Hot Lead and Cold Feet

Enjoyable.

'Hot Lead & Cold Feet' is good fun. The premise is bonkers but in a positive way, while the humour is much improved on what Disney usually produce in these sorta films. I actually liked every bit of the story, even if it is a tad all over the place. The only real issues I have with this are the effects and some of the pacing, the latter is quite slow around the midway mark.

Moving onto the cast. Jim Dale does a great job playing not one, not two but three characters! It's actually rather impressive, though the effects used for when Billy and Eli are 'next to each other' are rather poor. Still, big credit to Dale.

The film is basically split into three viewpoints: Billy & Eli, Jasper (Dale) & Mansfield (John Williams) and Sheriff (Don Knotts) & Rattlesnake (Jack Elam). Surprisingly, they make it work. I liked following all the shenanigans that they each got up to.

I also rate the music used. All in all, an entertaining film that I would definitely recommend.

Hot Lead and Cold Feet was one of the last comedy westerns that Disney made in the 70s, starring Don Knotts. Also starring Darren McGavin, Jack Elam and Jim Dale; who were essentially Disney regulars by this time. The story is quite interesting, about a town founder (played by Jim Dale) leaving his fortune behind to his two sons (both played by Jim Dale). The only problem, his son Billy doesn't know he has a brother, therefore competition for the inheritance.

The film is filled with gags and funny lines, delivered by Don Knotts and Jim Dale mostly. Darren McGavin also plays a good villain in the form of Mayor Ragsdale. And the ending of the film has a twist, but watch to see. It's a great family film, no bad language or adult situations.

This lively comedy-Western from Disney is largely a vehicle for the talented British comic Jim Dale, who is given the opportunity to play three roles. Jasper Bloodshy, an ornery old fart who created a town in his name, his hell raising outlaw son Wild Billy, and a son, Eli, who nobody but Jasper knew about. Eli has been working as a missionary in Philadelphia, and comes to Bloodshy when Jasper apparently perishes. The old man had a will, but the proviso is that the two sons / heirs compete in a series of gruelling races before things are settled. However, the greedy mayor (Darren McGavin) schemes to get the money for himself, with the help of various bumbling goons.

Oddly enough, it's when we get to the climactic race that the movie loses some of the momentum that it's built up. While the action and the stunts are first rate, the material just isn't as humorous. A shame, because up until then, everything is played quite speedily and breathlessly. The fact that the town is basically a lawless place allows for a lot of chaos.

The star laden cast easily give it everything that they've got. Don Knotts is right at home in one of his standard bumbling authority figures, complete with all of the comic actors' nervous tics and reactions. Jack Elam is perfectly cast as his nemesis. Karen Valentine (as an aspiring schoolteacher) and Debbie Lytton & Michael Sharrett (as Eli's young charges) have plenty of appeal. McGavin is simply a wonderful slimeball villain. And Dale has a ball with his three very different roles, especially old coot Jasper, who must suffer several indignities as he spies on the proceedings with his long suffering butler (John Williams).

Beautiful scenery and a bouncy theme song help to make this pretty good, if not hysterical.

Seven out of 10.

Much of the movie is not very realistic, some of it's rather crazy, especially the constant shooting, fighting and destruction. They are constantly shooting, but not hitting each other. They're also constantly getting knocked out or injured, but are completely normal again shortly after wards. But it's entertaining and a lot of fun, they must have gone through a lot of work and money to achieve all this. The acting is pretty good, and rather funny. It's impressive that Jim Dale played 3 separate roles, you can't tell that it's him when he plays the old man.

It's great comedy, and while it's not very realistic, there are some good lessons with it. I like the unity and fearlessness of the children, and that helping Eli is all that matters to them. It kind of gives a sense that helping others is much more important than money.

This is the funniest comedy western movie. Walt was a visionary. I hope one day another generation can appreciate this movie. Good versus evil, it will always be great to watch. Don is comedic magician. And one man plays 3 roles and does an excellent job. A must see A+