Sidekicks (1974)
Travelling through the West right after the Civil War, two con men hatch a scheme to try to collect the fifteen thousand dollar bounty offered for the capture of an outlaw.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
Simply A Masterpiece
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Spunky remake of Skin Game which had come out just two years previously. Larry Hagman, during his journeyman decade between the hits I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas, and a very young Louis Gossett Jr. work well together and both show off their often underutilized gift for comedy.They star as a pair of itinerant not terribly successful con-men who when we meet them are escaping from a posse only to soon find themselves in an even bigger mess. How they try to extricate themselves from it and come out a bit ahead spurs the rest of the film. While all this is going on they are surrounded by a terrific cast of characters actors, Jack Elam is a particular standout, and the frisky, on the rise, full of gumption Blythe Danner.TV movies from the 70's, of which this was one, were a variable lot with some good enough for theatrical release and some utter junk this is neither but it is a most enjoyable diversion with a quality cast and a breezy story. Catch it if you can.
As the other reviewer here states, this is a great and sadly neglected comedy. I loved it back in the 70s and it needs to be released on DVD!!!! Larry Hagman and Jack Elam were fantastic. Hagman played such a great role on I Dream of Jeannie and here he continued with his great sense of timing and comedic skills that would eventually fade into his later years doing serious drama in Dallas, where he transformed into the anti-Nelson character JR. He showed great versatility in these two roles alone, yet appeared in many other films. Those who appreciate Hagman as a great comedian must see this film and Sidekicks must be released on DVD soon!
One of the all-time great movies and most people have never seen it! Hilarious characters, superb writing. Larry Hagman, Lou Gossett (when he had hair!), Harry Morgan, and others are all great, but veteran western character actor Jack Elam steals the show as the dim-witted "Boss". Make sure you tape this if it ever comes back on TV again. I need this on DVD!!!!