Rustlers' Rhapsody
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''Rustlers' Rhapsody'' is a 1985 American comedyWestern film. It is a parody of many Western conventions, most visibly of the
singing cowboy A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films. It references real-world campfire side ballads in the American frontier, the original cowboys sang of life on the trail with all the challenges, hardships, and d ...
films that were prominent in the 1930s and the 1940s. The film was written and directed by Hugh Wilson, who was supposedly inspired by working at
CBS Studio Center Radford Studio Center, alternatively CBS Studio Center, is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. The lot has 18 sound stages from , of office space, and 223 dressing rooms. T ...
, the former
Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...
backlot. It stars Tom Berenger as a stereotypical good-guy cowboy, Rex O'Herlihan, who is drawn out of a black-and-white film and transferred into a more self-aware setting. Patrick Wayne, son of Western icon
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
, co-stars, along with Andy Griffith,
Fernando Rey Fernando Casado Arambillet (La Coruña (Spain), 20 September 1917 – Madrid (Spain), 9 March 1994), best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, i ...
, G.W. Bailey,
Marilu Henner Mary Lucy Denise Henner is an American actress. She began her career appearing in the original production of the musical '' Grease'' in 1971, before making her screen debut in the 1977 comedy-drama film '' Between the Lines''. In 1977, Henner wa ...
and Sela Ward. Henner was nominated for a
Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
as Worst Supporting Actress.


Plot

The concept of the film is explained in a voiceover wondering what it would be like if one of the old Rex O'Herlihan films were to be made today. At that point, the scene shifts from black and white to color and the soundtrack changes from mono to surround sound. As a consequence of this paradigm shift, Rex O'Herlihan, a "singing cowboy", is the only character aware of the plot outline. He explains that he "knows the future" inasmuch as "these Western towns are all the same" and that it's his "karma" to "ride into a town, help the good guys, who are usually poor for some reason, against the bad guys, who are usually rich for some reason, and ride out again." Rex's knowledge is also connected to the unspecified "root" vegetables he digs up and eats. On his high-stepping horse Wildfire, Rex rides into the town of Oakwood Estates, walks into a saloon and meets Peter, the Town Drunk. In exchange for a free drink, Peter explains the background: the town, and especially the sheep herders ("nice enough, but they smell God-awful"), are being terrorized by the cattle ranchers, headed by Colonel Ticonderoga. Also there is Miss Tracy, the traditional ‘prostitute with a heart of gold’. A local sheriff is "a corrupt old coward who takes his orders from the Colonel." Blackie, the foreman at Rancho Ticonderoga, swaggers into the bar with two of his henchmen and shoots one of the sheep-herders, then the town’s real-estate agent. Miss Tracy objects, and when she is verbally abused by one of Blackie's henchmen, Rex intervenes. Blackie draws on Rex after he threatens to "shoot in the hand" anyone drawing on him – and duly delivers on that threat. The disabled Blackie orders his two henchmen to kill Rex, but in firing hurriedly, they shoot Blackie in the back instead. Rex then shoots both in the hand and orders them to remove Blackie's corpse. Peter exchanges his drunk suit for a sidekick outfit, catches up with Rex and is reluctantly accepted. (Rex has sworn off sidekicks as they keep dying.) At the singing cowboy's campsite, Peter finds not one but two women there eager to get to know Rex a little better, Miss Tracy and the Colonel's daughter. The Colonel goes for help to the boss of the railroad men – who wear dusters. "We should stick together. Look what we have in common: we're both rich, we're both power-mad, and we're both Colonels — that's got to count for something!" But Rex outwits the Bad Guys because he knows their every move before they do. Then the Colonels import "Wrangler" Bob Barber, apparently another Good Guy. Bob discomposes Rex in their first meeting by attacking Rex's claim to be the "most good Good Guy" and pointing out that a Good Guy has to be "a confident heterosexual". "I thought it was just a heterosexual", Rex objects. "No, it's a confident heterosexual", responds Bob. Rex backs down from the shootout. On his way out of town, while preparing to change roles to that of a sidekick, Rex explains to Peter that he rides into town, kisses the girls and rides out again. "That's all: I just kiss 'em. I mean, this is the 1880s. You gotta date and date and date and date and sometimes marry 'em before they…you know." Bob reports that Rex is finished as a Good Guy. Nevertheless, the Colonels, over Bob's objection, arrange for Peter to be bushwhacked. This rouses Rex to round up the sheep herders and face down Bob and the rancher/railroad combine. Bob is revealed as not a Good Guy at all because, after all, he is a lawyer. Rex shoots him. Colonel Ticonderoga makes the peace. He apologizes to Rex and throws a party at Rancho Ticonderoga, after which Rex and Peter (who survived because Rex had him wear a bulletproof vest) ride off together into the sunset.


Cast

* Tom Berenger as Rex O'Herlihan * G.W. Bailey as Peter *
Marilu Henner Mary Lucy Denise Henner is an American actress. She began her career appearing in the original production of the musical '' Grease'' in 1971, before making her screen debut in the 1977 comedy-drama film '' Between the Lines''. In 1977, Henner wa ...
as Miss Tracy * Andy Griffith as Colonel Ticonderoga *
Fernando Rey Fernando Casado Arambillet (La Coruña (Spain), 20 September 1917 – Madrid (Spain), 9 March 1994), best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, i ...
as Railroad Colonel * Sela Ward as Colonel's Daughter * Brant Van Hoffman as Jim * Christopher Malcolm as Jud * Jim Carter as Blackie * Paul Maxwell as Sheepherder #1 * Manuel Pereiro as Sheepherder #2 * Margarita Calahorra as Sheepherder's Wife *
Billy J. Mitchell Billy J. Mitchell (June 16, 1942 – 9 March 1999) was an American character actor based in the United Kingdom. He was known for portraying North American characters in British-based productions like ''Superman'' (1978), ''Top Secret!'' (1984), an ...
as Town Doctor * John Orchard as Town Sheriff * Emilio Linder as Sheepherder in Saloon * Alan Larson as Bartender * Thomas Abbot as Saloon Owner * Patrick Wayne as Bob Barber


Production

The film was a passion project of director Hugh Wilson, who grew up loving Westerns he would see at the Saturday afternoon matinee. He was able to make it after the success of '' Police Academy'' (1984). In the mid 1980s there was a brief revival in the popularity of the Western, with the studios making films like '' Pale Rider'', '' Lust in the Dust'' and ''
Silverado Silverado may refer to: Places *Silverado, California, United States, an unincorporated community *Silverado Canyon, Orange County, California, near the above community; associated with Silverado Creek * Silverado Trail, a scenic route in Napa V ...
'' (1985). In May 1984 it was announced Wilson would direct the film for Paramount. "This isn't really a send up", said Wilson. "We're playing it very straight. We loved those old films and we really are trying to say something about them, like how can the hero keep changing his shirt?" Wilson wanted
George Gaynes George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Finnish-born American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to Dutch and Russian-Finnish parents in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...
to play a lead role but the actor was unable to due to his role on '' Punky Brewster''. Shooting took place in Almería, Spain, in October 1984. The film used sets that had once been featured in
Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...
films. Patrick Wayne was hired to appear in the film mid-shoot after the producers were unhappy with the performance of another actor already cast in the part. Wayne later described it as "probably the best acting I've done on film."


Reception


Box office

The film was a box office disappointment.


Critical

''Rustlers' Rhapsody'' received negative reviews from critics, with many saying it paled in comparison to Mel Brooks' ''
Blazing Saddles ''Blazing Saddles'' is a 1974 American satirical western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger. The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. ...
''. Writing in the ''New York Times'', Vincent Canby thought Wilson had ignored the "genuinely funny" idea that Rex might be caught in a time warp. The '' Los Angeles Times'' called it "a joy." The '' Chicago Tribune'' called it a parody film in search of a good joke.


Home media releases

''Rustlers' Rhapsody'' was released on VHS cassette in by CIC Video.


References


External links

* * {{Hugh Wilson 1985 films 1980s Western (genre) comedy films Paramount Pictures films Metafictional works Films directed by Hugh Wilson American Western (genre) comedy films Films produced by Walter Hill Films scored by Steve Dorff Films shot in Almería Films with screenplays by Hugh Wilson 1985 comedy films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films