La bionda e lo sceriffo

I just loved this film. Kenneth Moore was inspired as the English gentleman buffoon. When you get that 'innocent abroad' persona - for example with Ali G in America; with 'The Idiot Abroad' etc, it's a brilliant tool for cutting through prevailing cultural norms, even if they are for example, whether it's etiquette to shoot first and speak later, or better to proffer a nice cup of tea. When he 'disarms' the injuns at the start of the film it's beautifully done and dead funny.

Jayne Mansfield is like a cartoon character, full blown - in a not quite 'Marilyn' way - and a reasonable foil for our Ken. Even her '50s starlet soon to be housewife' style of singing, (check out 'The Valley Of Love'), seemingly so inappropriate in a rough, tough saloon owner/ music hall glamour girl, fits in so neatly. The whole thing is a pastiche of the age - the 'civilized' 50s making sense of a wild, wild world, with a boy meets girl bottom line.

Like I said - brilliant! Oh and English classic comedian Syd James has a cameo role, so even better.

Jayne Mansfield plays Kate, boarding house owner, and into town comes Kenneth Moore, a gun salesman from England. Not only are the songs by Jayne dubbed, it sounds like some of the lines are too. Starts out slow, gets better as it goes along. The mayor and the Indian chief steal the movie. There are a few gags and laughs, sort of an early version of Mel Brooks "Blazing Saddles". Nothing real good in "Special Features" on the DVD, but I guess that's due to the fact it was filmed in 1958. No real surprises here... your run of the mill spaghetti western with some laughs thrown in. According to the DVD liner notes included, this was filmed in England and in Spain (?) Too bad they didn't do more with Robert Morley; could have spiced things up more.

A proper British gentleman named Jonathan Tibbs (Kenneth More) attempts to improve the fortunes of his uncle's (Robert Morley) London gun company is to sell their supplies in the Wild West such as his large rifles and small Derringer pistol . Tibbs traveling in the American West , when inadvertently takes place an Indian attack on the stagecoach in which he is a humble passenger (along with comical Brit Sidney James at a brief appearance) . Later on , the stagecoach gets to the nearest little town , as he arrives in troublesome Fractured Jaw which is being plagued by outlaws (William Campbell) and band wars . He then is appointed sheriff by Mayor Masters (Henry Hull) of the raucous town . A series of misunderstandings give him the completely fake reputation of being a skill gunfighter and he is inveigled into becoming a botcher sheriff . Meantime , two trigger-happy local ranchers (Bruce Cabot) squaring up against each other, along with unruly cowboys , villains and marauding Indians . It's as well he is getting advice from gorgeous innkeeper Kate (Jayne Mansfield).

Hilarious Western comedy in which Kenneth More as bungler sheriff shows his particular talent ; as he is a London gentleman turned into smooth-talking, fast-on-the-draw gunman . It includes a lot of humor , songs , sprawling , almost primitive action teeming across the screen . A rip-roaring Western/comedy as the conventions of the Wild West are turned upside down . This funny picture is a gag feast , plenty of humor , diverting situations and absurd sketches in Bob Hope style . Amusing and spasmodic comedy with expert comedian British Kenneth More acting in his stereotyped role by relinquishing creative control and concentrating on humor based on confusion and the known formula : ¨fish out water¨ along with nice inventive bits , skilfully combining the entertainment with the amusement . Kenneth More runs away with every cowboy cliché and even arranges to wind up with the girl . Busty as well sultry Jayne Mansfield who ropes the nervous Kenneth More/Jonathan Tibbs into marriage ; sassy and sweetie Jayne Mansfield sings some songs , though her singing voice is dubbed by Connie Francis . Here Jayne Mansfield was 6 weeks pregnant to Mickey Hargitay when production began . Important appearance by Hollywood veteran Henry Hull , as town Mayor and Bruce Cabot : John Ford's usual ; in addition , prestigious Brit secondaries such as Ronald Squire , Sidney James and Robert Morley and uncredited Al Mulock and Steven Berkoff as extra . Lively and adequate musical score by Robert Farnon including catching songs . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Otto Heller . The film has a historical interest , deemed to be the first Western shot in Spain in the following locations : Colmenar Viejo , La Pedriza and Manzanares Del Real , where were subsequently filmed lots of Paella and Spaghetti Western in the 60s and 70s .

The motion picture produced by Daniel M. Angel was middlingly directed by Raoul Walsh . From his starts in the silent cinema he achieved successful films until the 50s and forward , early 60s , when he was less dominant , but is still stayed lots of lusty adventure , stories of comradeship and friendship , and Raoul Walsh makes the most of plentiful action scenes . Walsh was an expert director of all kind genres but with penchant in Western as ¨Colorado territory¨ , ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨Along the great divide¨, ¨Saskatchewan¨, ¨King and four queens¨ , ¨A distant trumpet¨ ; Adventure as ¨Thief of Bagdad¨, ¨Captain Horatio Hornblower¨, ¨World in his hands¨, ¨Blackbeard the pirate¨ , ¨Sea devils¨ ; Warlike as ¨Objetive Burma¨ , ¨Northern pursuit¨, ¨Marines let's go¨ ; and Noir film as ¨White heat¨, ¨High Sierra¨, ¨They drive by night¨, ¨The roaring twenties¨. And this acceptable ¨The sheriff of fractured jaw¨, rating : 5,5/10 ; fairly straightforward movie and passable Western comedy . This average Western film makes it of the lesser interesting of Raoul Walsh genre entries.

This little-known Western will probably be most attractive to contemporary audiences for one reason only...Jayne Mansfield. And Jayne Mansfield fans will indeed not be disappointed with this charming little movie which pairs sassy Miss M with the straight-laced British actor Kenneth More.

More is incredibly charming in this movie (as he tends to be in most of his screen appearances) and plays well of fast-talking saloon owner Mansfield. This is probably Mansfield's best on-screen partnership since her Rock Hunter appearance with Tony Randall. Gorgeously photographed in sumptuous Deluxe colour and with some nifty saloon songs from Mansfield (dubbed by Conny Francis), this is a sweet, amusing little movie with solid performances from two highly likable actors.

Hopefully, its release in the JM box set will introduce this film to a new generation of viewers. While scarcely a cinema classic, it's a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Enjoy!

Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield star in The Sheriff Of Fractured Jaw which plays very much like a Carry On film. In fact Sid James of the Carry On company has a brief role as a drunken stagecoach passenger and kind of lends an official presence to this satire of the western. The Carry On crew would later film Carry On Cowboy which this bears some resemblance to.

The real model for this film is Destry Rides Again as Kenneth More plays a rather mild mannered Englishman who goes west to sell firearms, firearms manufactured by his father Robert Morley's company. More sells Morley on the fact that in the lawless American west what better place can the company find a better market.

Poor Moore he manages to get himself involved in a range war between two large ranches, gets appointed sheriff of the town of Fractured Jaw and gets made an adopted member of the local Indian tribe. But this was not without its pleasant side as he manages to also win saloon singer Jayne Mansfield. She's more like Wrangler Jane of F Troop than Marlene Dietrich.

Jayne gets three songs also and she's dubbed by the familiar voice of Connie Francis. Not that Connie doesn't sing them well, but we know that's Connie Francis coming from Mansfield. They should have used an unknown singer.

The film has its amusing moments, but it really is an overblown Carry On film.