SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER

US, 1971, 92 minutes, Colour.
James Garner, Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam, Joan Blondell, Harry Morgan.
Directed by Burt Kennedy.

Support Your Local Gunfighter is in some ways a sequel to Support Your Local Sheriff. Once again it stars James Garner who is very much at home in this kind of droll spoof of the West. This time the heroine is Suzanne Pleshette. And there's a stock company of faces familiar from the ordinary western all sharing in the comedy. The original title was Latigo, but the title has changed to put it in the line of the predecessor. However, it falls far short in its impact as a satire and as a comedy. Both films were written and directed by Burt Kennedy. He is a specialist in this genre. Support Your Local Gunfighter is somewhat disappointing in the company of his other westerns.

1. How successful a spoof of conventional westerns: presentation of the hero and his exploits,, a western town and its characters. the role of gunfighters? How clever was the parody, how funny?

2. How do such parodies pay homage to the popularity of westerns? What view did this film take in support of westerns, criticism of westerns?

3. The importance of the colour, scenery, musical background, especially the theme for Latigo. James Garner and his style, the comic supporting actors?

4. The conventionality of the plot? Audience expectations from these characters and situations? Their being fulfilled, fun poked at them, various expectations thwarted by the jokes?

5. Latigo Smith as the hero of this kind of film: his running out on Goldie, the satire in his tattoo. the questions about his health. the visualizing of his compulsion for roulette, his reliance on tough talk to get people away from him. his exercising his skill as a conman. talking the two angry women out of their anger, the final gunfighting exhibition. the happy ending?

6. The satire in the presentation of Patience, the contradiction to the western heroine? Her shooting. loud-mouthed nature, ambitions to go to Finishing School? The humour in the way that she kissed and shot? Her desperation to get out? The happy ending?

7. The focus of the satire on Jud and the irony of his being promoted as 'Swifty Morgan, the gunfighter'? His almost believing his own propaganda? The fact that he did nothing and still frightened the people? The contrast with the real Swifty Morgan? The train-ride of the real gunfighter, his confrontation at the end?

8. The satire on Barton and the mining interests, his flirtation with his fiancee, the fact that she was the sister of the villainous Colonel with his sinister laugh etc.? The satire on the town elders?

9. The satire in the gunfights themselves, the squabble with Jenny and Goldie?

10. The presentation of Jenny as with a heart of gold, the story of the spur, her furnishing Latigo with clothes and a room?

11. How successful was the film in building up to a climax? Making it funny?

12. The value of this kind of humour, parody on the West, a different perspective on the western genre?