With that old familiar call to arms code word 'Brazos!', the Over the Hill Gang rides again in this late Eighties made for TV flick that fans of classic Westerns will be glad to catch for one last roundup. The story itself is probably secondary to seeing familiar favorites like Jack Elam, Royal Dano, Gene Evans and Dub Taylor all in one place. Maybe the biggest shocker for me was seeing how much the old Rifleman himself, Chuck Connors, had aged in appearance from his TV star days, but after all, he was sixty seven or so at the time of the picture. It got me to thinking how any of these guys might still be able to stay on a horse. All of the principals except Willie Nelson were in their sixties or seventies, with Dub Taylor around eighty one. Hard to imagine him riding the range as Cannonball Taylor as far back as the 1940's with the likes of Wild Bill Elliott, Jimmy Wakely and the Durango Kid.
The picture is built around crusty villain John Henry Lee, portrayed by Willie Nelson, who's first thought after getting out of prison after twenty years is to go and rob a bank with his old pardners. Hot on his trail is Richard Widmark's Captain Owen Hayes, harboring a personal grudge against his foe. That's where Angie Dickinson comes in as Mrs. Hayes, who in earlier times might have gone the other way with the red headed stranger.
The idea of Shaun Cassidy heading up a young passel of outlaws to go up against the old timers seemed a bit awkward. Even when they had the upper hand, you always had the idea that these guys were in way over their heads. Wouldn't it have been something if in the final showdown, the old geezers simply put the upstarts over their knees for a good old spanking?
Like I said earlier, catch this one for a bit of TV Western nostalgia. It's got generous amounts of humor mixed in with the shoot 'em up action, and fans of the players will appreciate that last ride into the sunset.
The picture is built around crusty villain John Henry Lee, portrayed by Willie Nelson, who's first thought after getting out of prison after twenty years is to go and rob a bank with his old pardners. Hot on his trail is Richard Widmark's Captain Owen Hayes, harboring a personal grudge against his foe. That's where Angie Dickinson comes in as Mrs. Hayes, who in earlier times might have gone the other way with the red headed stranger.
The idea of Shaun Cassidy heading up a young passel of outlaws to go up against the old timers seemed a bit awkward. Even when they had the upper hand, you always had the idea that these guys were in way over their heads. Wouldn't it have been something if in the final showdown, the old geezers simply put the upstarts over their knees for a good old spanking?
Like I said earlier, catch this one for a bit of TV Western nostalgia. It's got generous amounts of humor mixed in with the shoot 'em up action, and fans of the players will appreciate that last ride into the sunset.