Sorry I missed you last night. Grimsley came over with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", but you already know that one so I figured I didn't need to review it. Tonight however, we were back in the saddle with our old pals James Stewart and Henry Fonda, who played mortal enemies in "Firecreek", which we saw a few days ago. In this evening's picture, "The Cheyenne Social Club"(1970), they are the best of friends, and it's quite a treat to watch them banter and argue, because as good as these two old pros are in character, you know they're in on the joke that they're also, in part, playing themselves, as real life pals and Hollywood legends.
Stewart is "John O'Hanlon", an aging cowhand working a cattle drive somewhere in Texas. One day a postal employee rides up with a letter informing John that he's inherited a business in Wyoming, formerly owned by his late brother. Henry Fonda, another cowpoke, is by his side when the letter arrives. "What's the name of this establishment"?, he asks Jimmy Stewart. "It's called the Cheyenne Social Club, Harley". "Well, whataya suppose that is, John"? "I dunno, Harley. Maybe it's a saloon of some sort". It's not a saloon, but we'll find that out later. First, it's time for a long trip, on horseback, from Texas to Wyoming, with Henry Fonda jabbering all the way.
Fonda's character Harley isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's folksy and has a thousand stories to tell, all of which he relates to Stewart in a neverending motormouth marathon. Harley's tales are of the "did I ever tell you about my cousin Mabel, who had three toes"? variety. The movie opens with a long sequence of Harley's tales, as he and John ride to Wyoming. It's a hoot because Henry Fonda is so good at playing a hick. Finally, Jimmy Stewart can't take any more and politely asks him to stop talking. You know they had a blast doing this scene.
When they get to Cheyenne, Stewart looks up the lawyer who sent him the letter. "I always wanted to be a man of property", he says. The lawyer assures him that he's the new owner, and directs him to the Cheyenne Social Club, which turns out to be........a house of prostitution. Shirley Jones plays "Jenny", the madame. This was at the same time she would rocket to pop culture fame as "Mrs. Partridge" of "The Partridge Family" TV series. In the movie, her character Jenny and the whole "cathouse scenario" is played with a genial, PG flavor. Any sexual innuendoes are only broadly hinted at, and even then in the sunniest of ways. Each girl considered herself "D.J.'s favorite" (D.J. being Stewart's late brother), and because they revered D.J. they aim to treat Stewart the same way, with loving care.
But Stewart isn't so sure about his newly inherited enterprise. He was brought up in a Texas town where they didn't have such establishments, and while he isn't a moral crusader, he doesn't feel comfortable as the owner of a whorehouse. Henry Fonda is, at first, stupefied by the whole thing. He was expecting the property to be a bar where he could get some serious drinking done. As a hayseed, he's also taken aback by the ladies' forwardness. "Gee, John, I dunno if we should be entering in to this kind of partnership". It isn't Fonda's to "enter into", but he soon changes his mind about the place after meeting Opal Ann (Sue Ann Langdon), a cheery, buxom Lady of the Evening who takes him into her parlor that night.
Jimmy Stewart has made his decision, though. In the morning, he plans to tell Jenny and the ladies that he's gonna sell the place. He just isn't cut out to be the owner. When he informs Jenny, she is crushed and lashes out at him, telling him that he has no heart and that his brother D.J. would never have abandoned the ladies like this. Stewart feels bad, so he goes back to see the lawyer, telling the man that he now wants to sell, but with the stipulation that the business be kept in tact, so that the ladies won't be out on the street. But the lawyer advises him of a clause in his brother's will; that only Stewart is entitled to own the Social Club. He doesn't own the land in any case. If he sells the building, it will be torn down to make way for the railroad. So, he's stuck with the place unless he can discover another option.
One will come as the result of the film's only real conflict. There is a patron at the local bar who complains to Stewart that Jenny has insulted him, telling him he "smellled" and not to come back until he's had a bath. He's a surly, squinty-eyed man from a family of gunslingers. "No one tells a Bannister to take a bath", he says to Stewart. That's the end of their discussion for the time being, but Bannister isn't going to let the matter drop. A couple of days later, one of the girls will come running over to the hotel with alarming news, which I won't disclose. This takes place about an hour into the film, and afterwards we finally have some action on our hands. The movie turns into an old-fashioned Western at this point, with Stewart having to defend the girls and his property. Henry Fonda will arise from his langour to prove himself right handy with a gun. And of course, when you piss off Jimmy Stewart, you're making a big mistake, as the outlaws will soon learn.
"The Cheyenne Social Club" is mostly a lark. The story is rather insubstantial, but it's a lot of fun to watch the two leads in what essentially is a "buddy movie" set in a fish-out-of-water context. The ladies add sweetness, lust, and humor, and of course under the skin of their profession they've all got hearts of gold. The PG jokes sometimes fall short of the mark, however. I don't know if this is due to Gene Kelly's direction or a lack of wit by the writer, but only Fonda's reactions bring any belly laughs. He's the star of the show this time, even alongside Jimmy Stewart, because he's playing such a geek. "The Cheyenne Social Club" is enjoyable and worth a view, simply because it's fun and it's heart is in the right place. I give it Two Regular Thumbs Up, but with a strong recommendation for Stewart and Fonda fans. They even have a scene where they argue the merits of being a Democrat (Fonda) vs. a Republican (Stewart), as the two actors were in real life. If only we could have such congenial discussions now. ////
That's all for the time being. It's now Saturday afternoon. I am off work until the day after Christmas, so I may go for a hike in a few minutes, as long as Gale Force winds aren't blowing. Tomorrow morning we have "Christmas Lullaby" coming up in church. That's a tough one to sing, so I'll be drinking lemon water all day to prepare. See you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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