The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)

An aging cowboy finds to his embarrassment that the successful business he has inherited from his brother is actually a house of prostitution.

Director:

Gene Kelly

Writers:

James Lee Barrett, Davis Grubb (novel)

Stars:

James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Shirley Jones

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	John O'Hanlan
Henry Fonda	...	Harley Sullivan
Shirley Jones	...	Jenny
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Opal Ann
Elaine Devry	...	Pauline
Robert Middleton	...	Barkeep - Great Plains Saloon
Arch Johnson	...	Marshal Anderson
Dabbs Greer	...	Willowby
Jackie Russell	...	Carrie Virginia
Jackie Joseph	...	Annie Jo
Sharon DeBord	...	Sara Jean (as Sharon De Bord)
Richard Collier	...	Nathan Potter
Charles Tyner	...	Charlie Bannister
Jean Willes	...	Alice
Robert J. Wilke	...	Corey Bannister

Storyline

Out of the blue, the grizzled farm hand, John O'Hanlan, receives an unexpected letter from an unknown solicitor in the far off town of Cheyenne, Wyoming, informing him that he is the proud owner of the Cheyenne Social Club, now that his estranged brother, D.J., has passed away. Eager to trade in the dusty landscapes of 1867 Texas for an easy life as a businessman--and at the same time intrigued--John sets out on a long trip along with his best friend, Harley Sullivan, to create a better future for himself. Somehow, John's newest and only acquisition has both a good and a bad reputation; either way, the establishment's inexperienced manager now holds the fates of its loyal staff in his hands: a beautiful sextet of dedicated, and above all, popular female employees. However, is John cut out for business?

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Plot Keywords:

henchman | song | singer | singing | western band | 

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Taglines:

They made their own laws at "The Cheyenne Social Club" ... no wonder everyone's dying to get in!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Geschossen wird ab Mitternacht

Filming Locations:

Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eaves Movie Ranch, National General Pictures, National General Production Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Stewart agreed to do the film and suggested to the producers that they offer the part of Harley to his good friend, Henry Fonda. Fonda read the script and agreed to do it but he had one suggestion. In the opening sequence, when the two ride to Cheyenne, his character had no dialog in the script. Fonda innocently asked to give his character something to say. The writer, James Lee Barrett, came up with the speech Fonda gives. For years after the film was released, the sign that hung in the club listing the names of the girls hung in Barrett's home as a memento.

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Goofs

When John and Harley are crossing the railroad tracks to see the Cheyenne Social Club for the first time, it is apparent from the camera angle that the last structure on the right is only a facade with no building behind it.

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Quotes

Charlie Bannister: Slim, I think you and me could make the sparks go, if we worked at it a little bit.
Harley Sullivan: Well, it makes me proud that you think so highly of me; but, I wouldn't - I just wouldn't know where to begin! Let alone, finish.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Brute Man (1996)

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Soundtracks

One Dream
Music and Lyrics by Walter Scharf, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

User Reviews

Best family friendly movie about brothels I've seen

(63%) A light hearted comedy western made toward the latter stages of both James Stewart, Henry Fonda's career, and actually westerns in general. The premise is strong and this does a decent job at telling it through good performances along better than average writing. Despite this being very much centred around prostitution it's as squeaky clean as any Disney movie, with very little in terms of sleaze. In fact even the brothel itself is spotless, I've seen dirtier real life hospitals. With its charm, nicely drawn characters, and good entertainment value I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to all fans of the western genre or just those looking for something decent to pass the time.