À l'Ouest du Montana

Retired lawman Will Lane (Buddy Ebsen) promised his dead friend to look after his irresponsible son Lee Carey (Keir Dullea). He is given the deed until he deems Lee responsible enough to take over... if ever. He has an idea from the mail order catalog. Annie Boley (Lois Nettleton) is a widow with a young son. Jace (Warren Oates) is a crooked ranch hand.

This is a situational comedy western. Times change. I don't find much of this that funny. Mostly, I don't like Lee for a comedy. He has too much anger and Keir has a coldness about him. Luckily, I don't need him for laughs in 2001. He probably would be fine if this wasn't a comedy. On the other hand, Buddy Ebsen has proven his comedy creds.

Minor, but fast-paced, innocuous western lark from director and writer Burt Kennedy, adapting a short story by Van Cort. Rural newlyweds--a hot-tempered rebel and a widow with a young son--forced together into matrimony, but attempting to make the union work if only to spite the town's naysayers. Buddy Ebsen's role as a potential troublemaker isn't well-defined (he keeps popping in and out of scenes without any character motivation); however, Keir Dullea and Lois Nettleton fare better as the married twosome, and Jimmy Mathers (brother of Jerry) is a cute youngster. Nettleton in particular looks very much at home in these rugged settings; she's a warm, reassuring presence on the screen, like a younger version of Deborah Kerr. Not bad! The scenery is attractive and the pacing is lively, though perhaps a bit more action or excitement in the narrative might've helped. **1/2 from ****

Many movies deserve their obscurity, and none more than this formula Western. Direction, editing, writing-- all are uninspired, especially the occasional attempts at humor.

But the casting is atrocious. Desperately bad. So clean-cut he almost squeaks, Keir Dullea is at no point convincing as a gambling, carousing womanizer. Buddy Ebsen adds nothing new-not one glance, not one inflection-- to the tiresomely familiar role of the wise, slow-spoken, solitary old-timer.

In the eponymous role, Lois Nettleton stares soulfully toward Ebsen, Dullea, or the near distance. That's about it. Refreshing though it is to see a rather plain actress as a star, she finds no way to redeem-with humor, with spirit-- a woman who has almost no curiosity about her sight-unseen future mate and his home. In fact, objectively, her non-reaction is almost criminally irresponsible for a widow with a child.

This movie was on TCM so I tried it out. Its the story of Will Lane, an older man who travels to Montana to seek Lee Carey, the son of an old friend. The reason Lane does this is to try to make Carey into a responsible man, apparently a promise he made to Carey's deceased father. Carey turns out to be fond of drinking, women and gambling, so in order for Lane to calm him down he travels to find him a mail order bride. From there, we'll see whether Carey is tamed. This is a basic western, with drama and light comedy. Buddy Ebsen as Lane is fine, and the film is easy to watch. Its nothing special but I still didn't mind it. I'm not particularly fond of Westerns, and this does not rank anywhere near John Wayne's best but its not bad. I was never a big fan of Mr. Ebsen's TV work, but this is a decent film. A curious bit of casting is Jimmy Mathers, Jerry's brother, as the bride's son. He is in a very small role but it was interesting anyway (I didn't know he had a brother). So, if you like westerns or are just looking to pass the time, I think its watchable. Go ahead, its worth it.

One weekend in the early Spring of 1964, my younger brother, Bob, and a couple of pals went to see a movie at the old ColonyTheatre, 59th Street and Kedzie Avenue, right here on the South Side of Chicago (the baddest part of Town). When the kids got over there they went to pay their admission; being 11 years of age, they offered their customary ½ price admission. Inasmuch as the three boys were not yet 12, which was the arbitrary age that the theatre company had chosen to separate the boys from the younger boys, ending their eligibility for the ½ price admission.

Well on this particular Sunday, the guy in charge was the assistant Theatre Manager, a 24 year old who we'll just call Elmo. Well, it seems that Elmo must have been having a bad time at home or something. His inability to maintain his relationship's proper balance apparently compelled Mr. Elmo into compensating for his domestic situation by exerting his autocratic control of the Show's operation that day.

With the firm resolve of an Otto von Bismarck, Germany's "Iron Chancellor", and with the assistance of his own version of the SA Brown Shirts, Elmo imposed his unbridled will to enforce the theatre's rules and make those subjects (young theatre patrons) comply, toe the line and like it. In short, Elmo insisted on the boys pay full freight to enter the Theatre.

Only, none of the kids were 12 yet, honest Injun! But the boys wanted to see the movie (I think it was DONDI (Albert Zugsmith Prod., Photoplay Associates/ Allied Artists, 1961). Peacefully, like the little Gentlemen that they were, they surrendered and peacefully settled in for the cinematic arts fest.

But once our Mother got hold of this story she called Elmo on the phone; but the Iron Chancellor was neither contrite nor compromising about his actions. "But Madame, I had 400 kids at the matinée and they were noisy, and there are always some of them trying' to sneak in!" Getting no satisfaction, Ma called back Monday and talked to the Real Manager instead of that Play Manager. He was apologetic and sent us a bunch of passes to any of the company's three shows.* So that's how I got to see MALE ORDER BRIDE. I went a second time and saw another fine film in THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (Warner Brothers, 1964).

OUR STORY……… A retired gunfighter, Will Lane (Buddy Ebsen), comes to town to fulfill a promise to a deceased friend to look after his wayward son, Lee Carey (Keir Dullea). The son is a veritable Hellion, but Will answers a magazine advertisement taken out by a Lady interested in Matrimony.

Will goes there in person, but the Lady turns out to be a saloon woman, very attractive but just a tad too old for the young man, Lee. The Lady confides in Will that when she saw him come into the saloon, she thought that she had found herself a mate. Selflessly she puts Will on to the young Widow, who now cooks for the Saloon.

Arriving back with the young Widow Cookin' Lady, Will (in comical fashion) forces the young guy into marrying. As it turned out, the young Widow had a small son. One of Lee's nogoodnik buddies quips, "Look, that guy went and brought back not only a new Cow, but a Calf too!" After a rocky road, the young woman and Lee do find true love; and with her Son, they form a family. Will Lane rides out of town, alone and lonely.

But it won't be for long as in the fade-out scene we see a jubilant heading back into the same Saloon with the Lady who had taken out the Ad in the first place; only this time the call was for himself. (Fade out, Closing Credits & Muisic.) MAIL ORDER BRIDE was a very pleasant, little film that incorporated some elements that all too often aren't included in the 'Horse Operas'. We had some of what has come to be called 'family values. The cultivation of proper manners and civil treatment of your fellow citizens are important items on the agenda.

The film was, doubtless, a project that came about because of the success of Buddy Ebsen and Co. in "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" (Filmways Television/CBS TV, 1962-71). A, it provided us with a look at TV's Jedd Clampett, from a little different perspective.

Now, we all remember Buddy Ebsen as Jedd Clampett on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES show, but some of us who are a little long in the tooth can recollect a few other TV roles of his, like: the "DISNEYLAND: ADVENTURES OF DAVY CROCKETT" (1954-56) as Georgie Russell, "NORTHWEST PASSAGE" (MGM TV, NBC, 1958-59) and of course "BARNABY JONES" (Quinn Martin Prod/ CBS TV, 1973-80).

As for our family, we have one other recollection of Mr. Ebsen's. Our Uncle, our Mother's younger Brother, the Late Walter Fuerst, served in the Coast Guard during World War II. And on his ship, a Coast Guard Cutter (I think! Name unknown.), was Mr. Buddy Ebsen, who served as an Officer for the Duration.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Thank You, Elmo!