The Shakiest Gun in the West
The Shakiest Gun in the West
| 10 July 1968 (USA)
The Shakiest Gun in the West Trailers

Jesse W. Haywood (Don Knotts) graduates from dental school in Philadelphia in 1870 and goes west to become a frontier dentist. Penelope "Bad Penny" Cushing (Barbara Rhoades) is offered a pardon if she will track down a ring of gun smugglers. She tricks Haywood into a sham marriage as a disguise. Haywood inadvertently becomes the legendary "Doc the Haywood" after he guns down "Arnold the Kid".

Reviews
Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
AaronCapenBanner Don Knotts stars as recent dental school graduate Jesse W. Heywood, who goes west from Philadelphia to make his name and fortune, but instead gets mixed up with stagecoach robber Penelope 'Bad Penny' Cushings(played by Barbara Rhoades), who is captured by authorities but offered a pardon if she will help them stop gun smugglers, which requires her to assume a new identity and husband - enter Jessie, who is all-too thrilled by her "romantic" interest in him, and helps him build a reputation as a gunfighter by doing his shooting for him... another silly comedy with Don Knotts doing his best with inferior material. Some occasional funny bits, and Rhoades is appealing, but film goes nowhere and leads to unfunny ending.
ares1996 I know it's a remake of Paleface, which I also enjoyed, but I liked "Shakiest.." better. It was...dare I say it?...cute. Don Knotts' patented nervous Nelly riff was great. Nobody does it better than he did. Barbara Rhodes was beautiful, sexy, and fiery, much more so than Jane Russell. This is no slam against Ms. Russell. Ms. Russell had a smoldering sensuality few actresses even today could match. And I loved the subtle gender role reversal at the end. Few actors other than Don Knotts could have pulled it off without seeming weird or gay. Not that there is anything wrong with being gay, mind you! I am just saying is all.
Warren O'Leary (woleary717) Don Knotts was true to form as a meek and weak man with a little gumption; his historical stereotype. Yes, this movie is a weaker version of a combined " Paleface and Son of Paleface " from earlier times. Barbara Rhodes is a very attractive woman with average acting skills. She is the best looking "cowboy" in her western duds. Her jeans look fabulous on her very shapely figure; she was poured into these pants like liquid wax into a mold. Barbara wears tall , tan ,suede cowboy boots with her jeans tucked inside with matching tan leather gun belt,; very sensual in her disguise as a male outlaw. Barbara, like Jane Russell in both Palefaces , becomes a reformed outlaw and marries the male star.By contrast, I have given " Son of Paleface " a value of 10 out of 10 for its effort in previous reviews. Jane Russell as a " cowboy outlaw "doesn't wear jeans but fancy stretch ski pants as her riding attire, over all Jane Russell is more sensual than Barbara.
rev_ex I saw this movie,by accident.It reminded me a lot,of the book,The Puppy Who Lost his Way.It was filled with well written classic comedy,that I can only see Mr. Knotts performing. The boy,being society.I think it was followed in spirit by other films further down the line.Funny Farm,and it's own references to a miss-adventures in an element that is not ones own. I give it four and a half stars on a scale of five.Two thumbs up,fine holiday fun.....