Pardners (1956)

A rich momma's boy returns west with the son of his murdered father's partner to foil a gang trying to gain control of his family ranch.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Sidney Sheldon (screenplay), Jerry Davis (screen story)

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lori Nelson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dean Martin	...	Slim Moseley Jr. / Slim Moseley Sr.
Jerry Lewis	...	Wade Kingsley Jr. / Wade Kingsley Sr.
Lori Nelson	...	Carol Kingsley
Jeff Morrow	...	Pete Rio
Jackie Loughery	...	Dolly Riley
John Baragrey	...	Dan Hollis / Sam Hollis
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mrs. Matilda Kingsley
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Whitey (as Lon Chaney)
Milton Frome	...	Hawkins, the Butler
Richard Aherne	...	Chauffeur
Lee Van Cleef	...	Gus
Stuart Randall	...	Carol's Cowhand
Scott Douglas	...	Salvin
Jack Elam	...	Pete
Bob Steele	...	Shorty

Storyline

Martin and Lewis are sons of former ranch partners. Lewis, raised by his millionaire mother, follows visiting Martin back to the old West to learn how to be a cowboy. The ranch where Martin is foreman is in financial trouble, and with Lewis's unorthodox help, the good guys win out.

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Plot Keywords:

singing | 1910s | slapstick comedy | cattle ranch | remake | 

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Taglines:

DEAN MARTIN AND JERRY LEWIS SHOOT THE WORKS with LAUGHTER...and bullets, ballads and beauties!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Music | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Where Men Are Men?

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$7,920,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

York Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The same day that this film was released to theaters, Martin and Lewis made their last appearance together as a team, at New York's Copacabana.

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Goofs

As Dean rescues Jerry in the doorway of the train after it leaves New York, cars from the 1950s, not 1910, are visible in the rail yard in the stock footage background.

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Quotes

Slim Mosely Jr.: [waiting with Carol to meet Mrs. Kingsley] Oh, don't worry - I'll make a good impression.
Slim Mosely Jr.: [he sits on an old chair and in collapses just as Matilda comes into the room screaming in horror] My antique chair!
Slim Mosely Jr.: [relieved] Well, I'm glad it was only an old one.

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Connections

Referenced in Martin and Lewis (2002)

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Soundtracks

Pardners
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Sung by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

User Reviews

outdated, but OK for the kids

The plot is quite simple: Dean Martin is the rodeo riding, singing cowboy, and foreman of a ranch. Jerry Lewis is a rich kid who wants to become a real cowboy, and hence he becomes the clumsy (unwanted) sidekick of Dean Martin. Oh, and for good measure there's some bad guys trying to take over the ranch, as well...

If you expect "Cat Balou", don't watch this. This is no comedy for adults, as its slapstick humour is horrendously outdated, and the set-pieces are all too cliched. This movie is fun for kids, because it is so naive and harmless, and the violence is never serious. Also, the characters are just as simple as Stan and Ollie, just as loveable if you're a kid.

As adult, I'd recommend to grab a "Cat Balou" tape instead, for a good classic western comedy.