Bruce Willis plays Tom Mix, cowboy hero extraordinare, and a hero who isn’t too enthused when studio boss Alfie Alperin (Malcolm McDowell) wants him to play Wyatt Earp in a silent film about the famous lawman’s life.
Just to make sure the film is as authentic as possible, Alperin has hired the real Wyatt Earp (James Garner) as a technical adviser.
Well, Wyatt shows up in young Hollywood. He and Mix hit it off.
And, before they know it, they finds themselves neck deep in a murder mystery.
Someone’s beating pretty women so severely their injuries are fatal.
Alperin’s step-son Michael (Dermott Mulrooney, aka The Last Outlaw) is suspected.
Wyatt and Mix suspect someone else. Not great.
Review:
It’s difficult to miss the mark too badly with stars as likeable as Willis and Garner in the lead roles.
Mariel Hemingway plays the daughter of a woman who runs a bordello, and who falls for the much older Earp. And the movie marked the film debut for Dermot Mulroney.
Though Mix never appeared on film as Wyatt Earp — he tried, but the studio wasn’t interested — the actor and the lawman were real-life friends.
In fact, when Earp died in 1929, Mix and silent Western star William S. Hart were among his pallbearers.
Directed by:
Blake Edwards
Cast:
Bruce Willis … Tom Mix
James Garner … Wyatt Earp
Malcolm McDowell … Alfie Alperin
Mariel Hemingway … Cheryl King
Kathleen Quinlin … Nancy Shoemaker
Jennifer Edwards … Victoria Alperin
Patricia Hodge … Christina Alperin
Richard Bradford … Capt. Blackworth
M. Emmet Walsh … Chief Marvin Dibner
Dermot Mulroney … Michael Alperin
Joe Dallesandro … Dutch Kieffer
Andreas Katsulas … Arthur
Dann Florek … Marty Goldberg
Bill Marcus … Hal Flynn
Michael C. Gwynne … Mooch
Runtime: 102 min.
Memorable lines:
Tom Mix: “Wait a minute, Wyatt, there’s something we gotta get sorted out here. I threatened to rope him behind my horse and drag him, then you waltz in pretty as you please and threaten to kill him. I don’t like being out-threatened.”
Wyatt Earp: “Sorry. Won’t happen again.”
Cheryl King at Candy Store: “Will you sleep with me?”
Wyatt Earp: “Cheryl, I’m old enough to be your father.”
Cheryl: “Wyatt, you’re old enough to be my grandfather. Now answer the question.”
Wyatt Earp: “It’s all true, give or take a lie or two.”
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