User reviews

For those who like western's, this one has it all. For those who don't, the same applies.

The ageing Marshal teams up with the ageing bandit to oust the bad young guys, hopelessly out-numbered of course. Naturally with age comes experience and the bad guys are defeated as the (ex) Marshal (played brilliantly by Mitchum) walks into a hail of pistol fire flanked by his new(ish) best friend (Big John Makay- aka George Kennedy)and dispenses justice with both barrels.

The likable old drunk is shot in the back by one of the bad guys, the whores aren't shown as harlots, the mayor gets it anywhere he can and the new Marshal is stupid. Hardly surprising.

Oh, and of course, there's a love interest for the Marshal- and a cute little blonde boy who looks to Mitchum as a substitute father. There's an almost hilarious train sequence and a train chase with a difference. For those women who find westerns aren't really their thing but are made to watch them by boyfriends, this one has a big plus: Robert Mitchum, for all that he is playing a character who is supposed to be past it looks pretty fine. Likable enough, but don't take it too seriously- its not meant to be.

The film talks about a semi-retired sheriff (Robert Mitchum) who finds his nemesis , an old outlaw (George Kennedy) . He is abandoned by his band (leaders are David Carradine and John Davis Chandler) of cutthroats for being too old to execute a bank-heist that the gang is planning . Demystified Western was one of a group of much-imitated which changed the concept of their particular genre each bent on disproving a popular myth , yet tinged with humor , spoof and combining anti-heroes , replacing cars and horses ; in addition , the inevitable decadence of protagonists . The formula deals to enhance the comic observations of the western originated on the decade of the 60s by the following filmmakers : Andrew McLagen and Burt Kennedy , fine director of this movie .

Burt Kennedy directed similar Western with comedy such as :¨Support your local gunfighter¨ (one of the best spoof Western) , ¨Support your local sheriff¨ (his highpoint) , ¨Dirty Dingus Mcgee¨ and ¨War Wagon¨ . The picture is wonderfully amused and enjoyable with Robert Mitchum as a tough but dreary sheriff with his Maverick image who uses brains as well as brawny and guns . He cleaned a lawless town in his own highly individual way but he is fired by the Mayor , rightly played by Martin Balsam . Mitchum in one of the best interpretations was much stronger actor when being something older than a straightforward hero . George Kennedy makes a robustly likable characterization . Stars have a splendid fight aboard a train towards the end ; furthermore , it contains excellent action sequences , as well as the pursuits and derailing train . Ronald Cohen's screenplay besides having more than its fair scraps of funny lines , throws up rich characters . Thus , Douglas Fowley as the old brawler likeness Walter Brennan (Support you local..) clearly relishing his comic relief . John Davis Chandler , as always, plays a sadist gunfighter. There appears uncredited Christopher Mitchum , Robert's son , along with Buddy Hackett . Film exteriors were shot in New Mexico by cameraman Harry Stradling who reflects stunningly the marvelous landscapes . Jolly and agreeable musical score by William Lava and songs by Ned Washington. The motion picture was well directed by Burt Kennedy .

All right,I admit it,I'm a sucker for Westerns. I grew up on them and I still watch every new one I can find. That said, this is a somewhat above average western with some pretty funny moments. Robert Mitchum spoof his tough guy image as the marshall who insists that bad guy George Kennedy,an over the hill outlaw, is still a dangerous villain. For his troubles he gets a surprise retirement party. Mitchum and Kennedy then team together to upstage the young whippersnapper bad guys. All in all, a fun "buddy" western, I think most western movie lovers will get a chuckle from this film

The late sixties had many comic westerns after Cat Ballou's success, so this carry on thus walking in this path, the picture has two generation of old west, in fact the picture was took place in turn of the century and two leading roles Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy both already an older men belonged to the past, they are unfashionable couple guys, the progress's winds aren't appreciated to them, easy to watch, plenty of humour, it's worth to see mainly by a funny and drunk old man called Grundy who live in the hills nearby of the town, the unforgetable James W. Fowley who used to play those friendly characters that hates take a shower who prefer living alone in a little cabin, just amazing!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1981 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 7.25

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.

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys is directed by Burt Kennedy and written by Dennis Shryack. It stars Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, Martin Balsam, David Carradine, Tina Louise, Lois Nettleton and Douglas Fowley. A Panavision/Technicolor production, music is by William Lava and cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.

The town of Progress and Marshal Jim Flagg (Mitchum) learns that old foe John McKay (Kennedy) is about and robbery is soon to follow. However, Jim has difficulty convincing Mayor Wilker (Balsam) that any thing is up, the Mayor apparently more concerned with bed hopping and feathering his own political nest. So when Wilker prematurely retires Jim, sticking one of his lap-dogs into the role of Marshal, Jim sets about doing his own investigation. Pretty soon both Jim and John, one time enemies on either side of the law, find that both of them are out of time with an ever changing West.

Amiable. Burt Kennedy's film doesn't have the best of reputations, seemingly the blend of comedy and drama not teasing out much interest from the Western enthusiasts. It's true enough to say that the main theme, that of the changing West and two men finding themselves relics of the time, is ultimately playing second fiddle to the frivolity, while the finale tips over into over zealous slapstick farcery, yet Kennedy and Shryack imbue the picture with a genuine love of the genre. The director lets the pairing of Mitchum and Kennedy unfurl naturally, whilst also giving Balsam license to have a great time, thus all key performers are ever watchable. Scenic delights await within as Chama and Silverton provide location oomph, and the action quotient is in good supply.

Disposable for sure, but fun while it's on. 6.5/10

"The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" doesn't work that well. It has a split-personality the good cast can't overcome. The serious scenes work well. The scenes between Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy are very good. The comedic scenes, however, don't work at all. The chase scene is silly and way too long. Inside "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" there is a great serious western but it is smothered by all of the lame jokes. Honorable mention: Tina Louise's all too brief flash of her rump.

Burt Kennedy during the late 1960s seemed to take over the western genre with a cluster of good comedic films using some of Hollywood's best. but aging male stars. The Good Guys and the Bad Guys is a prime example of his work which never disappoints.

Robert Mitchum as an aging and then ex-Marshal and George Kennedy,an outlaw adversary of Mitchum's from the old days join forces to outwit and capture a gang of young punks that the aging Kennedy has been riding with. Since they're on the screen for most of the story together, the chemistry has to be perfect with them for the picture to work and it is.

Some Hollywood veterans also round out the cast. Marie Windsor for once is a good girl as a saloon owner with a heart of gold. Douglas Fowley plays a grizzled old timer in the best Gabby Hayes tradition. They stand out as does David Carradine as the leader of the young outlaws.

However in the scenes he's in, Martin Balsam as the town mayor steals the film. He had to be the model that Mel Brooks used for Harvey Korman's portrayal of Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles.

And in the best 50s western tradition we have Glenn Yarborough singing intermittently The Ballad of Marshal Flagg in the great tradition of Frankie Laine. Personally though Yarborough does a good job, I think they should have utilized Robert Mitchum for that also.

The then Governor of New Mexico, David Cargo, makes a bit appearance at the end of the film as a reporter. Cargo, tried very hard to get the Hollywood Studios to use New Mexico for filming. I suppose this bit was one of the perks of office.

It's rollicking good entertainment, Burt Kennedy at his best.

There really isn't much new to "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" to distinguish it from dozens of other westerns. In other words, it's made up of a lot of very, very familiar story elements--story elements that were used better in previous films. You get a lot of films like "High Noon" and "Rio Lobo"--where it's just a lone sheriff or a sheriff and a friend trying to fend off an evil gang. The only big difference is that the film is supposed to be a comedy....though most of it really isn't all that funny. The only reason you might want to see this is Robert Mitchum (who is watchable in anything), but he's certainly done better westerns.

The film begins with the Marshall (Mitchum) telling the Mayor (Martin Balsam) that a gang of bandits is coming to town to rob them. However, the Mayor doesn't seem the least bit concerned--after all, it's the 20th century and the age of train robbers is in the distant past. In fact, to shut up the Marshall, they decide to retire him in a big surprise ceremony. But the now ex-Marshall isn't about to just disappear and he intends to stop the bad guys anyway. The problem is that there are just too many. Can Gary Cooper...I mean, John Wayne...no, I mean Robert Mitchum, stop them? Sorry about the confusion--as I said, it sure had a VERY familiar plot and I've seen these folks (and many others) in similar films.

Now I am NOT saying that this is a bad film. But it's definitely recycled and the humor is anything but funny. As for the main stars, Mitchum and George Kennedy, they try their best and aren't bad--it's just ashamed they weren't given more with which to work. A time-passer and nothing more. Oh, and by the way, the music is pretty god-awful--and sounded more like something you might have heard a decade earlier and sounded very out of place for 1969.

Retired US Marshal James Flagg (Robert Mitchum) gets news of his old nemesis outlaw John McKaye (George Kennedy). He tries to warn the town of Progress but he's sent packing instead by slimy Mayor Wilker (Martin Balsam). He tracks down McKaye who is only hanging on to a robbery gang led by Waco. He captures McKaye but the mayor dismisses him. When the gang positions themselves to rob the incoming train, the mayor recruits Flagg to the rescue with McKaye's help.

These are great veteran actors and they give me hope. There is an interesting idea of a grizzled lawman teaming up with a worn down villain. I don't really like the mayor's idiocy. The movie could have gone down a grittier, darker path but it chooses to be a wacky comedy. It's not the best choice. The chemistry between Mitchum and Kennedy does keep this on the tracks but only barely.

This is never going to be up there among the classic comic movies, but it's a pleasant way to fill a couple of hours. There are plenty of cliches here, but the movie is carried forward by Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy and Martin Balsam. Balsam, as the ne'er-do-well mayor, is particularly enjoyable. The western scenery is especially beautiful. There are worse ways to spend an evening.

I am often critical about the movies spun out of Hollywood, overblown, ridiculous, far fetched, untrue etc, but one type of film they usually get right are Westerns, after all the Wild West was on the backdoor of Hollywood and deeply woven into American history, so they know exactly how to present one. This is a comedy, not much comedy in the west but the realistic scenes and sets are there, all down to a fine detail.

This is one they got right, a Comedy Western with great actor Robert Mitchum and great supporting actor George Kennedy, the acting is good, a bit tongue in cheek, but its a comedy, it has to be that, the scenery is great filmed in New Mexico and Colorado, the theme song (by Glen Yarborough) sung throughout is spot on and fits the film well. Directed well and good pacing, it could have been longer which I believe would have made it better, but no real complaints

David Carradine is good as the bad man, as is Martin Balsam as the Mayor, the town set is excellent and the train is spot on a real steam locomotive, not one of those fake Disney ones 3/4 the size, the costumes and sets are very realistic, the story is ok, not likely, but this is comedy, not a documentary on the west.

The modern westerns are usually poor compared to the better older ones, like this one, pity, but we can still watch films like this to reminisce.

This movies suffers greatest from its not being able to decide whether it's a western drama, or a silly overlit trivial 60s comedy like the lighthearted james garner and don knotts westerns of the mid-late 60s.

As a result, it wasted its dramatic potential to be like RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, but updated. Pity. The characters, as a result, are unbelievably naive for such life-experienced men and women of the world.

It's got beautiful big western scenery in color. But Mitchum and Kennedy are wasted. And the glen yarborough singing narrative seriously needs to go. Again, likely a copy of CAT BALLOU's success in using that gimmick.

Burt Kennedy's westerns are at their best when he writes them. The guy penned some of the classic Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott westerns of the 1950s and as a scenarist he knows how to keep dark and light in equal balance while creating morally complex characters, so vital an ingredient in the psychological western that sprang up after WW2 to supplant the Selander shoot em ups. Unfortunately, Kennedy chose, in this film, to outsource the dialogue and story to the immortal team of Cohen and Shryack and what happens is a film where the comedy is way too broad...witness the by-play between Tina Louise and Martin Balsam and the mugging of Buddy Hackett...and the drama less than enthralling, with Keith Carradine's one dimensional villain (the writer Kennedy couldn't create a one dimensional villain to save his life) and the too cuddly "bad" guy played, cloyingly, by George Kennedy, (no relation to Burt, especially in syrupy movies like this). So, while it's always good to see Late Mitchum professionalism and the oft under rated Lois Nettleton makes you realize what a crappy actress is Ms. Louise and the autumn in northern New Mexico location shooting is flat out awesome, this is still a woefully average flic. Solid C. PS...He lost the footrace to Campbell but my favorite singing Glen has always been Yarbrough.

This is a very entertaining Burt Kennedy Western, very much in the mold of "The War Wagon", although it more often crosses the line into straight comedy. I gave it five stars in my IMDb ranking. I ended up classifying it as a comedy, which I don't rank in my all time great Westerns system (I haven't figured out yet why I don't, it just feels like comedies should be ranked against each other in their own category).

Here's what I liked:

• Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy are very good in this as an aging lawman and outlaw who become "frenemies". Both of these guys are very underrated actors. I can't think of a movie Kennedy was in that I didn't enjoy.

• Martin Balsam practically steals the movie as the corrupt mayor. A really great comedic performance that was clearly the inspiration for Harvey Corman's governor character in "Blazing Saddles" a couple of years later. This movie really got me interested in Balsam. Looks like he was one of the early Actor's Studio guys like Eli Wallach. I only remember him from "Psycho" and "Hombre". Dude had some range. I'm going to make a point of watching some more of his work.

• Nice location filming in New Mexico.

• Some pretty good action set pieces with a locomotive.

• Story moves along nicely, it's easy to get involved in the characters, there are no gaping plot holes.

• Kennedy plays a notorious bank robber who everyone thinks was killed 10 or 15 earlier. In reality, he got married to a Quaker woman, went straight and was living in Canada. After she dies from fever, he leaves an 11 year old son behind to return to the U.S. and resume his career as a bank robber. Sound like someone we know? Hint: Clint Eastwood played the part.

Here's what wasn't so great:

• Ridiculous title

• David Carridine has a part.

This movie was directed by Burt Kennedy, who also directed another great western in 65 called The Rounders, that had Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford. This one is sort of different but they both had some comedy in them. This one stars Robert Mitchum as an old sheriff who is retired against his wishes by the mayor, played by Martin Balsam, who only cares about the election coming up. George Kennedy plays an outlaw who used to big in his day but now is the third wheel in a gang run by David Carradine. Both Mitchum and Kennedy, even though they used to be enemies, sort of team up together to stop Carradine from robbing the train even though they don't have too. This movie came out in 1969 the same year as The Wild Bunch, which Mitchum turned down but this movie is closer to Peckenpah's earlier film Ride The High Country.

Better than average fare with a good train chase sequence.Nothing wrong done in this movie but nothing great either.This movie will please most western fans.A better screenplay would have really taken it to a better level.Great performance by David Carradine which helped him in his carreer.....