Cheyenne Social Club The (1970) – full review!
Cheyenne Social Club The (1970) – full review!
Produced & directed by Gene Kelly (his last in either of these capacities) with a story written directly for the screen by James Lee Barrett this slightly above average Western comedy with lots of humorous dialogue is also a buddy picture for James Stewart and Henry Fonda (their last on-screen appearance together) whose real life longtime friendship comes through very well. Stewart plays John O’Hanlan whose brother J.D. died and left him the titled club. John is a hardened cowboy who’s been drifting around all his life working different jobs when Cheyenne lawyer Jedediah Willowby’s (Dabbs Greer) letter reaches him two years later with the news. Harley Sullivan (Fonda) who’s been tagging along with John for 10 years decides to follow his friend to Wyoming where they learn that the club is a house of ill repute; it’s been kept running by one of its girls Jenny (Shirley Jones who’d earned her only Academy recognition a Best Supporting Actress Oscar playing a different prostitute Lulu Bains in Elmer Gantry (1960)).
Even though he is treated like a king by ‘his’ girls AND in town once they learn who he is (the club is a veritable institution!) John believes himself to be of high moral character and decides to close the social club down much to the chagrin of everyone including Harley who’s begun to sample the merchandise one-by-one. The banter between John and Harley is priceless throughout and the latter’s annoying habit of cracking (and eating) pecans serves his friend well in a showdown with an ornery character and the only one who doesn’t like John initially Charlie Bannister (Charles Tyner) who’d beaten up Jenny. When Marshal Anderson (Arch Johnson) informs John that Bannister had kin who won’t be happy about his demise Harley decides to leave town before there’s a big shootout at the club but of course he’ll return just in time to help save the day.
The rest of the club’s women are played by Sue Ane Langdon Elaine Devry Jackie Russell Jackie Joseph and Sharon DeBord. Robert Middleton plays the barkeep of the Great Plains saloon. John Dehner appears uncredited as Clay Carroll a man whose comments cause John to brawl with him and others in the Little Egypt saloon. Some of the scenery particularly during the opening credits is beautiful. In addition to the subject matter there is at least one adult scene with nudity (one of the ladies wears a sheer blouse her naked chest clearly visible).
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