Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971)

A con artist arrives in a mining town controlled by two competing companies. Both companies think he's a famous gunfighter and try to hire him to drive the other out of town.

Director:

Burt Kennedy

Writer:

James Edward Grant

Stars:

James Garner, Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Garner	...	Latigo
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Patience
Jack Elam	...	Jug May
Harry Morgan	...	Taylor
Joan Blondell	...	Jenny
Marie Windsor	...	Goldie
John Dehner	...	Col. Ames
Henry Jones	...	Ez
Dub Taylor	...	Doc Schultz
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Perkins
Dick Curtis	...	Bud Barton
Willis Bouchey	...	McLaglen
Walter Burke	...	Morris
Gene Evans	...	Butcher
Grady Sutton	...	Elmer / Storekeeper

Storyline

James Garner plays a ladies' man who ends up on the run from a conquest. He has an embarrassing problem that requires a doctor, but that is not immediately disclosed. He and a town barsweep form a plot to impersonate a well-known gunfighter so that Garner can pay off his debts and skip town before the soon to come arrival of the real gunfighter. The cast is almost identical to Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) and the humor is similar. Typical: "You hit him from behind!" Garner: "Just as hard as I could!"

---

Plot Keywords:

cowboy comedy | gunfighter | doctor | mining town | con | 

---

Taglines:

The story of a man who took the law into his own finger!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

---

Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end of the movie Jug (Jack Elam) presents an epilogue about the fate of the main characters from the caboose of the moving train. As for himself, he mentions that he goes on to star in spaghetti westerns. Actually, he is referring to his iconic, but all too brief, role at the beginning of Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), as the leader of a small group tasked with killing Charles Bronson's character (unsuccessfully, of course). Viewers don't even hear his real voice, as he was dubbed for the English-language version of the movie. The only other spaghetti western he appeared in (credited) was Sartana Does Not Forgive (1968).

---

Goofs

When the miner shoots his rifle down at the feet of Latigo Smith, he is clearly aiming about 10-15 feet to the left of where the bullet hits the ground.

---

Quotes

Latigo: Like I said: a man should spread happiness as he walks through life.
Jug: I think we've been spreadin' it a little thick.

---

Connections

Follows Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

User Reviews

Okay but not as good as it's predecessor

This movie, while funny in many places, pales in comparison to the earlier Support Your Local Sheriff. The first movie, with much of the same cast, is a solid 10 but I can only give this one a 7 at best. All of the actors who were in both movies did a better job in the first one and Joan Hackett was surprisingly better than Suzanne Pleshette.

They just aired them back to back and the superiority of Sheriff was glaringly apparent. Sheriff flows along smoothly with great dialog but this one seems to stutter and try too hard. The premise of the first movie is also better and the opening scene sets the tone for the hilarity that follows. Again this one just doesn't do that as well. I always liked Garner and he was brilliant in both movies but maybe they should have quit while they were ahead and never made this one.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1971 (UK)

Also Known As:

Latigo

Filming Locations:

Newhall, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$551,500

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cherokee-Brigade Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1