Five Western Comedies To Watch This Week

Many Westerns have a comedic element that underpins the dark, moralistic tale that is the backbone of the genre. Along with helping to offset the darker tones of the film, it adds a humanistic element. Think of the John Wayne swimming hole scene from Jon Farrow's Hondo (1953) or the one-upmanship between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach's character in Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1967).

Other Westerns, however, cross the line fully into the comedy genre. They're Caddy Shack with cowboy hats, a perfect Saturday afternoon flick for passing the time with a good laugh. Here's five Western comedies you should watch this week.

City Slickers (1991)

Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

The 1990s saw a revitalization of the Western genre, primarily Western comedies. And 1991’s City Slickers was at the forefront of that rejuvenation. Featuring a star-studded comedy cast led by Billy Crystal as well as Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, the film depicted three “city slickers” who attempt to escape their boring lives by experiencing a cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado under the supervision of a season cowboy (played superbly by the rugged Jack Valance).

Although the three slickers arrive confident they will find the zest for life they’re missing, they soon, however, find themselves utterly unprepared to handle life in the West. But the knockout humor and full-circle message about life and friendship make this fill a hallmark for any comedy or Western fan alike.

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

Photo credit: United Artists

Building off the success of his Maverick persona, James Garner twists the frontier lawman trope on its head as he stars as sharp-shooting sheriff Jason McCullough. Flanked by Western stars like Joan Hackett and Walter Brennan, the flick avoided major disaster after failing to do much business its first week in theaters, eventually finding enough word-of-mouth support to earn a sequel in 1971.

Support Your Local Sheriff! tasks Garner’s character with ridding a Western town of rampant crime while building upon the “stranger saves a Western town” trope so prevalent in the 1950s and 60s. While the film relies heavily on the Western plots of its time, Support Your Local Sheriff! finds new life by playing its heavy hand with a satisfying satirical swing.

Shanghai Noon (2000)

Photo credit: Buena Vista Pictures

Lassoing the oddball duo of Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson into a martial arts/Western crossover at the turn of the millennium, Shanghai Noon played off the tried-and-true buddy cop comedy while leaning heavily into Chan’s kung fu expertise and Wilson’s comedic timing.

Chan stars as a Chinese Imperial Guard tasked with tracking down the kidnapped Chinese princess in the Old West. A fish-out-of-water, Chan teams up with Wilson’s outlaw character to find the princess and deliver a myriad of kung fu and one-liners (all the while paying homage to other Westerns) along the way.

Maverick (1994)

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

A throwback to the Golden Age television series of the same name, 1994’s Maverick was Mel Gibson’s first foray into the Western genre. Gibson was in his comedic prime here, having honed his skills in buddy-cop comedy Lethal Weapon, while being supported by stars Jodie Foster and James Garner (who looks somewhat familiar under the Maverick title).

Pitting Gibson’s sly and savvy poker con man (the titular Maverick) in a race-against-time and adversaries to enter a high-stakes poker game while fighting off the wiles of fellow swindler Foster and Garner’s resolute lawman, the comedic trio embark on a zany yet grounded Western yarn that has enough laughs to see moviegoers to the satisfying end.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Photography: Warner Bros.

Undeniably the most iconic Western comedy ever filmed, Blazing Saddles remains the peak of Western comedy filmmaking and one of director Mel Brooks’ most enduring productions. Challenging the racial unrest of its time, the film shot down nearly every racial prejudice in the books with comedic gold delivered by the likes of Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.

As Rock Ridge’s first Black sheriff, Bart (played by Little) is subjected to a slew of racial prejudices by his new constituents. But when dangerous outlaws threaten the town, Bart becomes their only hope. So, with gunslinger Jim (played by Wilder) at his side, Bart sets out to clean up the towns’ outlaw problem, all the while proving its more the character of a man than the color of skin that matters.

FEATURED PHOTO CREDIT: Warner Bros.