The Frisco Kid

One of my favorites, glad it's finally out on DVD.

Not for everyone, but I think Gene Wilder's performance is great and Harrison Ford also does a fantastic job.

One of Gene Wilder's best roles and a fabulous perfomance by Harrison Ford before all the serious stuff. One of my all-time favorite films, not on DVD until recently.

Great Comedy at a great price!

This is one of those movies that is a wonderful story and presents some great insight into jewish history and customs. I have waited years for this to come out on DVD.

The Frisco Kid, directed by Robert Aldrich, is the quirky inventive saga of a young Polish rabbi who is sent to America in 1850 to take over a congregation in San Francisco. Getting there proves to be quite a test of his stamina, his adaptability, and his religious faith. Gene Wilder's performance as Avram is a jaunty, sweet, and convincing triumph of comic bravado.

After docking in Philadelphia, the rabbi plays Good Samaritan to three nare-do-wells who later rob him and strand him in a strange land. Fortunately he comes upon some Amish farmers who give him shelter and money to resume his trek. After a brief stint working on the railroad, Avram meets Tommy Lillard (Harrison Ford), a bank robber with a heart of gold and a quick temper. The two team up and go ricocheting from one adventure to another -- an escape from a posse, a trial by fire at the hands of some Native American Indians, a visit to the brotherhood of silent monks, and two violent encounters with the bad boys who robbed Avram in Philadelphia.

Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford are one feisty team as rabbi and rescuer in this rough-'n'-ready romp that rivals Wilder's earlier Blazing Saddles in Wild West hilarity. Director Robert Aldrich is a seasoned hand at blending roughhouse and laughter, as fans of his earlier The Dirty Dozen and The Longest Yard will attest. With a full posse of screen talents, The Frisco Kid rides tall in the comedy saddle.

Movie critics of the era panned the movie saying: "The pairing of Gene Wilder and a young Harrison Ford may sound intriguing, but this film is not. It's a startlingly unfunny comedy in which most of the jokes misfire and the evolution of the characters is forced and unbelievable. Wilder is a great comedic talent, but salvaging this material is beyond him."

Evidently they weren't looking for a good time. Talk of plot character 'evolution' should be worried about in film making classrooms. I think they should have actaully sat back and just enjoyed the romp.

The Frisco Kid is an offbeat comedy that manages to convey the sturdy faith of a believer. Avram will not travel on the Sabbath for any reason; he returns his share of the money from Lillard's bank robbery; he transmits the joy of Judaism to the Indians; and he agonizes over murdering a man in self-defense. Whereas this movie will probably not become a smash with the public, it is highly regarded for the religiously sensitive.

Jewish boy rabbi (Gene Wilder) who can't make it in Poland (home) gets sent to San Francisco where the new Jewish congregation needs a rabbi. Of course he has to get from the East Coast to California - not an easy task in those days.

Enter Harrison Ford - bank robber and fast gunslinger. An unlikely duo make it across the continent to see Wilder married to his bethrothed and Ford as his best man.

A winner if you don't mind some schmaltz here and there. Quite entertaining especially (and probably mostly) if you are also Jewish.