The Sheepman (1958) offers Glenn Ford an unusual vehicle. George Marshall allows Ford a self-parodying turn in this seriocomic Western.Jason Sweet (Glenn Ford) arrives in a Western cattle town with a flock of sheep and a chip on his shoulder. The townspeople view him with suspicion, especially cattle baron Steven Bedford (Leslie Nielsen), a retired gunslinger who knows Jason. Jason romances Dell (Shirley Maclaine), Bedford's fiancée, while uncovering Bedford's corrupt dealings. With his power slipping away, Bedford hires outlaw Choctaw (Pernell Roberts) to eradicate his rival.
Marshall helmed Destry Rides Again (1939), one of the great Western comedies, and his light touch works wonders here. The Sheepman opens with Jason insulting bystanders, swindling shopkeepers and decking the town bully (Mickey Shaughnessy). Nonetheless, this "natural-born pessimist" seems fully justified. Bedford is a crook, the town Marshal (Slim Pickens) a coward and Dell violently hostile. Eventually they win each other over through plain talk and a town dance, that most Western of bonding measures.
Writers William Bowers and James Edward Grant provide a fine tonal balance. Sheepman's comedic but never becomes silly, with restrained jokes and romance balanced against bar brawls and shootouts. Bedford and his goons are a serious threat, murdering shepherds and slaughtering Jason's flock. Choctaw goads him into a rigged showdown, until he's rescued by quick thinking Dell. The last act feels somewhat rushed, hurrying into a duel with Bedford and a pinched happy ending.
Glenn Ford enjoys sending up his tough guy image, disarming his costars with punches and a smile. Shirley Maclaine hits Jason with barbs and a riding crop while falling for him. Leslie Nielsen and Mickey Shaughnessy aren't very menacing; Pernell Roberts' ruthless gun-for-hire is more memorable. Edgar Buchanan shines as Jason's grumpy sidekick, with Willis Bouchey and Slim Pickens in ancillary roles.
The Sheepman provides an engaging blend of action and humor. Audiences who prefer their Westerns lighthearted will enjoy it; Glenn Ford fans can see their hero in playful form.
