Growing Up in the Midwest, Watching Westerns

Today happens to be my Grandpa's birthday. When I think of him, its hard not to remember watching our favorite movies together while I was growing up. There were two movie types that were overly prevalent in my youth: Disney cartoons and Westerns. The Disney cartoons are a given; what kid doesn't love Aladdin? But the Westerns, I think, have a lot to do with growing up on a farm in southwest Nebraska. Now to put this to rest at the beginning, this wasn't a stereotypical "farm." We didn't ride horses or raise pigs. I didn't wear a cowboy hat or boots (but my Dad and Grandpa did). But there was still a connection to the Old West, with the wide open spaces, working the land, and machismo, which is why I had an enjoyment for Westerns as a kid.

Recently, I've gained more appreciation for Westerns as true classic films. Unforgiven; Rio Bravo; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; all classic films. But as a kid, I just thought they were a good time. And I've also come to appreciate the occasional modern rediscovering of the Western. There was a mini-renaissance a couple years ago with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, There Will Be Blood, and No Country for Old Men. But what hasn't been reinvented and what seems to have totally fallen out of the spotlight, is the light-hearted comedic Western. It is this brand of Western that I really remember enjoying.

The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968)

This was my favorite movie as a child for a long time. In my book, there's nothing funnier than Don Knotts, and this movie takes his meek bumbling persona out West as a fresh-faced (not literally, of course) dental school graduate, looking to spread oral hygiene. Along the way he gets into his fair share of scraps, but is constantly bailed out by his wife Penny, who is a pardoned outlaw helping to break up a gun smuggling ring. There is a ton of great physical comedy in this film. And physical comedy coming from Don Knotts is hilarious because the poor guy looks so terrified all the time. The following video clip has the unforgettable theme song and a hilarious dental examination scene.

Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)

Another Western comedy that I watched again and again with my Grandpa. Isn't James Garner a slick operator? In this movie, The Great Escape, The Rockford Files and Maverick TV shows, he's always the guy with the plan. Would it be sacrilege to say he rivals Steve McQueen for on-screen cool? Maybe. In this movie, Garner is a small town sheriff who uses wit and ingenuity to overcome the local baddies. It's a "fish out of water" story in that Garner is the one smart guy in a town full of idiots. There was a sequel or companion film made called Support Your Local Gunfighter that was decent but not nearly as clever as this one.

Maverick (1994)

This is what I remember as the most recent attempt at a comedic Western. And it's, of course, a TV adaptation. Be that as it may, this film has one of Mel Gibson's best comedic performances as the suave gambler and Jodie Foster playing against type as a conniving Southern belle, and, of course, James Garner. Fifteen years since the last decent Western comedy. This movie was very funny and did pretty well at the box office if I remember correctly. It makes you wonder why they don't make movies like these anymore. Oh, well.

I still have fond memories of watching all these movies on VHS with my Grandpa. We'd sit with our stash of candy recently acquired from cleaning out the candy aisle at the local grocery, he'd repeat the witty phrases right after they happened in the movie, and then, inevitably, fall asleep halfway through the movie (don't tell him that though; he was just "resting his eyes.") So, on my Grandpa's birthday, I'll dedicate this post about our favorite films to him.