Best known today for creating the TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982), Hugh Wilson made an auspicious feature film directorial debut by taking the helm of the raunchy comedy Police Academy (1984), which became a success at the box office and spawned 6 sequels to date. For his sophomore feature, Wilson took on Rustlers’ Rhapsody, a tip of the cap to the “singing cowboy” B-level westerns of the 1940’s. Previously released on DVD by Paramount, Kino has licensed the movie for its Blu-ray debut.
The Production: 4/5
What would the popular Rex O’Herlihan (Tom Berenger) westerns of the 1940’s look like if they were made today? Rex himself answers that question when he and his dancing horse Wildfire ride into the town of Oakwood Estates, where the townspeople and sheep herders are menaced by Colonel Ticonderoga (Andy Griffith) and his fellow cattle ranchers. With the town drunk Peter (G.W. Bailey) as his sidekick, Rex manages to get the upper hand on the Colonel’s men – and a group of railroad men led by another Colonel (Fernando Rey) – since he happens to know the Bad Guys’ every move before they do. However, there’s one thing that Rex didn’t count on: the arrival of another Good Guy in “Wrangler” Bob Barber (Patrick Wayne). But not all is what it appears to be with Bob…
A nod to the “singing cowboy” westerns of the 1940’s – popularized by the likes of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers – Rustlers’ Rhapsody is a fun filled nostalgic romp. Inspired from his days working at the CBS Studio Center – which was the former Republic Pictures backlot – screenwriter/director Hugh Wilson fashions an old-fashioned plot similar to the Roy Rogers westerns but does so here with a knowing wink and genuine affection for the genre. The passion project for the writer/director also pays a nod to another type of western in this fashion: the film was shot on the same sets in Spain where Sergio Leone helped usher in the Spaghetti Western (though by the time this film was made, the sets in Almería – affectionately named Western Leone in honor of the director – had been unused in nearly a decade). While the film doesn’t have as many laugh-out-loud moments as Police Academy, there’s still plenty of humor to go around and the cast are certainly at their best of playing it straightforward (which adds to the humor). In the end, Rustlers’ Rhapsody may not hit all of its intended bullseyes, but it hits them often enough to have earned a cult following over the years.
As Rex O’Herlihan – the film’s composite of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry – Tom Berenger has one of his more atypical film roles of his career (it’s unclear if he does his own singing here); greater acclaim awaited the next year with an Oscar nomination – and Golden Globe win – for playing a tough sergeant in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning triumph Platoon. In a change of pace from his best known role as Sheriff Andy Taylor on TV with The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968), Andy Griffith is a humorous presence as the seemingly villainous Colonel Ticonderoga; the next year, he would have another memorable long-running TV role as Ben Matlock in the series Matlock (1986-1995). As the town drunk turned sidekick of Rex, G.W. Bailey – reuniting with Hugh Wilson from Police Academy – has a fun supporting role here; Marilu Henner suitably fills the part of Miss Tracy, Oakwood Estates’ “hostess”, with beauty and charm (the Golden Raspberries, however, disagreed by “honoring” her with a Worst Supporting Actress nomination). Rounding out the cast here are Fernando Rey as the colonel of the railroad men, Sela Ward as Col. Ticonderoga’s daughter, Jim Carter as the ill-fated Blackie (the recipient of one of the film’s most effective gags), Brant Van Hoffman and Christopher Malcolm as two of the Colonel’s ranch hands and hired guns, Billy J. Mitchell as the doctor, John Orchard as Oakwood Estates’ cowardly sheriff and Patrick Wayne – son of western icon John Wayne – as “Wrangler” Bob Barber, the Good Guy who may not be so good after all.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
For this Blu-ray release, the film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new HD transfer created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. Film grain, color palette and fine details are all presented faithfully with minimal cases of scratches, tears and dirt present; the window box effect in the first couple of minutes is intentional. Overall, this Blu-ray release is likely the best the film will ever look on home video and easily surpasses the previous Paramount DVD release.
Audio: 5/5
There are two audio options on this Blu-ray release: a lossless 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track (the default option) and an alternate surround 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue, sound mix and Steve Dorff’s musical score are all presented faithfully with minimal cases of distortion like crackling, popping and hissing present on each respective track. Again, this Blu-ray release is likely the best the film will ever sound on home video and surpasses the previous Paramount DVD release.
Special Features: 3/5
Commentary by mystery writer/filmmaker Max Allan Collins and Cereal at Midnight podcast host Heath Holland – Newly recorded for this release, Collins and Holland give an affectionate, yet honest, appreciation of the film as well as where Wilson’s script succeeds or comes up short in sending up the “singing cowboy” trope.
Theatrical Trailer (1:23) – Interesting decision to use music from Elmer Bernstein’s score for True Grit rather than selections of Steve Dorff’s score here.
Bonus KLSC Trailers – Spaceballs, Uncle Buck, Bustin’ Loose, The Nude Bomb, Fletch, The Experts, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, Last of the Dogmen & Amazon Women on the Moon
Overall: 4/5
Though it underwhelmed at the box office and with critics upon first release, Rustlers’ Rhapsody has survived over the years as a cult favorite for its affectionate and humorous sendup of the “singing cowboy” westerns of the late 1930’s and 1940’s. Kino has likely delivered the best home video presentation of the film to date, with a great HD transfer and an informative commentary track as a special feature. Very highly recommended and worth upgrading from the previous DVD release.
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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