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The Sheepman is directed by George Marshall and written by William Bowers, James Edward Grant and William Roberts. It stars Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Shaughnessy, Edgar Buchanan, Willis Bouchey, Pernell Roberts, and Slim Pickens. Music is by Jeff Alexander and cinematography by Robert J. Bronner.

Utterly delightful semi-comic Oater, The Sheepman pitches Ford as sheep farmer Jason Sweet, who arrives in Powder Valley - a place ruled by cattle ranchers only - and upturns the applecart by announcing he intends to let his sheep graze on the lands there. Trouble, motives and back stories will out!

With the exception of some poor rear projection work, this is a pic that's constructed with style and humour. The opening is a doozy as Sweet quickly puts down a marker in the town, with a glint in his eye and a punch of some force. It's an irresistible characterisation by Ford, deftly blending humour with machismo, setting up the rest of the film by firmly pulling us viewers onto his side. Supporting cast are bang on the money, doing justice to well written characters (the screenplay was Oscar nominated), with the writing also having some nous via twists and a commitment to never let the story be boring or twee.

An absolute must see film for fans of the irrepressible Glenn Ford. 8/10

Although "The Sheepman" is full of comic moments, none of them could quite be considered to be of the parody or even the self-reflexive variety. George Marshall's 1958 western was produced a few years before the genre began imitating television westerns by moving in that direction with films like "Cat Ballou" and "Support Your Local Sheriff". Most of this film's humor comes from the off-kilter nature of Glenn Ford's cowboy hero Jason Sweet. He is my all-time favorite Ford character, alternating between standard western hero and detached manipulator. His scenes with Mickey Shaughnessy (as town bully Jumbo) are funny because they totally break genre conventions. The Coen Brothers have used a similar technique in many of their films, writing dialogue totally mismatched with what one expects from a particular movie stereotyped character. The effectiveness of the device (and its novelty in 1958) led to William Bowers & James Edward Grant receiving an Oscar nomination for the screenplay.

The story gets moving right away as the title character (Sweet) hits the town of Powder Valley, seemingly on a mission to alienate every citizen with whom he comes into contact. This also serves as a quick introduction to most of the supporting cast as he insults the railroad station master (Percy Helton), gives unsolicited advice to a young lady (Shirley MacLaine), tricks the livery stable owner (Edgar Buchanan of "Petticoat Junction" fame); and gets the better of the general store proprietor (Harry Harvey). He then picks a fight with Jumbo (Shaughnessy) and ends the day by announcing his intention to graze sheep on the nearby public lands. This puts him into conflict with a local cattleman named "The Colonel" (a very young and uncharacteristically serious Leslie Neilsen).

MacLaine's often exasperated heroine would serve as inspiration for the Suzanne Pleshette and Joan Hackett characters in "Support Your Local Gunfighter" and "Support Your Local Sheriff".

"The Sheepman" is refreshingly different; witty, unpredictable, and extremely entertaining.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Terrific M-G-M oater with both a comedic and a romantic slant has Glenn Ford playing the new sheep farmer in a cattle community; he deliberately stirs up trouble for himself with the locals, particularly villainous old acquaintance Leslie Nielsen, when reminding them that the grazing land is his to use as well--and if they wanna run him out of town, he'll fight them to the bitter finish. Shirley MacLaine is at the peak of her charms as a sarcastic gal who initially plays both sides of the fence. Very entertaining western with colorful production makes no overtures to deep meanings or powerful statements. On the frivolous side though it may be, it is one of the most satisfying westerns of the 1950s. Screenwriters William Bowers and James Edward Grant (Oscar-nominated) have fashioned a surefire character for Glenn Ford, who is irresistible. Good show! *** from ****

In 1957, there was enough phony gun smoke on the screen to choke Superman. Most Westerns were filled with cardboard characters, unimaginative stories, and predictable showdowns. Too bad this under-rated little entry got lost in the shuffle, because it's both highly original and genuinely humorous, with an expert cast, a great script, and some magnificent Colorado landscapes.

What really distinguishes this oater is Ford's droll character (Mr. Sweet!) and the film's sprightly dialogue, neither of which sounds like you've yawned through it all before. In fact, Sweet is one of the few original cowboy creations of the time. He's a sly dog, so you never know what he'll do next, which keeps the audience riveted. Then too, Ford plays the part beautifully, his typical low-key manner making the many clever twists all the more surprising. Watch how adroitly Sweet wakes up the sleepy town at movie's outset. It amounts to a real head-turning treat.

So why do cattlemen hate sheep, the crux of the story. I don't think the screenplay explains, but it's because sheep don't just graze, they eat the roots, killing the forage, which leaves nothing for the cattle. So you know sheepman Glenn Ford is in for a passel of trouble when he brings his flock to cattle country. And trouble he gets in the form of slickster Leslie Nielsen (before Nielsen showed his own comedic talents).

And whose inspiration was it to cast the very un-frontier-like Shirley McLaine in the girl role. She's just wacky enough to make her pairing with Sweet seem natural. Then too, there're those two impossibly colorful characters-- the sneaky Edgar Buchanan at his slipperiest and the half-clown, half-thug Mickey Shaughnessy at his schizo best.

What really surprises me is that this little gem came from Western-averse MGM, which always seemed to be above such common fare as horse operas. Still, the movie does benefit from that studio's emphasis on production values-- even the outdoor sets are hard to detect.

My only complaint-- the two shootouts look like unimaginative sops to convention. It's as if the writers had to surrender to what someone thought the audience expected. Too bad. Anyway, don't let the movie's relative obscurity fool you. It's one of those sleepers that sometimes wandered away from the Dream Factory only to get lost in the crowd. Nonetheless, it's still well worth a look-see, even 50 years later.

This movie is played for laughs, particularly in the early scenes. The Fall scenery of the Colorado Rockies is gorgeous. The pretty title theme by composer Jeff Alexander reappears later in another Glenn Ford outing, "The Rounders". The strong cast includes Glenn Ford, Shirley McLaine, and Leslie Nielson. Edgar Buchanan is particularly good in a supporting role.

This movie is fun to watch. Ford is good as the sheepman and Shirley McLain does well with her role as the almost-wife of bad guy Leslie Nielson. The film is a little short on action, but the witty script more than makes up for it. Most of the action occurs at the end with Sheepman Ford shooting the bad guys.

I particularly enjoyed Shirley McLain's performance. The script gives her a character with some potential and she makes the most of it. If she's done another Western I can't remember what it is.

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