The Shakiest Gun in the West

Director: Alan Rafkin Alan Rafkin

Overview

"This hilarious oater finds Jesse Heywood (Don Knotts) as a Philadelphia dentist who leaves his home to open a new practice on the western frontier. The hapless dentist is saved by the expert gun handling of Penny (Barbara Rhoades), a reformed bandit trying to earn a pardon by intercepting gun shipments to hostile Indians. After several more situations in which Penny saves the nervous newcomer, Jesse believes he has exceptional firearms prowess and believes himself to be a hero. Comedy ensues when the jumpy Jesse faces a bevy of bad men and nervously clutches a six shooter with a very unsteady hand. Penny has to help the pseudo-hero out of even more trouble before they can ride off together into the sunset."

Product Details

Release Date:	09/02/2003
UPC:	0025192054822
Original Release:	1968
Rating:	NR
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:41:00
Sales rank:	24,958

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Don Knotts	Dr. Jesse W. Heywood
Barbara Rhoades	Penelope 'Bad Penny' Cushings
Jackie Coogan	Matthew Basch
Donald Barry	Rev. Zachary Gant,Zachary Gant
Ruth McDevitt	Olive
Frank McGrath	Mr. Remington
Terry Wilson	Welsh,Indian Chief
Carl Ballantine	Swanson
Robert Yuro	Arnold the Kid
Herbert Voland	Dr. Friedlander,dr Friedlander
Fay DeWitt	Violet
Dub Taylor	Pop McGovern,Rev. Longbaugh
Hope Summers	Celia
Ed Peck	Sheriff
Edward Faulkner	Huggins
Arthur Space	Sheriff Tolliver
Greg Mullavey	Phelps
Benny Rubin	Man at Bar (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	Mrs. Eva Longbaugh (uncredited)
Pat Morita	Wong
E.J. André	Will Banks
John Aniston	Actor
Phil Arnold	Leonard
Jim Begg	Actor
Eumenio Blanco	Actor
Jim Boles	Actor

Technical Credits

Frank Tashlin

James Fritzell

Everett Greenbaum

Edmund L. Hartmann

Alan Rafkin	Director
Frank Tashlin	Screenwriter
James Fritzell	Screenwriter
Everett Greenbaum	Screenwriter
Edward J. Montagne	Producer
Edmund L. Hartmann	Screenwriter
Albert Whitlock	Special Effects
Waldon O. Watson	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Don Knotts is no Bob Hope and Barbara Rhodes no Jane Russell, but this remake of Hope's classic comedy The Paleface does manage to rustle up some laughs. Knotts stars as Jesse Heywood, an aspiring frontier dentist who becomes the unwitting dupe of Penelope Cushings, a notorious bandit recruited to find out who is selling guns to the Indians. Thanks to sharp-shooting Penelope, the cowardly Jesse gains an undeserved rep as a gunslinger, leading to a hilarious high-noon showdown with the oddly named Arnold the Kid. This western spoof could be wilder (and its portrayal of Native Americans is not exactly PC), but while it is not as kid friendly as The Reluctant Astronaut or The Incredible Mr. Limpet, it's still a hoot for Knotts fans.