Powerful

Please don't spend money on this.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The acting in this movie is really good.

"Destry Rides Again" director George Marshall's western "The Sheepman" qualifies as a lightweight, tongue-in-cheek, cattlemen versus sheepherders, oater that turns to violence only as a reluctant last resort. The names of the three scenarists who adapted and wrote the screenplay should tell any western movie fan that Marshall's western is going to indulge in dialogue more than visceral action. James Edward Grant served as John Wayne's personal scriptwriter. He wrote "Angel and the Badman," and he went on to write the serio-comic John Wayne western "McLintock." William Bowers was no stranger to westerns. He wrote "Black Bart" (1948) and its 1967 remake "Ride to the Hangman's Tree," and those two horse operas emphasized humor. Bowers wrote "The Sheepman," and the script foreshadows Bowers' efforts on the James Garner law & order western "Support Your Local Sheriff." The third writer was William Roberts who received credit as the scenarist of "The Magnificent Seven." He also took credit for "One More Train to Rob" (1971) and "Red Sun" (1971). Indeed, an hour elapses before the dastardly villains shoot and kill the first unarmed, innocent sheepherders, but Glenn Ford takes everything in stride as a fast-draw, straight-shooting cattleman. Jason Sweet (Glenn Ford of "Arizona") was born to herd cattle, but the murder of his wife set him on the trail of vengeance. During his search for the killers, Sweet won his herd of sheep in a poker game and delivers them to Powder Valley. No sooner has Sweet arrives in town via the train than he tangles with the toughest man in town, Jumbo McCall (Mickey Shaughnessy of "Jailhouse Rock"), who works for the chief villain. The chief villain is Colonel Stephen Bedford (Leslie Nielsen of "Forbidden Planet") who owns the most prosperous cattle ranch and he is destined to wed the prettiest woman in town, Dell Payton (Shirley MacLaine of "Two Mules for Sister Sara"), the daughter of another cattleman. Eventually, Jumbo and two other cowhands usher a reluctant Jason into the Colonel's home. The Colonel turns out to be one of Jason's former friends. The two of them had planned to shoot it out in a duel, but neither of them showed up at the appointed time to slap leather. Jason knows 'the Colonel' as Johnny, a former outlaw who has changed his name and gone straight. The Colonel asks Jason to keep his real identity secret. Meantime, Jason befriends another character in town, livery stable owner Milt Masters (Edgar Buchanan of "Abilene Town") starts out as a potential adversary and becomes a friend. Interestingly enough, the Colonel orchestrates a party that he invites Jason to while he rounds up Jason's sheep and puts them aboard a train. Once, the Colonel has Jason's wooly horde on the train with the chief sheepherder, Angelo (Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez of "Rio Bravo"), and has told the locomotive engineer to leave them locked up on the freight car for 200 miles before they are to be released. All along our shrewd but amiable protagonist has been on the look out for the despicable man, Chocktaw Neal (Pernell Roberts of "Ride Lonesome"), who killed his wife. Chocktaw and two gunslingers show up at the Colonel's ranch and promptly ride off to murder all the sheepherders and gun down Jason. When they raid the sheep camp, they miss Jason who rides in after they have killed his hired hands and scattered his sheep. Of course, Marshall concludes matters with a showdown on Main Street where Jason has to shoot it out with Neal. Initially, Neal believes that he has Jason caught in a crossfire and it is a foregone conclusion that he will kill him. At this point, Dell has reformed herself and is sympathetic to Jason, and Milt and she gets the drop on Neal's two partners and disarm them. One showdown leads to another, and Jason storms out to the Colonel's ranch for the final shoot-out.The first hour of "The Sheepman" is thoroughly entertaining, and Glenn Ford is terrific. Edgar Buchanan plays another conniving galoot who winds up on the side of good, and Leslie Nielsen is urban as the evil villain. The dialogue is sparkling stuff. One of our hero's interesting ploys that has become a trademark for him is his sharpshooting trick where he balances a whiskey shot glass mouth down on the back of his hand with a poker chip atop it. He flings the glass and chip up into the air above him and adroitly whips out his six-shooter and shatters the glass with his bullet and then catches the poker chip. "The Sheepman" is an amusing oater.

The Sheepman is directed by George Marshall and written by William Bowers, James Edward Grant and William Roberts. It stars Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Shaughnessy, Edgar Buchanan, Willis Bouchey, Pernell Roberts, and Slim Pickens. Music is by Jeff Alexander and cinematography by Robert J. Bronner.Utterly delightful semi-comic Oater, The Sheepman pitches Ford as sheep farmer Jason Sweet, who arrives in Powder Valley - a place ruled by cattle ranchers only - and upturns the applecart by announcing he intends to let his sheep graze on the lands there. Trouble, motives and back stories will out!With the exception of some poor rear projection work, this is a pic that's constructed with style and humour. The opening is a doozy as Sweet quickly puts down a marker in the town, with a glint in his eye and a punch of some force. It's an irresistible characterisation by Ford, deftly blending humour with machismo, setting up the rest of the film by firmly pulling us viewers onto his side. Supporting cast are bang on the money, doing justice to well written characters (the screenplay was Oscar nominated), with the writing also having some nous via twists and a commitment to never let the story be boring or twee.An absolute must see film for fans of the irrepressible Glenn Ford. 8/10

MGM's THE SHEEPMAN (1958 - aka "Stranger With A Gun") is a hugely enjoyable light hearted western that is fondly remembered by western fans! Beautifully photographed in Cinemascope and Metrocolor by Robert Bronner its Acadamy Award nominated script by William Bowers and James Edward Grant could at times be quite amusing. The fine Edmund Grainger production was brightly directed by George Marshall.Glenn Ford Is Jason Sweet (a name that elicits guffaws from leading lady Shirley Maclaine in one scene) who arrives into a town of a predominately cattle rearing district to start raising - of all things - SHEEP! The locals are incensed and under the tutelage of big cattle rancher Colonel Stephen Bedford (a very young Leslie Neilson in his dramatic Pre Frank Drebin days) they make a stand against him. But it comes to light Jason and the Colonel are old enemies and eventually must face each other. In the meantime, after many attempts to rid the town of Jason and his woolly merchandise the Colonel sends for three hired gunmen led by Chockdaw Neal (the impressive Pernell Roberts) to take Jason down. They first ride roughshod over the sheep camp killing the hands and later, in an exciting set piece, Jason confronts Chockdaw in the town's Main Street for a one to one fast draw shootout before riding out to the Colonel's ranch for the final showdown.Ford is excellent in what is one of his most likable roles! Combining the comedic talent he displayed in such films as "Teahouse Of The August Moon" (1956) and "Imitation General" (1958) together with his dramatic tough persona in westerns like "Jubal" (1955), "The Violent Men" (1956) and "3.10 To Yuma" (1957) his Jason Sweet is an altogether engaging and winning character. Giving great support and adding to the fun is Ford's long time friend and co-star from many movies Edgar Buchanan as the town's nosey parker, Mickey Shaughnessy as the Colonel's lame brained foreman, Pernell Roberts as the fearsome and violent gunman and Shirley MacLaine looking very pretty as the girl who secretly admires the Sheepman. Also notable and adding to the fun is the fine music score by MGM staff composer Jeff Alexander whose finest work and best known score is "Escape From Fort Bravo" (1953). For THE SHEEPMAN he invented some marvellous comical cues for the movie's amusing initial scenes. There are also some exciting dramatic cues and a lovely lingering main theme heard in its broadest rendition over the titles.THE SHEEPMAN is an entertaining and much rewarding romp and is worth repeated viewings. The good news is that it has just had its first Region 1 release from Warner Home Video on their new Warner Archive series. It is a lovely 2.35 widescreen transfer! The bad news is there are no extras - only the bare bones - not even a trailer! For the outrageous price Warner's are charging for this disc could they not have stretched to a measly trailer? HUH!

This movie is played for laughs, particularly in the early scenes. The Fall scenery of the Colorado Rockies is gorgeous. The pretty title theme by composer Jeff Alexander reappears later in another Glenn Ford outing, "The Rounders". The strong cast includes Glenn Ford, Shirley McLaine, and Leslie Nielson. Edgar Buchanan is particularly good in a supporting role.This movie is fun to watch. Ford is good as the sheepman and Shirley McLain does well with her role as the almost-wife of bad guy Leslie Nielson. The film is a little short on action, but the witty script more than makes up for it. Most of the action occurs at the end with Sheepman Ford shooting the bad guys.I particularly enjoyed Shirley McLain's performance. The script gives her a character with some potential and she makes the most of it. If she's done another Western I can't remember what it is.>