Movie Journal: Support Your Local Gunfighter

If you’ve never seen Support Your Local Gunfigher, or its predecessor Support Your Local Sheriff, you really are missing out on a couple of highly enjoyable movies.

In Gunfighter, James Garner plays a con man of sorts who, in an attempt to sneak out on the high class madam he’s engaged to, winds up in the town of Purgatory, a small Western outpost that has two mining companies that will stop at nothing to put the other one out of business. He’s mistaken for a famous gunfighter one owner has hired to take out the other, but the other – played by Harry Morgan – tries to hire him away. Eventually Garner’s character turns the situation to his advantage and wackiness generally ensues, especially when Morgan’s daughter – played by Suzanne Pleshette – gets involved.

It’s a slow paced buy quick-witted movie that has nothing offensive about it and is great to watch. It and Sheriff were often on TBS or some such channel about 15 or 20 years ago and I would always wind up watching them if I came across them on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. So when I saw that Gunfighter was on Hulu (it’s only available there for a couple more days) I immediately started it up. I’m very much hoping Support Your Local Sheriff, which is just as funny and features many of the same cast members, is available there soon.

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