I think I'll watch Silver Streak again this weekend--it too had some intense drama, but the humor was much more frequent, allowing me to overlook the film's flaws.

The Rogue and the Rabbi -- An unforgettable gem of a film

[myschrec · 10/10 · 13 February 2005]

This movie has withstood the test of time ... 25 years so far. At times it appears to contain obvious, silly and even base comedy. But that only mildly disguises the depth of humanity and profound philosophy that it successfully presents. Like other commentators, I consider this film to be one of my all-time favorites. Gene Wilder was at the peak of his career, having made a big splash in The Producers with Zero Mostel, and then going on to memorable performances in other Mel Brooks' classics: Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. In fact, many people erroneously believe that The Frisco Kid is a Mel Brooks film. (Indeed the writers, Elias & Shaw, had several years earlier written a TV Pilot based on the Blazing Saddles plot, but it had failed.)

Though I am a big fan of Mel Brooks, I think that one reason this film succeeds so well is that Robert Aldrich directed it instead of Brooks. In other words, it is essentially a dramatic western that is filled to the brim with comedy -- instead of the other way around. Aldrich had previously directed serious epic westerns, and he became famous in the sixties for directing What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Flight of the Phoenix, and The Dirty Dozen. These films, as well as his classic The Longest Yard, showed how infusing humor into serious drama can make plots more interesting and characters more human and sympathetic.

Frank DeVol provided the music ... and you can see him in the part of the old time piano player. DeVol had provided music for a number of Aldrich films, including the five films mentioned in the previous paragraph. He was famous for his comic scores (e.g., Pillow Talk, Cat Ballou, and The Trouble with Angels) and his music for TV series (e.g., My Three Sons, The Brady Bunch, McCloud, and the Love Boat).

Another gem in this film is Harrison Ford -- in a role that seems so second-nature to him, but showcases his versatility. His character is not that much different from Hans Solo. (Star Wars appeared in 1977 and Empire Strikes Back appeared in 1980, while The Frisco Kid came out in 1979.) In fact, it seemed emblematic of the movies in the sixties and seventies that some of our big screen heroes were selfish rogues with a heart of gold. Think of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which came out in 1969.

The executive producer was Hawk Koch, whose father, Howard W. Koch was a Hollywood icon, having produced scores of films, including The Manchurian Candidate and The Odd Couple. This was one of Hawk Koch's first jobs, and he has now been the executive producer of over twenty outstanding features, including Mike Myers' Wayne's World and -- another great comedy exploring religious belief -- Keeping the Faith, with Ben Stiller and Edward Norton.

Finally, because the DVD is not yet available, here's a gem that was not included in the IMDb Memorable Quotes section, though I have edited it to avoid giving too much away for those who haven't seen the film yet:

"Chief Gray Cloud: Yes or no, can your God make rain?"

"Avram: Yes."

"Chief Gray Cloud: But he doesn't?"

"Avram: That's right."

"Chief Gray Cloud: Why?"

"Avram: Because that's not his department!"

* * *

"Avram: ... He gives us strength when we're suffering! He gives us compassion when all that we feel is hatred! He gives us courage when we're searching around blindly like little mice in the darkness! ... "

HOW TRUE! Whether you identify with Gene Wilder's Rabbi or with Harrison Ford's Rogue, this film is filled with valuable lessons. The world is unpredictable. Sometimes we suffer. And sometimes we find strength, courage, compassion, ... and humor to deal with it all.

Han solo meets Nicolas Cage in Far west (tv)

[leplatypus · 7/10 · 16 May 2015]

When IMDb told me that Harrison has made an unknown western involving a rabbi, i wanted to see it because it seems very strange. I got lucky to catch it on satellite TV and the movie is really good ! Gene Wilder is really funny and bearded, his gaze looks really much like Cage ! Harrison plays a similar part than in « star wars » because he does a gentle crook who helps somebody in a adventurous journey that ends in a strong friendship! The pair encounters all that the genre offers : gangsters, Indians, rude outdoors, duel ! Sure, the production can't afford the most prestigious landscapes but the outdoors sequences are diversified anyway ! The Jewish faith is part of the fun but is also part of a serious, noble attitude so everybody can be happy ! In a way, this movie is the actual proof that this art doesn't mean sequels, reboots, fabricated biopics, blue/orange light, special effects, explosive action, wealthy healthy families or expensive star casting (which is the actual level of American production): it's just about finding an original, simple idea and motivated people to do it !

Unfunny comedy, uninteresting western

[pmtelefon · 4/10 · 12 March 2018]

This one's a bad one. Gene Wilder always gets graded on a curve. But in "The Frisco Kid" he wears out his welcome. He's actually kind of annoying. Harrison Ford has made a few great movies but he'll never be remembered as a great actor. He's never believable as a cowboy. As a comedy it's not funny. Not at all. As a western it's boring. They throw in almost every western cliche in the book and none of them work. "FK" has quite a few moments that are painful to watch. The only part I liked was the scene where he thanks the Amish people for their kindness. That was a nice moment. There rest is the pits. A premise ( a rabii in the old west) is not a movie. It has to be developed.

I LOVE THIS FILM!

[artzau · 10/10 · 4 March 2001]

I read all the commentaries and disagree with most, but particularly those who moan about this being "slow" for the first 45 minutes. Look. This is a classic. The story is great. A misanthropic rabbi comes to a congregation in San Francisco and get waylaid and falls into (mis)adventures with a seedy character. This unlikely duo make their way to SF undergoing a number of adventures. If you do not understand the yiddishekeit of this film, go take a look at the Marx brothers. The scene where battered Wilder sees the Amish and goes screaming in Yiddish only to discover the cross in the bible in one of the farmer's pockets and faints dead away, is worth the price of admission along. The voting scene at the Yeshiva where only the little boy votes for Wilder invoking the older Rabbi turning his eyes to heaven and saying, "It's going to be close!" is likewise great. This is zany Yiddish theater at its best. Wilder, always overacting, is SUPERB as the rabbi. Ford is merely great as the kindhearted outlaw. The bad guys are bad, the characters they meet along the way, Schiavelli and veteran character actor Ian Wolfe are great as the Trappist monks, even Joe Kapp is great as the Mexican RR worker. This is great watching and one of my favorite films. Don't knock it. It's hilarious. Check it out!

Robbers and Rabbies...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 14 February 2021]

Now, this movie was a surprise for me, as I didn't even know that it existed. I stumbled upon it by sheer luck in 2021 and saw that the movie had both Gene Wilder and none other than Harrison Ford on the cast list, so of course I had to watch it. And with it having Gene Wilder on the cast list, I assumed that I would be in a for a comedy of sorts, maybe in the likes of what Mel Brooks used to do.

Well, while there are comedy elements to "The Frisco Kid", it wasn't full-fledged all-out comedy like the Mel Brooks movies, but instead it was an entertaining combination of comedy and drama set in a classic Western setting. And that actually panned out nicely, because "The Frisco Kid" was an enjoyable and fun movie.

The storyline in "The Frisco Kid" was very enjoyable and there were some great and hilarious moments throughout the course of the movie, so there might be something for everyone in the audience. I thoroughly enjoyed the story that was written by Michael Elias and Frank Shaw, and brought to the screen by director Robert Aldrich.

I will say that Gene Wilder definitely delivered his trademark performance with a good sense of comedy and great timing. And it was actually nice to see Harrison Ford in a movie such as this, and he was actually well-cut out of a role in a Western movie. And it should be said that it was actually also fun to watch Clyde Kusatsu in the movie, I remember him from the movies from back when I was just a kid.

If you enjoy classic comedies, then give "The Frisco Kid" a watch. I was genuinely entertained by this movie. My rating of the 1979 movie lands on a solid six out of ten stars. This was a wholesomely entertaining and funny movie.

This was Bad

[view_and_review · 1/10 · 23 November 2019]

After the third or fourth time Harrison Ford's character said he wasn't going to do something dangerous to accommodate Rabbi Avram (Gene Wilder) and he actually did it I was done--which pains me a bit because I like both actors, but this was bad.

I'm not sure what the move was driving at: how a faithful rabbi stays true to his faith in the strange land of America? How a bank robber could be so taken by a rabbi he eschews his better sense? I don't know. It was a lot of Jewish humor with a lot of Yiddish words I didn't understand. It would be a big stretch to even call it amusing. It would be a stretch across the Grand Canyon to call it funny.

Be patient

[grahamsj3 · 20 February 2001]

I agree with a few of the other commenters who say this is an overlooked film. I think many people gave up on it because the first 45 minutes or so are VERY slow. After that, the pace picks up nicely and the film becomes quite humorous. Gene Wilder stars as a Rabbi sent from Europe to San Francisco. He must traverse the entire US and has several adventures and misadventures along the way. He also meets up with Harrison Ford, who portrays a bank robber. There are a few scenes where there is some violence. The film is a combination of western drama and comedy, with elements of both in about equal amounts. As I said earlier, give this film a chance...suffer through the first 45 minutes or so. The remainder of the film is well worth it.

Outlandish tale of a Polish rabbi crossing US and developing friendship with a young outlaw

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 20 October 2022]

A funny film stars Gene Wilder who's sweetness personified and Harrison Ford , as a rabbi and an outlaw , respectively . An off-the wall story set during the 1850s Gold Rush dealing with a rabbi (Gene Wilder) from Poland who travels to the United States to lead a Jewish congregation in San Francisco. The Polish rabbi wanders through the Old West on his way to lead a synagogue in the West . He first lands in Philadelphia , later on , joins a wagon train and is promptly robbed and abandoned . When he arrives there, he is hijacked and has to work his way across the country. On the way, he meets up with a not-too-bright bank robber (Harrison Ford) and they form an enjoyable friendship and have many misadventures including being captured by Native Americans : Chief Gray Cloud (Val Bisoglio), and is nearly burned at the stake and almost killed by outlaws (George DiCenzo, Ramon Bieri , William Smith) . The greatest cowboy ever to ride into the Wild West !. From Poland. This kosher cowboy hasn't got a prayer -- but plenty of laughs !.

Gene Wilder as an innocent , ortodox rabbi who's sent to the wilds of San Francisco and Harrison Ford as an obstinated bank robber make a surprisingly effective and fun team making their way to San Francisco. Developing a number of misfortunes , suffering assaults on the way, as they are taken by Native Americans and face off some dangerous bandits . Some attractive vignettes and Wilder-Ford interpretations make up for many other shortfalls , flaws and gaps. The film is especially about a nice and sensitive friendship in which a rabbi finds himself unexpectly befriendly a thief while undergoing numerous tribulations in order to get them both safely to their destination. This isn't a laugh riot and some set pieces fall distinctly flat , but Wilder and Ford lend the film their attractive . They are well accompanied by a good cast , such as : Ramon Bieri, George DiCenzo , Val Bisoglio , Leo Fuchs , Penny Peyser , Clyde Kusatsu, Allan Rich and the ordinary villain William Smith.

It displays an atmospheric cinematography by cameraman Robert B. Hauser . Likewise , an evocative and adequate musical score by Frank De Vol , Aldrich's regular .The motion picture was uneven but professionally directed by Robert Aldrich , though it has some shortcomings and failures. Aldrich began writing and directing for TV series in the early 1950s , and directed his first feature in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films , collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed in a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike genre (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Attack , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . Rating : 5.5/10 , it's a must see for Gene Wilder and Harrson Ford fans.

"I did so many things, God has truly blessed me."

[oOoBarracuda · 6/10 · 15 June 2016]

The Frisco Kid was another movie in which Gene Wilder spoke in an accent, more than one, throughout the entire film. The 1979 film directed by Robert Aldrich saw Gene Wilder as a Polish Rabbi and Harrison Ford as a gun slinging bank robber. Wilder's Rabbi was traveling to San Francisco from Poland to become the town's Rabbi. Ford's bank robber was traveling aimlessly from one heist to the next. An unlikely friendship began to form and the two made the trek west in the middle of the 1850 Gold Rush.

Avram (Gene Wilder) is a Rabbi who has just completed the schooling necessary to be ordained. Finishing at the bottom of his class, he is condemned to making the trek to America and leave Poland behind. Given little direction and supplies, Avram is beaten and stolen from, but he recovered the Torah he is taking to San Francisco and continues his journey. While trying to catch some fish, an uncouth bank robber Tommy happens upon him and helps him catch some dinner. The two discuss their plans and Tommy, seeing how helpless and naive Avram is, decides to accompany him to California. Of course, Avram has no idea that Tommy breaks the law for a living and is taken aback when he realizes he is now an accessory to a bank heist after "holding the horses" when Tommy runs into the bank. Moving forward Avram rubs off on Tommy, and Tommy cusses less and laughs more. An unlikely friendship forms between the two men as they encounter killers, Native Americans and cocky lawmen in the old west. Getting to Frisco was certainly an adventure in this '79 comedy!

Like Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx, Gene Wilder uses an accent through the whole picture, and again, does so very well. Playing a native of Poland, and at times impersonating a western accent while maintaining the Polish accent, Wilder does a great job with his voice in the film. I wanted to love the adventure comedy matching Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder, I just couldn't. The overt Jewish stereotypes were distracting, to say the least. It was fun to see the two play opposite each other, and such opposite characters, but the story was definitely lacking something. Although there were some funny scenes, like the one in which the Torah was delivered to the family Avram was traveling to meet, overall it wasn't a very good comedy and not much of it stays with the viewer upon its completion. I call 75-80 the lost years of Gene Wilder, and this film does little to change my mind about those years. Luckily for fans of Gene WIlder's, 1980 eventually came.

There's no way watching Ford and Wilder isn't fun.

[kevin_robbins · 6/10 · 1 June 2022]

The Frisco Kid (1979) is a movie I randomly watched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a Polish Rabi who has to get to San Francisco and just happens to be trying during the gold rush. On his adventure across the west he meets a bank robber who helps him survive his trip and various encounters.

This movie is directed by Robert Aldrich (The Longest Yard) and stars Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Harrison Ford (Star Wars), Vincent Schiavelli (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), Ramon Bieri (The Andromeda Strain), Val Bisoglio (Saturday Nigh Fever) and George DiCenzo (Back to the Future).

There's no way watching Ford and Wilder isn't fun. Their chemistry was solid and Wilder's crazy antics mixed well with Ford's dry humor. The sets are really good and the train scene is great. The dance scene is awkward but fun. The storyline is mediocre and this wasn't as entertaining as Blazing Saddles.

Overall this isn't the greatest addition to the genre but this is definitely a must see. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

disappointing.

[PIST-OFF · 1/10 · 11 December 2018]

I began this movie hopeful. I was expecting to see a western comedy with two fantastic lead actors. Instead I got a two hour blood libel about how people who aren't the chosen people are by and large criminal, mean spirited, weak willed, cowardly, unprincipled, hypocritical, opportunistic, undisciplined, et cetera.... et cetera. I can't believe such a hateful film was actually made. The laughs are far and few between. What action there was likewise few and far between. Instead it's scene after scene after scene of raw naked moralizing in favor of the special people. very disappointing.

Not the best movie ever made, but my favorite.

[KarlMaldensNose · 10/10 · 1 February 2001]

When the "Frisco Kid" first came on tv two decades ago I recorded it and watched it over and over, my wife and friends and I quoting parts of it at each other at appropriate moments in our lives.

I read the (some) lukewarm comments here on the Database and the more positive ones and let them ride, just keeping this small pearl tucked away as my favorite movie. Then last night I came home, turned on the tv and caught Gene Wilder as the rabbi Avram Belinksi trying NOT to look at the woman on the train's wondrous cleavage as he was making his way to 1850 San Francisco, so I and sat down and watched the movie through again. It is still as funny, quaint, realistic, well acted and kind as it has ever been.

Gene Wilder demonstrates the best acting he has ever done. He IS Avram Belinski. Complex, human, childlike and oh so (what I imagine) European Jewish. A stranger in a doubly strange land. Strange by being an urban Pole in the "wild west" and strange by being a Jew in that world. I learnt a lot about "Jewishness" from this movie, and at the same time a lot about Americanism too. Being neither myself I can still appreciate the humour. Humanist, long suffering, realistic and proud.

Whatever it is inside me that makes me feel good and part of humanity is touched by "The Frisco Kid". That is why I regard it as my "favorite" movie, not the best movie ever made. That title I reserve for another totally different obscure B/W movie called "King and Country" whose demonstrated injustice is counter-balanced by Avram's integrity.

Doesn't anyone get it?

[steve-2246 · 3/10 · 14 November 2007]

This is a parody of westerns. Gene Wilder is doing the same tired schtick he's done his whole career.

Does anyone believe a rational human being would act like that? This is a comedy, it's supposed to be funny.

However, when the same joke is done over and over it gets tiresome.

The Indians, they're rational human beings, get it, they're not savages?

Isn't that funny?

This movie was a tired, rehash of the TV show F-Troop, just not as good, a waste of 2 hours.

The Most Underrated Comedy of All Time

[emvan · 10/10 · 25 October 2001]

Of course I'd have to be crazy to call _The Frisco Kid_ the best movie ever made, but it's certainly a strong contender for the flick I love the most (an opinion shared by my parents, brothers, cousins . . .). From the premise -- a Polish rabbi in the Wild West -- you'd expect a *spoof* a la _Blazing Saddles_, but in fact this is played absolutely straight, the comedy arising 100% from the believable human situations the characters are thrust into.

Because of this, the first third of the movie is much devoted to setting up what follows, and might strike the first-time viewer as a bit slow (actually, it's subtle and as deliciously re-watchable as the rest). Patience will be rewarded, though, because once the pieces are in place, and especially once our hero meets Harrison Ford's bank-robber with a heart of gold, there's just one indelibly great scene after another.

It's important to note that this is much, much more than a comedy. It's episodic, of course, but an early story element returns unexpectedly (more than once); you think you've been watching just an entertainment and you gradually realize there's a real (and genuinely moving) *point* to all this, as is rarely seen in movies this funny. Rabbi Avram Belinsky (played, of course, with pure magic by Gene Wilder) starts off the movie as a well-meaning schlemiel, someone as ineffectual as he is nice, and ends as a mensch, as a moral force to be reckoned with. (Typical and classic moment along the way: when he's forced to explain the nature of God to a bunch of Indians, he is downright Talmudic in his wisdom -- but the Talmud was never hysterically funny!) The final, genuinely dramatic scenes raise issues about faith, friendship, and personal identity and destiny that are downright profound (at least on repeated viewings) -- without ever missing a comedic beat. Extraordinary.

This is a movie that does for faith and friendship what "Manhattan" and "Tootsie" did for romance and gender roles. Can they please get this out on DVD while my folks are still around to enjoy it?

These Saddles aren't Blazing; They're Frigid!

[mark.waltz · 1/10 · 8 January 2013]

Whether or not this is supposed to be a comedy or a traditional western is difficult to decipher. Perhaps in somebody's mind the idea of a Western "Road" movie with a Polish Rabbi (Gene Wilder) and a bandit (Harrison Ford) seemed like a winner, but it unfortunately ends up being a western "Ishtar".

With the intention of getting to a synagogue in San Francisco with his promised bride to be waiting (he thinks), Rabbi Wilder (87th in the class of 88) heads across the Atlantic and is hoodwinked out of his cash and prized Torah on his way out of Pennsylvania. The thought of confusing Jewish culture with the Amish had crossed my mind as being somewhat humorous, but here, it is stupid and even rather offensive.

Then, Wilder combines traditional Jewish dances with those of Indians, and the result is tackier than a cauldron of beans being eaten around a camp fire. With only Wilder and Ford having any name recognition (only Ian Wolfe in a cameo as a monk is anybody familiar to veteran film goers), this is a lonely film for familiar faces.

Wilder's bushy hair and wild eyed features seem like he still had make-up on from the black-face sequence in "Silver Streak". At least he is innocent here of any creative input in the film, which was directed by Robert Aldrich, who may be a master of the macabre and melodrama, but someone who knew absolutely nothing about comedy.

I love it....In any language

[kb2uoe · 2 April 2003]

One of the best "feel-good" movies I have ever seen. I once heard Gene Wilder say that he got the Rabbi's accent from his grandfather, and I can believe it!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were channel surfing in the middle of the night, and came across the movie, dubbed in Spanish. We ended up staying awake until the wee hours of the morning, just to watch this gem.

A gentle film, not afraid to show a love of religion and of friendship, I wish that more movies were like this.

A well-intentioned movie that doesn't really know what it is

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 28 August 2020]

The Frisco Kid is well-intentioned and it has a good heart, but this film just doesn't really know what it wants to be. The tone is all over the place, so it's not a particularly funny comedy, nor can you take it seriously as a drama. It's a road trip film that takes a little too long to get where it's going. I get why audiences didn't care for this movie when it came out, and I also understand why some people would like it.