I’m not much one for westerns, although I’m trying to broaden my horizons. I didn’t get a traditional western out of “Support Your Local Sheriff!” – instead I got a slapstick spoof, and I loved every minute of it.
James Garner plays Jason McCullough, a man who’s just passing through town on his way to Australia. The people in the community have just become rich, hitting upon a vein of gold just a short time before, and they’re having a hard time adjusting to their sudden wealth. Fights are breaking out all over town, greed is getting the best of everyone, and Mayor Perkins (Harry Morgan) has decided they’re in bad need of a sheriff. When Jason rides into town, with his no-nonsense approach to life and his excellent marksmanship, the mayor figures this is the man for the job.
What the town doesn’t figure on, though, is the unorthodox way the new sheriff goes about his job. He starts off his career by arresting the son of one of the most powerful landowners in the area, and manages to convince the man that his son should stay in jail. What’s even more amazing is that the jail has no bars – they haven’t arrived yet – and yet he keeps his prisoner under control, thank you very much.
With his unruffled demeanor, Jason is the solution the town needs. But Prudy Perkins (Joan Hackett), the mayor’s daughter, isn’t sure what she thinks of the man. He’s always catching her in embarrassing situations, and she wishes that just once, he could see her at her best. Well, that never happens, but he falls for her anyway.
You’ll get a big laugh out of the way Jason handles the outlaws and brings peace to the west. There is a bit of language, but nothing I found offensive. This film is rated G.
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