Pardners

This is the second to last film starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis--and so the title does seem a bit ironic! The film begins with Dean and Jerry's fathers (played by them with powdered hair) dying in a shoot out with baddies. However, both men had sons. One was a capable and manly cowboy (Martin) and the other a pampered mama's boy (Lewis) and they grow up not knowing each other. However, when Martin meets with his old partner's widow (Agnes Moorehead) to try to get money for a prize bull, she refuses but her son (Lewis) decides to go west with Martin and learn to be a real he-man. Plus, his mother has plans for him that include marriage to an amazon--and he wants no part of it. The rest of the film consists of Jerry acting wimpy and very goofy (perhaps too much so at times) and Martin being exasperated but loyal to his new friend who makes everyone (including Jerry) think he's a lot more rugged and brave than he really is.

If you think about it, this plot is basically "That's My Boy" (an earlier and better Martin & Lewis film) all over again. The locale is different, but the rest is basically the same formula. It's a pleasant formula, but also shows lazy writing as well and the film could have benefited from more originality. Plus, in a few scenes Jerry really does ham it up too much (even more than normal) and there are just too many "ooooo, oooohs" and "whoo-oooaa" moments in the otherwise pleasant but unremarkable film. And, as a result of so much screen time for Jerry, Martin is mostly relegated to the background--and you can see how films like this ultimately pushed them to their dissolving their pardner-ship.

By the way, this film also bears a strong similarity to the Bob Hope films "The Paleface" and "Son of Paleface". See them all and you'll probably agree.

The plot is quite simple: Dean Martin is the rodeo riding, singing cowboy, and foreman of a ranch. Jerry Lewis is a rich kid who wants to become a real cowboy, and hence he becomes the clumsy (unwanted) sidekick of Dean Martin. Oh, and for good measure there's some bad guys trying to take over the ranch, as well...

If you expect "Cat Balou", don't watch this. This is no comedy for adults, as its slapstick humour is horrendously outdated, and the set-pieces are all too cliched. This movie is fun for kids, because it is so naive and harmless, and the violence is never serious. Also, the characters are just as simple as Stan and Ollie, just as loveable if you're a kid.

As adult, I'd recommend to grab a "Cat Balou" tape instead, for a good classic western comedy.

Martin and Lewis are seen as old men in the beginning of the film.They are these ranch partners who are brutally murdered.Their sons ought to revenge for their death.In 1910 their sons are fully grown men, at least Martin's character Slim Mosely Jr. is.Lewis' Wade Kingsley Jr. is a rich momma's boy.But together they head back for the old west where they meet a gang of outlaws called "masked raiders".Norman Taurog is the director and Sidney Sheldon is behind the screenplay of Pardners (1956).It's a western comedy that stars the comedy team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.Actually this was the second last picture they made together before their break-up.The collaboration between them still works even though this isn't the best picture they did together.But still pretty funny.Just watch Jerry Lewis learn how to be a real cowboy.And how he's in the saloon acting tougher than he actually is.The rest of the cast does good job, too.Lori Nelson plays Carol Kingsley.Agnes Moorehead is Mrs.Matilda Kingsley.Jeff Morrow plays Pete Rio and John Baragrey is Dan/Sam Hollis.Lon Chaney Jr. is Whitey.Lee Van Cleef plays Gus while Jack Elam is Pete.I became an admirer of Jerry Lewis movies, with and without Dean 10 years ago.They showed all these great and funny movies during the summer that made me laugh.Lewis and Martin worked great together.Just like Laurel and Hardy did, or Hope and Crosby and the Marx brothers.What ever happened to great comedy teams?

Pardners is the 15th of the 16 feature length pictures that Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis made together. It'a a reworking of the 1936 Bing Crosby film, Rhythm On The Range, which just like this remake was directed by Norman Taurog. Plot sees the comedy duo playing sons of one time wild west partners. Brought together by accident 25 years later, the boys head out west and get into all sorts of scrapes; with Jerry even becoming sheriff! It was inevitable that Martin & Lewis would end up out west playing cowboys since all the comedy duos do it. The timing here was perfect since the 50s was the most prolific decade for the genre. On the list of their collaborations Pardners probably sits some where in the middle, it's a safe mix of songs and buffoonery, with pretty girls represented by Jackie Loughery & Lori Nelson. It's a VistaVision/Technicolor production and songs featured are "Me 'n You 'n the Moon," "The Wind! The Wind!" "Buckskin Beauty" and "Pardners," (music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn).

Safe & colourful comedy fare for fans of the successful duo. 7/10

Here Martin and Lewis are descendants of previous ranch partners . Lewis raised by a wealthy mother : Agnes Morehead , who desires progressive wishes for her son, but the latter only wants to regain the familly , glory and and clean up the town from baddies . Lewis is especially a maladroit millionaire , who goes to the old West to learn to be a cowboy , there he meets the brave shooter Dean Martin - he produced uncredited the film as well - who wants to buy a prize cow. Meantime, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis shoot the works with laughter and ballets, ballads and beauties. Along the way, they confront a gang of bandits who currently take under siege the ranch and the town, and then , eventually , Lewis is appointed sheriff . The laughs are Louder! The songs are bigger ! They are at hands on the Trigger! .All hilarity breaks loose neath that old Western sky in the biggest fun round-up since Paleface ! . The biggest bestest funni3st most musical Western yet !

A nice spoof Western, it results to be a loose reboot of Norman Taurog's "Rhythm on the Range" made 20 years earlier with Bing Crosby. Stands out Jerry Lewis at his most worryingly infantile, giving overacting , mimic and lots of gesticulation , while Dean Martin singing catching songs in his usual style . However , the Martin and Lewis partnership was nearing breaking point on this ironical and fun Western . Here there is more singing than gunslinging but it turns out to be entertaining and amusing enough . Incredibly , this amiable enough romp was written by beststseller author Sidney Sheldon. Jerry Lewis at his best as a rich momma's boy , a millionaire son of a former rancher who's persuaded to go West once again by the saddle-happy of his father's old partner , Dean Martin, both of them giving very likable interpretations .There's also spectacular musical numbers with impressive choreography by prestigious chreographer Nick Castle , attractive musical score by Frank De Vol and colorful cinematography in Technicolor by Daniel L. Fapp

Great duo starring , Martin and Lewis , are well accompanied by a good cast , such as : two beautiful girls incarnated by Lori Nelson , Jackie Loughery , various familiar secondaries as Agnes Morehead, Jeff Morrow, Lon Chaney Jr , Lee Van Cleef , Bob Steele, Jack Elam, among others . The motion picture was decently directed by Norman Taurog . This craftsman was a fine Hollywood artisan with penchant for Musical and Comedy , though he also made other genres , such as : "Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Speedway , Toast of New Orleans, Presenting Lily Mars , Broadway Melody of 1940, Bundle of Joy, Girls Gils Girls , GI Blues , Blue Hawaii, Tickle me , Birds and the bees , Double Truble , Words and Music" , among others . Rating : 6.5/10 . The flick will appeal to spoof Western and Musical genre enthusiasts , as well as Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin fans .