The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969)

An aging lawman and an aging outlaw join forces when their respective positions in society are usurped by a younger, but incompetent, Marshal, and a younger, but vicious, gang leader.

Director:

Burt Kennedy

Writers:

Ronald M. Cohen, Dennis Shryack

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, Martin Balsam

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum	...	Flagg
George Kennedy	...	McKay
Martin Balsam	...	Mayor Wilker
David Carradine	...	Waco
Tina Louise	...	Carmel
Douglas Fowley	...	Grundy (as Douglas V. Fowley)
Lois Nettleton	...	Mary
John Davis Chandler	...	Deuce
John Carradine	...	Ticker
Marie Windsor	...	Polly
Dick Peabody	...	Boyle
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Stone - Mother
Jimmy Murphy	...	Buckshot
Garrett Lewis	...	Hawkins
Nick Dennis	...	Engineer #2

Storyline

Marshal Flagg, an aging lawman about to be retired, hears that his old nemesis, the outlaw McKaye, is back in the area and planning a robbery. Riding out to hunt down McKaye, Flagg is captured by McKaye's gang and finds out that McKaye is no longer the leader of the gang, but is considered just an aging relic by the new leader, a youngster named Waco. Waco orders Mackaye to shoot Flagg, and when Mackaye refuses Waco abandons both of them. Flagg then takes Mackaye back to town only to find out that he has been "retired", and when he sees how clueless and incompetent the new marshal and the city fathers are, he persuades Mackaye that it is up to the two of them to stop Waco and his gang from ravaging the town.

---

Plot Keywords:

two gun holster | gun holster | gun | holster | double gun holster | 

---

Taglines:

The last of The Wildest Bunch shoots it out with a new breed of gunslinging glory-seekers.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Western

---

Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un homme fait la loi

Filming Locations:

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Chama, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Robert Goldstein Productions,Ronden

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Kennedy plays a character named McKay. He played a character called Carter McKay on Dallas (1978).

---

Goofs

When Martin Balsam is getting dressed after being interrupted with his dalliance with Tina Louise, his collar is unbuttoned and vertical. When he is wearing his dressing gown, the collar is covered by the gown. However when he steps outside the collar is visible again.

---

Quotes

Mayor Wilker: [talking about the plan to stop the train] Why don't you take McKay here with you?
Flagg: He's one of 'em!
Mary: No he isn't... not any more... are you, Mr. McKay?
McKay: No, ma'am... not after they shot Grundy...

---

Soundtracks

For He's A Jolly Good Fellow
Traditional
Sung at Flagg's retirement presentation

User Reviews

Not many old time railroads left

Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy must have had fun making this movie. They have a good supporting cast. "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" is an enjoyable film, a mix of comedy and Western that doesn't quite fit solidly into either genre. The time was the turn of the 20th Century, when Western towns were "growing" up. Some held onto their frontier image, while others couldn't shake the past fast enough and become modern. That's the setting for the film and much of its comedy, and the two lead characters are smack dab in the middle of the changing times.

Others have described the plot and background. What stand out to me are the train scenes and the scenery itself. This isn't a dust and sagebrush Western as were so many set in Monument Valley, AZ. This was shot in mountain and forest country. That means the Rocky Mountains. The DVD with the film I watched also had a short, "The Good Guy from Chama." It showed us the town of Chama, NM, where much of the movie was shot.

The train scenes were on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, a 64- mile long narrow gage line that runs between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO. The line was built by the Denver and Rio Grande RR in 1880-81, and is the highest operating railway today – reaching 10,015 feet at Cumbres Pass. It's a national historical landmark, and tourists can ride it from late May to mid-October. I recommend the half-day full length trip. You'll see the same scenery that's in the movie, and more, including tunnels, bridges and trestles. Some other movies that were made with scenes from the C&T Scenic Railroad were "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) and "Wyatt Earp" (1994).

Few old-time railroad lines still exist in the U.S. So, when I get a chance in my travels, I like to ride the historic railways of the past. Some other scenic rails you might enjoy are the Durango to Silverton line in Colorado, the St. George's short line in Colorado, and the White Pass and Yukon RR from Skagway, AK, to Carcross, Yukon Territory. One can do the latter as a day-trip that many Alaskan cruises offer.