Tall Tales & Legends

I came across this short movie in a curious way. I had just watched "Risky Business" one more time and impressed enough with Rebecca De Mornay that I wanted to see some other early work of hers. It turns out my public had the DVD of this tale of Pecos Bill.

The Pecos Bill story is short at just over 45 minutes, but most of it done in a stupid style. Think Roadrunner cartoon. It is shot in a studio with cheap props and painted backgrounds. Most of the characters are caricatures.

It starts and ends with an old Texan and his grandson stopping at an eatery during their road trip. The grandpa tells the kid the story of Pecos Bill. As I watched the movie I tried to imagine who the target audience might have been back in the 1980s when this was made, and I couldn't figure it out. However I must say De Mornay is excellent in this, even though her improvised southern accent is nothing like a real Texas accent.