Support Your Local Gunfighter

"That's murder!"

"I've studied law. OF COURSE it's murder!"

Latigo Smith (Garner) is a con artist.  While escaping his latest scheme, he ends up in the mining town of Purgatory.  Purgatory is in the middle of a rivalry between miners Colonel Ames (Dehner) and Taylor Barton (Morgan), both on the hunt for a big score called "the mother lode."  They are willing to do anything, including hiring gunfighters, to get to the "mother lode" first.  Ames hired notorious gunfighter Shifty Morgan to defend his claim.  No one has ever seen Morgan and they believe Latigo is the gunfighter.

Latigo becomes the target of all the would-be gunfighters, including Barton's headstrong daughter Patience (Pleshette) "the Sidewinder," who just wants to get out of the town.  Latigo cozies up to bar owner Jenny (Blondell) and wanderer Jug May (Elam) to find a way to survive the town and make some money in the process.  Can he convince the town that Jug is Morgan, make a big payday, and escape with his life?


This film, written and directed by Burt Kennedy, is a parody of classic western films.  The story also mimics the setup of many western films, while also laughing at the absurd situations.  Kennedy previously used this formula for the 1969 film Support Your Local Sheriff! with most of the same cast (in different roles).  James Garner and Jack Elam star in both films, and this is the better film of the two.

The Good:
James Garner is effortlessly charming as con artist Latigo Smith.  He is the reluctant hero, trying to stay one step ahead of everyone else.  Jack Elam is good as the quirky sidekick.  Suzanne Pleshette is funny as Patience Barton, a character with a violent temper and an overwhelming desire to escape the town.  She is a terrible shot and earned the nickname the Sidewinder, but she wants to get out of town to go to an etiquette school on the east coast.  The cast is filled with character actors getting their chance to shine.  They underplay the comedy and sell the story.

The Bad:
The female characters aren't great.  Suzanne Pleshette is entertaining as Patience and Kathleen Freeman is good as Martha, the owner of the local inn, but the rest are mildly irritating.  The actresses are good, but the characters are not.

Other Comments:
-The story is good, it feels like a real western, with a comic twist.  It works well and with a few minor tweaks it could play as a regular western.
-John Dehner gets to play the mustache-twirling villain and throws himself into the part with gusto.  He isn't menacing, but definitely has his own agenda and isn't willing to budge.  You don't like the character, but you can't fault his ambition.
-Chuck Connors is imposing as the uncredited Shifty Morgan.  He is the most serious character and gets the biggest laughs at the end.

Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) 91 minutes
Director: Burt Kennedy
Starring: James Garner as Latigo Smith
Suzanne Pleshette as Patience Barton
Harry Morgan as Taylor Barton
Jack Elam as Jug May
John Dehner as Colonel Ames
Marie Windsor as Goldie
Dick Curtis as Bud Barton
Dub Taylor as Doc Shultz
Joan Blondell as Jenny
Ellen Corby as Abigail Ames
Kathleen Freeman as Martha Perkins