The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1959)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Pretty Good

Admirable film.

The acting in this movie is really good.

A proper British gentleman named Jonathan Tibbs (Kenneth More) attempts to improve the fortunes of his uncle's (Robert Morley) London gun company is to sell their supplies in the Wild West such as his large rifles and small Derringer pistol . Tibbs traveling in the American West , when inadvertently takes place an Indian attack on the stagecoach in which he is a humble passenger (along with comical Brit Sidney James at a brief appearance) . Later on , the stagecoach gets to the nearest little town , as he arrives in troublesome Fractured Jaw which is being plagued by outlaws (William Campbell) and band wars . He then is appointed sheriff by Mayor Masters (Henry Hull) of the raucous town . A series of misunderstandings give him the completely fake reputation of being a skill gunfighter and he is inveigled into becoming a botcher sheriff . Meantime , two trigger-happy local ranchers (Bruce Cabot) squaring up against each other, along with unruly cowboys , villains and marauding Indians . It's as well he is getting advice from gorgeous innkeeper Kate (Jayne Mansfield).Hilarious Western comedy in which Kenneth More as bungler sheriff shows his particular talent ; as he is a London gentleman turned into smooth-talking, fast-on-the-draw gunman . It includes a lot of humor , songs , sprawling , almost primitive action teeming across the screen . A rip-roaring Western/comedy as the conventions of the Wild West are turned upside down . This funny picture is a gag feast , plenty of humor , diverting situations and absurd sketches in Bob Hope style . Amusing and spasmodic comedy with expert comedian British Kenneth More acting in his stereotyped role by relinquishing creative control and concentrating on humor based on confusion and the known formula : ¨fish out water¨ along with nice inventive bits , skilfully combining the entertainment with the amusement . Kenneth More runs away with every cowboy cliché and even arranges to wind up with the girl . Busty as well sultry Jayne Mansfield who ropes the nervous Kenneth More/Jonathan Tibbs into marriage ; sassy and sweetie Jayne Mansfield sings some songs , though her singing voice is dubbed by Connie Francis . Here Jayne Mansfield was 6 weeks pregnant to Mickey Hargitay when production began . Important appearance by Hollywood veteran Henry Hull , as town Mayor and Bruce Cabot : John Ford's usual ; in addition , prestigious Brit secondaries such as Ronald Squire , Sidney James and Robert Morley and uncredited Al Mulock and Steven Berkoff as extra . Lively and adequate musical score by Robert Farnon including catching songs . Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Otto Heller . The film has a historical interest , deemed to be the first Western shot in Spain in the following locations : Colmenar Viejo , La Pedriza and Manzanares Del Real , where were subsequently filmed lots of Paella and Spaghetti Western in the 60s and 70s . The motion picture produced by Daniel M. Angel was middlingly directed by Raoul Walsh . From his starts in the silent cinema he achieved successful films until the 50s and forward , early 60s , when he was less dominant , but is still stayed lots of lusty adventure , stories of comradeship and friendship , and Raoul Walsh makes the most of plentiful action scenes . Walsh was an expert director of all kind genres but with penchant in Western as ¨Colorado territory¨ , ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨Along the great divide¨, ¨Saskatchewan¨, ¨King and four queens¨ , ¨A distant trumpet¨ ; Adventure as ¨Thief of Bagdad¨, ¨Captain Horatio Hornblower¨, ¨World in his hands¨, ¨Blackbeard the pirate¨ , ¨Sea devils¨ ; Warlike as ¨Objetive Burma¨ , ¨Northern pursuit¨, ¨Marines let's go¨ ; and Noir film as ¨White heat¨, ¨High Sierra¨, ¨They drive by night¨, ¨The roaring twenties¨. And this acceptable ¨The sheriff of fractured jaw¨, rating : 5,5/10 ; fairly straightforward movie and passable Western comedy . This average Western film makes it of the lesser interesting of Raoul Walsh genre entries.

Two stars for Ms Mansfield's obvious charms (oh for 3D!).More was (and knew he was) an actor of limited range, essentially he played himself and did it well. His early work in the "Doctor" films is pleasing and his skillful creation of Douglas Bader in "Reach for The Sky" made the man a lot more charming than he REALLY was.He was in effect, to the 1950's what Hugh Grant was to the 1990's: a soft spoken inoffensive Englishman, well bred and thrust into situations where his good breeding kept him afloat.In this "Western" he is the scion of a British gunmaker sent to the Wild West to sell the companies wares. Let's be frank, More was TOO OLD for the part, although trim and dark haired he was clearly middle aged and the "Hugh Grant schtick" of youth and lack of worldly experience looks foolish.Ms Mansfield looks decorative and the cinch waisted outfits certainly display her "talents" - sadly her acting is mostly wooden and distracted and the lack of chemistry between the leads is obvious.The distraction of seeing so many British actors mugging, and mangling their vowels to sound American just reinforces my opinion that this is a dud and should be shelved next to "Space Mutiny" (see elsewhere)

In the first place, the cliché of the "fish out of water" might be over-used now, but it was hardly over-used in 1958. There are echoes of Bob Hope's Paleface and Son of Paleface, but those were ten years earlier.Secondly, just because a movie might have had some scenes filmed in Spain does not make it a Spaghetti Western. Spaghetti Westerns are westerns produced by Italians and directed by Italians. That's where the name "spaghetti" comes from, see? The Western is not my favorite genre, but I enjoy Kenneth Moore. Jayne Mansfield does an adequate job. My favorite is of course poor William Campbell as Keno.

A film with an extraordinary pedigree,a cast of fine actors,directed by one of the true mavericks of the studio system who worked with D.W.Griffith,"The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw"is a gem of a movie.So artless that is of course extremely artful,what appears as serendipity is in fact the result of good pros getting together and having a lot of fun whilst never taking their eye off the ball. Mr Kenneth More is immaculate as the Englishman Abroad,so well - mannered,well - dressed and well - spoken that in a lesser actor those characteristics might have seemed a parody,but Mr More,all breeze and confidence carries it off perfectly.America may no longer be a British colony but he doesn't have to believe it if he doesn't want to. He takes up with Miss Jayne Mansfield,the owner of the saloon and very innocent and appealing she is too.In 1958 her career was reaching its peak - if I may use such an expression - ,a young,winsome and tragically ill - fated actress who very few took seriously but who is - in my opinion - due for a reassessment in an era when women's achievements are considered in contexts other than those of their physical attributes. Mr Bruce Cabot and Mr Henry Hull are on hand to add authenticity to what is a fish - out - of - water comedy.Unlike other Western Brits (English Bob,say,or John Cleese in "Silverado")Mr More does not have a nasty streak.He is simply the old - fashioned decent English chap finding himself in a tricky situation a long way from home and muddling his way through. I have no idea why "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" was made,whether Mr Walsh owed the studio a picture of whether Rank thought Mr More's career might benefit from more U.S. exposure or whether somebody just thought it seemed like a good idea at the time,but after fifty years I'm happy to report that to me it still seems like a good idea,and with the passing of time it has become a funny rather touching movie that will please lovers of the Western because it is respectful of the genre and lovers of innocent beautifully played comedy because it is respectful of that genre too.