Review: Waterhole #3

Card shark James Coburn and sheriff Carroll O’Connor (who was honest enough, until he woke up that morning) go in search of a stolen cache of gold currently in the hands of renegade cavalry officer Claude Akins, and his cohort, seedy thief Timothy Carey. Their other accomplice was Doc (Roy Jenson), who ended up on the wrong side of Coburn’s gun barrel after challenging him to a fight. In the middle is Margret Blye, who is furious after she is sorta-kinda manhandled by Coburn, but even her father- O’Connor- is ambivalent about the incident (which some viewers will- wrongly- read as misogyny). James Whitmore is the duped Cavalry Captain, and Joan Blondell steals a few scenes as a sassy madam. Bruce Dern has a fun early role as O’Connor’s lunkhead deputy.
 

Not bad 1967 William Graham (“Honky”, and mostly TV fare like “Get Christie Love!” and “Guyana Tragedy- The Story of Jim Jones”) comedy western benefits from the always cool Coburn (perhaps the coolest actor who ever lived), a blustery O’Connor (channelling Rod Steiger at his hammiest), and reliable old Whitmore, not to mention the brassy Blondell.


However, it’s not overly funny, and the comedic ‘rape’ scene and later references to it will rub many the wrong way. Personally, it also bothered me at the time, but on reflection it kinda fits into the film’s view of the characters and the West itself, in which everyone is painted in shades of grey (and never meant to be taken too seriously). It’s also not terribly interesting or original, but the cast certainly makes it a watchable experience. I just thought it should’ve been a lot better and funnier.


Excellent colour cinematography by veteran Robert Burks (“Strangers on a Train”, “To Catch a Thief”, “A Patch of Blue”) is a definite highlight. The screenplay is by Joseph T. Steck and Robert R. Young, with infectious music by Roger Miller (Disney’s animated “Robin Hood”), his ‘Code of the West’ song will never leave your brain and drive you nuts. I wish I could rate this film a bit higher, but I just can’t do it. It’s not funny enough.

 
Rating: C+

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