A Duquesa e o Vilão

This is a rather naughty little film, with a lot of Goldie Hawn on view at times. It is however done with such a lovely sense of fun and mischief that my kids and I watched it many times with great enjoyment.

Goldie sings some fun songs - including one about fruit, naughty fruit - and goes adventuring across the Old West in the company - at times - of the handsome and talented George Segal. [My favourite GS film, this one!] There are some sidesplitting scenes - for both audience and Goldie's clothes - and there is a very well-trained horse.

Best of all is the running gag! - How many times did you....? - Including this time? Once!

I use it all the time!!!

"The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox" is a fairly good film. It's a cross between classic Hollywood and the then more contemporary comedy stylings that were coming into vogue in the late 60s and 70s. That is to say the humor is blue, and less suggestive than it is explicit, yet at the same time very smart. And perhaps because of this the film's tone is probably a little misunderstood.

Even though the film was shot widescreen there's a definite TV budget feel about it. There's more coverage than can be expected from a made for TV film, but the shots themselves are typically those used in non-theatrical productions, giving the film a kind of uneven feel.

For what the film is the humor is pretty sophisticated, which I think has some of the other commentators (specifically those who gave negative reviews) a bit confused. For a comedy that opens with a dance hall scene laden with sexual innuendo one might not expect the gags to be as sophisticated as they are. A viewer might get the impression that the humor will be blue, but not just blue, but explicitly blue. But that's not the case here. The humor, though suggestive and occasionally profane, is actually pretty smart, and on that score is actually quite funny. Now, if you can accept all that, and like your humor with lots of wit, then this film should entertain. In short the humor is smarter than one would expect. You have to approach watching this film with kind of mindset to really enjoy it :-)

If I had one gripe with the film it'd be the ending. As climatic as it was it felt a little flat and open ended. It's also a bit implausible, even for a comedy, but a film like this really needs a happy ending... of sorts. On that score the ending should've been a little more plausible, but it is what it is.

If you like your films smart, then try not to be too swayed by the negative comments, and give the film a chance by renting it once. It's not a film that has a lot of big sight-gags, but there's enough here that should entertain.

Enjoy :-)

This is an amusing and funny western comedy romp with two great comedian actors : George Segal and Goldie Hawn. Once upon a time, if the rustlers didn't get you , the hustlers did , dealing with a frontier hooker : Goldie Hawn and a saddle tramp : George Segal attempting to make a buck in the Old West, as they form a charming couple of experts . Both of whom join forces to deceive , rob and swindle to unfortunate people . The Wild Wild West has never been funnier ! The most likeable pair of rogues I have met since Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid ! Together , they'll show you how the West was Fun ! A card up his sleeve . A noose around his neck . It's George Segal as the Dirtwater Fox . A wiggle in her lips. Larceny in heart of gold . It's Goldie Hawn as the Duchess . He starts out as a simple card-sharp and ends up with 40.000 dollars , three bullet holes , and the only saloon-dancing Duchess in the West !

This Western-comedy romp clicks here and there , getting entertaining moments and to have fun enough . Period Western strung together with several attempts at humor , all about a musical-hall dancer who meets a bumbling shark on the make . Well played by a very sympathetic duo , George Segal and Goldie Hawn , both of them are frankly good . Being assisted by an acceptable but little known support cast , such as : Conrad Janis , Thayer David, Jennifer Pryor and brief appearance by Richard Farnsworth as a stage coach driver , among others .

It contains an evocative and colorful cinematograhy by Joseph F. Biroc who photographed various Robert Aldrich films . As well as lively and jolly score by Charles Fox with plenty of musical background from dance hall numbers performed by Goldie Hawn who sings a number of attractive songs . The motion picture was professionally directed by Melvin Frank, though it has some failures , gaps and flaws . Frank was a fine writer/producer/director who made various films of all kinds of genres with penchant for comedy . As Melvin directed the following ones : "Lost and found" , "Court jester" , "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" , "Touch of Class" , "Walk like a man" , and his most successful movie was : "The Front" starred by Woody Allen . Rating : 6/10 . Passable and acceptable Western comedy , though neither extraordinary , nor notable , but decent . The flick will appeal to Goldie Hawn and George Segal fans .

This western comedy gets off to a smashing start: Goldie Hawn, dressed like a lascivious German barmaid, singing in a San Francisco saloon full of rowdies. It's a Marlene Dietrich bit that out-Dietrich's Madeline Kahn from "Blazing Saddles". Thin plot has a card-sharp in the Old West trying to keep vicious sidewinders from stealing his stolen loot; a dancehall girl gets there first. This is one of those comedies from the 1970s best described as 'bawdy', with some memorable moments: Hawn, pretending to be the Duchess of Swansbury, singing for a drooling Mormon; she and George Segal talking gibberish-French in a stagecoach; the couple floating down a river to the vocals of Bobby Vinton, and later getting tied to stakes in the sweltering desert. Sloppy, yet ingratiating film gets by solely on charisma and energy. It didn't find a sizable audience in theaters, though I would suspect Hawn-buffs will enjoy it on DVD. Raffish Segal also charming, and working effortlessly with his co-star. ***1/2 from ****

I liked this movie. It is a bit dated and it does lose the thread a bit at times, but generally is funny and spontaneous. I really wondered if some of the humor was unplanned. For example, when the Fox turns the corner on his horse and falls off. It really looks like this wasn't in the original script but it happened anyway. I particularly liked the song Don't touch my plums and especially when Goldie sings it to the Mormon family. Goldie Hawn is at her finest and suits the role she is playing. Watch it when you want to smile or need cheering up and don't want to think too deeply! We watched this by accident on TV last night and I managed to stay awake all the way through (ask my husband, that's amazing!)