The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970)

The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County is a Western comedy film released in April 1970 for Universal Studios, by directed by Anton Leader and Ranald MacDougall, and starring Dan Blocker and Nanette Fabray, with a supporting cast featuring Jim Backus, Mickey Rooney, Jack Elam, Noah Beery, Jr. and Don "Red" Barry. MacDougal wrote the screenplay. This movie is in the public domain.

The film became Blocker's final role (besides his long-running role as "Hoss Cartwright" on Bonanza) before his premature death from complications arising from gall bladder surgery in May 1972. In late 2010 the Encore Westerns channel began showing this film intermittently on their schedule.

Synopsis

In the film, a simple-minded blacksmith named Charley, loved by the townsfolk, saves for a year to send off for a mail-order bride. However, when Charley, accompanied by many of the townsfolk, gather at the train station to greet the woman on her scheduled arrival date, Charley is publicly embarrassed when she fails to appear. Realizing that he has been suckered out of his savings and feeling like a fool, Charley plans to leave the town for good. This would not be an issue, except that Charley is the town’s only blacksmith and no one else is available to replace him.

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