An absolute waste of money

A Disappointing Continuation

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

I can't be the only one who noticed it, but I didn't see it mentioned by any other reviewers or find it in any of the trivia for this film, so here goes. Did you take a good look at the blaze faced roan each time it was ridden casually versus when it was a bucking bronco? I'm sure it was two different horses. The mild mannered horse was a solid brown color, and when it was going berserk, it always had a dusty gray look to it. At first I thought that was the idea, having him kick up enough dust to make it look like it was affecting his coloration. But then, about the middle of the story, Ben (Glenn Ford) and Howdy (Henry Fonda) are making their way up to the high country, and Howdy remarks how different the horse's disposition can be at different times, almost like two different animals. To which Ben replies "You could say that" with a wry smile. That's what clinched it for me.Well as for the rest of the story, this was a bit of a slow mover for me. Having been long time partners, I didn't get a real good sense of Ben and Howdy being buddies very much, any charisma between Fonda and Ford just didn't seem to come across. A lot of it seemed tired to me, making it appear more like a B Western with big names rather than an A list production. In fact it wasn't much of a Western either come to think of it, but a story about aging horsemen who use their skill and experience to make a buck before blowing it at the end of each season.Even more lamentable was that scene with the pair of valley girls the duo tries to help out when their car breaks down. I guess the script called for them to play it dumb because they sure played it dumb. Following that 'hats behind the behind' scene I'm kind of grateful the girls didn't get to do their Snakes of Love act; I can only imagine what that was all about.Well far be it for me to suggest you shouldn't watch this flick, because if you're a Fonda or Ford fan I guess you could find this somewhat entertaining. This is where I get to paraphrase Fonda's character when he'd say something like 'Whatever suits you would just tickle me plum to death". I'll have to leave it at that.

Look, I get that some people have never seen what small town Arizona is really like, but my home town is hardly a step above this film. Saying this movie isn't a "Western" is a misnomer, IMO. It's set in Sedona, AZ which is a smaller community. Just because John Wayne isn't there to shoot all the bad guys and never die shouldn't take away the quality western movie effect. There are no shoot outs, no "bad" guys - though Jim Ed Love is quite the sleaze. Overall, it's a good movie. The old Roan is a great character and Ben and Howdy take the cake. It's amusing, clean, and just a fun family film. I've been looking all over to find a DVD of this since I saw it on my mother's BETA machine.

Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda are pals that corral horses, or whatever cowboy/rustlers do with horses. Round them up. But they don't ever seem to get ahead. Chill Wills gives a memorable performance, and almost steals the show, in his white suit as a rich owner of horses and land, but who's notoriously cheap and who has a way of talking them into working for him again, despite the fact Glenn said, never again. They always complain, especially Glenn, about working and never getting anywhere, but after a while you get the feeling, he's been the way he is all his life and he's just one of those who like things as they are, despite all his talk to the contrary. With a good cast, including Denver Pyle and Edgar Buchanan as two characters they try to give a wild horse to, and Sue Ane Langdon and Kathleen Freeman, this is one laid-back film that's short on story but is long on good company. "Whatever suits you just tickles me plumb to death." For good old fun with Ford and Fonda, just yourself a horse and hold on, tight.

This movie is far from a classic of the western genre but, to use a far-fetched metaphor, watching it is like putting on a very comfortable pair of old, worn slippers. The story line is hardly earth-shaking - two modern day, never-quite-making-it, just-over-the-hill cowboys spend another year treading water in their line of work and wind up pretty much where they started, not that it matters a whole lot to them. But the story is worked out with just right the combination of charm, humor, pathos and whimsy to make it a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a half. The main key to the movie's success is the work of old hands Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford; their chemistry is just right, and a joy to watch. Also worth mentioning is the gorgeous cinematography of the western setting. This little charmer is minor gem of its type.