Stodge City is in the grip of the Rumpo Kid and his gang. Mistaken identity again takes a hand as a sanitary engineer named Marshal P. Knutt is mistaken for a law marshal. Being the conscientious sort, Marshal tries to help the town get rid of Rumpo, and a showdown is inevitable. Marshal has two aids—revenge-seeking Annie Oakley and his sanitary expertise.
The Rumpo Kid and the parody supreme. When Judge Burke sends for help to rid Stodge City of The Rumpo Kid and his gang of trouble makers, hes delighted to hear that he is being sent a trained Marshall. Trouble is is that its Marshall P. Knutt, a trained sanitary engineer. In 1964 the Carry On team has ventured into their first parody of the movies with Carry On Cleo. A huge success, and arguably the best film of the lot to many fans, it prompted the Thomas/Rogers/Rothwell team to believe that movie pastiches was the way forward for the franchise. Enter Carry On Cowboy a year later. With a knowing of the genre and all its conventions, screenwriter Talbot Rothwell produced one of the better parodies to have ever been made. The stock cartoon fervour and cheeky asides still exist, but Carry On Cowboy is a more leaner, even darker Carry On than any of the others films in the series. In its own right, with out the Carry On name attached, its a fine comedy, with dashes of violence and even a revenge thread running thru it (courtesy of the gorgeous Angela Douglas as Annie Oakley). Its also one of the few films in the series to demand a bit more from its actors outside of guffaw jinx and innuendos. Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims rise to the challenge, happy in the knowledge that Jim Dale and Charles Hawtrey were there to grab (and get) the laughs. 8/10
When the legendary Rumpo Kid (Sid James) rides into the peaceful, tee-total town of Stodge City (population 201-204, depending), he shatters that tranquility despite the protestations of the local judge Burke (Kenneth Williams). Pretty soon, whisky is flowing, he is running/milking the town and has also befriended the glamorous Bella (Joan Sims) who is the star turn at the hotel. Desperate, the judge asks the governor to send them a sheriff with backbone, and by return they mistakenly get the sanitary consultant Knutt (Jim Dale) who is to law and order what an one armed man might be to juggling! Luckily, he has the feisty Annie Oakley (Angela Douglas) to assist him and soon, well - think OK Corral - sort of! Its not much good this. Maybe because the American accents are all over the place, or because the story is really thin and Im afraid that I just found the antics-style comedy from Dale a bit repetitive and dull. Charles Hawtreys efforts as Big Chief Heap dont fare a great deal better, and this seemed like a far longer than ninety minute watch. Not sure itd be at the top of John Waynes list - it isnt at the top of mine, either.
