''Sidekicks'' is a 1974 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Burt Kennedy Burton Raphael Kennedy (September 3, 1922 – February 15, 2001) was an American screenwriter and director known mainly for directing Westerns. Budd Boetticher called him "the best Western writer ever." Biography Kennedy was born in 1922 i ...

and starring

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

and

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...

The film was a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for a proposed television show as a continuation of the 1971 theatrical release ''

Skin Game ''Skin Game'' is a 1971 American independent comedy western directed by Paul Bogart and Gordon Douglas, and starring James Garner and Lou Gossett. The supporting cast features Susan Clark, Edward Asner, Andrew Duggan, Parley Baer and Royal Dan ...

'', with

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

and Gossett.Ryan, Stephen H. and Paul J. Ryan, ''The Essential James Garner.'' Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. p. 80.
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Plot

Quince and Jason (played by Larry Hagman and Louis Gossett Jr.), two grifters traveling the Old West, are arrested by Prudy Jenkins (Blythe Danner), the zealous, rifle-wielding daughter of a small-town sheriff (Harry Morgan). The charge: They look like typical criminals. She delivers her quarry to the sheriff, but he orders her to release them. Later, though, the sheriff witnesses the two in a gunfight outside a saloon. This time, he locks them up. Then he makes his first blunder. He leaves Prudy in charge of the prisoners while he goes on an errand. Sure enough, two outlaws, Sam and Ed (Gene Evans and Dick Peabody), break into the jail, tie up Prudy, and abscond with Quince and Jason, mistaking them for two suspected bank robbers. The quartet ride out of town where they meet Sam and Ed's boss (Jack Elam). As one would never suspect, his name is Boss, and he does what most bosses do. He has a temper tantrum. He then lays into Sam and Ed for breaking the wrong criminals out of jail. Later, Prudy stumbles upon the gang's encampment. Boss has another tantrum. This time, he's so mad he decides to rob the town's bank. But the gang arrives too late as they witness the "right" criminals pulling off the job. Boss has another tantrum. He then orders his gang to overtake the bandits and their loot—which they do. Then the sheriff and his posse wander onto the scene. In the resulting confusion, all criminals are arrested, Quince and Jason are kicked out of the county, and Prudy is saved from a fate worse than sanity.

Cast

as Quince Drew *

as Jason O'Rourke *

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Izzy Huffstodt on '' Huff'' (2004–2006), and a ...

as Prudy Jenkins *

Jack Elam William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainou ...

as Boss *

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

as Sheriff Jenkins *

Hal Williams Halroy Candis Williams (born December 14, 1938) is an American actor, best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on '' Sanford and Son'' (1972–1976), Harley Foster on ''The Waltons'' (1973-1980), and as the patriarch L ...

as Max *

Gene Evans Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Background Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona and raised i ...

as Sam * Noah Beery Jr. as Tom *

Dick Peabody Richard Peabody (April 6, 1925 – December 27, 1999) was an American actor best known for his role as six-foot-six Pfc. Littlejohn on the 1960s series ''Combat!''. Peabody worked in television, movies, radio, and print. He was tall and typecast ...

as Ed *

Denver Pyle Denver Dell Pyle (May 11, 1920 – December 25, 1997) was an American film and television actor and director. He was well known for a number of TV roles from the 1960s through the 1980s, including his portrayal of Briscoe Darling Jr. in se ...

as Drunk * John Beck as Luke *

Dick Haynes Dick Haynes (January 9, 1911 – November 24, 1980) was an American actor and radio personality. He had minor roles in films and television that began with an uncredited appearance as a reporter in the 1954 MGM film, '' Tennessee Champ''. His ...

as Man * Bill Shannon as Carl (as Billy Shannon) *

Tyler McVey William Tyler McVey (February 14, 1912 – July 4, 2003) was an American character actor of film and television. Early years McVey was born Bay City, Michigan, to William David McVey and his wife, the former Jessie Arvilla Tyler. His moth ...

as Jones

References

External links

* 1974 television films 1974 films 1970s Western (genre) comedy films American Western (genre) comedy films Films directed by Burt Kennedy Films scored by David Shire CBS network films Television films as pilots Television pilots not picked up as a series 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{US-tv-film-stub