There is dual star power at the helm of Robert Aldrich’s The Frisco Kid, but despite the best efforts of Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford to liven up an overlong comedy-drama set in the pre-Civil War Old West, their combined energies only produce average and wildly uneven results.
The Production: 2.5/5
There is dual star power at the helm of Robert Aldrich’s The Frisco Kid, but despite the best efforts of Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford to liven up an overlong comedy-drama set in the pre-Civil War Old West, their combined energies only produce average and wildly uneven results. It should have worked more felicitously with their two diverging personalities pitted against a wild and untamed country, but it only sputters forward in fits and starts never quite delivering on its potential for hilarity.
San Francisco is in need of a rabbi, and a plea to the old country back in Poland finds the Chief Rabbi (Leo Fuchs) selecting devout nebbish Avram Belinsky (Gene Wilder) with the promise of a bride at the end of his journey. Completely ignorant of America and the perils of its untamed heartland, Avram lands in Philadelphia and is immediately cheated out of his money and belongings by a trio of charlatans (Ramon Bieri, William Smith, George DiCenzo), Luckily, he’s befriended by a bandit named Tommy (Harrison Ford) who tries to point Avram west but realizes he’s going to have to accompany him if he has even an outside chance of making it to the West Coast. Along the way the duo faces a hostile posse dogging their trail (after Tommy relives a local bank of some of its holdings), inclement weather and America’s variable landscapes, Indians, and other unexpected developments making it seem like they’re never going to reach the city by the Bay.
The script by Michael Elias and Frank Shaw is the chief culprit: the ingredients are there for a bracing fish-out-of-water comedy, but it just never catches fire. Director Robert Aldrich directs some fine set pieces: the original bit of skullduggery that robs Avram of his belongings has a good payoff, the trekking of the bank robbers by the posse gives the director a chance to show some gorgeous topography, a Jewish dance circle with the Indians is larkishly amusing, and there are a couple of shootouts that build quite good dramatic tension (a dive off a cliff a la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is less engagingly staged and shot), but the head-butting shouting matches Avram and Tommy have get old very fast (especially since they all have the same outcome), and the story plods along without much snap or vigor.
Gene Wilder affects an odd Yiddish-inspired accented yodel of a voice as Avram, but the character’s timbre isn’t what’s interesting: it’s his warmth, innocence, and eventual savvy that wins over the audience. His stubborn moxie shown throughout his ordeal is alternately off-putting and admirable but inevitably it saves the day (as we rather suspected from the beginning). Harrison Ford in a showy, juicy role modeled after his braggadocios Star Wars Hans Solo triumph hasn’t yet learned to temper his outbursts, but he still has charisma to burn and though clearly supporting Wilder rather than fully co-starring with him, he emerges as one of the movie’s strongest assets. Among the large supporting cast, two performances stand out: Val Bisoglio plays the wily Chief Gray Cloud with a knowing grin and much compassion while William Smith as the toughest of the con men who must face the consequences of his heinous actions shows there is more to him than a brawny physique.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is faithfully rendered in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Compared to the faded and well-worn theatrical trailer on the disc, picture quality is near perfection here with nicely saturated color and wonderful sharpness emphasizing details in faces, hair, and clothing. There is only one scene later in the film where it seems contrast quality control was ignored. Its milky appearance is in stark contrast with all the scenes before and after it. The movie has been divided into 36 chapters.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. It’s a clear, clean, and dynamic mono track with dialogue always easily discernible, and Frank DeVol’s background score (yes, that’s the composer himself in a cameo playing a saloon piano player) and the multitude of sound effects mixed quite professionally with the dialogue. There are no instances of age-related hiss, crackle, pops, or flutter.
Special Features: 1/5
Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD)
Overall: 2.5/5
Give it an “A” for effort, but Robert Aldrich’s The Frisco Kid doesn’t quite deliver on its promise of a wildly good time. There are some amusing moments, the two stars have good chemistry and try their hardest to make it all work, and the direction is almost always professional and on point, but this is one of those odd mixtures of promising ingredients that just don’t produce a masterful meal.
The Frisco Kid [Blu-ray]
18% Off $21.99 $13.95
Matt has been reviewing films and television professionally since 1974 and has been a member of Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2007, his reviews now numbering close to three thousand. During those years, he has also been a junior and senior high school English teacher earning numerous entries into Who’s Who Among America’s Educators and spent many years treading the community theater boards as an actor in everything from Agatha Christie mysteries to Stephen Sondheim musicals.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads