Burt Reynolds, Clint Walker, and Ossie Davis make up a threesome of thieves in "Rough Night in Jericho" director Arnold Laven's comic western "Sam Whiskey" about an elaborate "Mission: Impossible" heist at the Denver Mint in the 19th century. Actually, Laura Breckenridge (busty Angie Dickinson of "Rio Bravo") uses her natural endowments to seduce free booting adventurer Sam Whiskey (Burt Reynolds of "Mystery, Alaska") to pull the ultimate job.
Our hero faces several challenges that would daunt a lesser soul. First, Sam must raise a quarter of a million dollars in gold ingots from a sunken riverboat at the bottom of the Platte River. Second, he must then substitute it gold-painted lead bars in the Denver mint with nobody the wiser or Laura may wind up serving time in prison. Third, he must get away without getting caught so he can enjoy the $20-thousand that she is paying him to pull the job. Before Sam can pull the job, he has to convince his old inventor buddy O.W. Bandy (Clint Walker of "None But The Brave") and his new blacksmith pal Jed Hooker (Ossie Davis of "BubbaHo-Tep") to help him. Jed likes the five grand that Sam is going to pay him, but O.W. is reluctant to join them because he was to devote his time to his inventions. Sam lures O.W. into a liquor drinking contest and gets O.W. so drunk that he passes out and doesn't awaken until Sam and Jed are well on the way to the Platte River to fetch the gold. Initially, O.W. isn't pleased with Sam's conniving ways and he climbs out of the wagon and grasps the back wheel so it won't roll. Eventually, O.W. and Sam reach an agreement and they continue to the river. Little do our heroes know it but they are being trailed by a suspicious looking gent wearing thick lensed glasses who likes to surround himself with plug-ugly, hardcase types to do his dirty work. O.W. devises a breathing apparatus that involves a bellows to pump air through a lengthy hose that is attached to a bucket. The diver has to go fifteen feet to the riverboat and look down at his hands and feet to find his way around. Just as our heroes are getting a knack for diving, the villain, known only as 'the Fat Man' (Rick Davis of "What Waits Below") and his men overpower O.W. as well Jed who were out in the boat. Meanwhile, Sam--diving when the villains arrive--hides in the smokestack of the river boat. The villains end up doing the heavy lifting and pull the entire quarter of a million in gold off the ship. Sam swims back to shore as the villains are about to hang Jed and O.W. and rescues them, gets the gold, and leaves the villains the worse for their wear. Afterward, our heroes penetrate the Denver Mint after Laura kidnaps Treasury Inspector Thorston Bromley (Woodrow Parfrey of "Planet of the Apes") and holds him as a hostage while Sam impersonates him so he can get into the mint.
Director Arnold Laven relies on comedy to lessen the far-fetched nature of this western outing and Reynolds delivers a crisp comic performance. Burt Reynolds fans who haven't seen "Sam Whiskey" are missing a real treat.
Our hero faces several challenges that would daunt a lesser soul. First, Sam must raise a quarter of a million dollars in gold ingots from a sunken riverboat at the bottom of the Platte River. Second, he must then substitute it gold-painted lead bars in the Denver mint with nobody the wiser or Laura may wind up serving time in prison. Third, he must get away without getting caught so he can enjoy the $20-thousand that she is paying him to pull the job. Before Sam can pull the job, he has to convince his old inventor buddy O.W. Bandy (Clint Walker of "None But The Brave") and his new blacksmith pal Jed Hooker (Ossie Davis of "BubbaHo-Tep") to help him. Jed likes the five grand that Sam is going to pay him, but O.W. is reluctant to join them because he was to devote his time to his inventions. Sam lures O.W. into a liquor drinking contest and gets O.W. so drunk that he passes out and doesn't awaken until Sam and Jed are well on the way to the Platte River to fetch the gold. Initially, O.W. isn't pleased with Sam's conniving ways and he climbs out of the wagon and grasps the back wheel so it won't roll. Eventually, O.W. and Sam reach an agreement and they continue to the river. Little do our heroes know it but they are being trailed by a suspicious looking gent wearing thick lensed glasses who likes to surround himself with plug-ugly, hardcase types to do his dirty work. O.W. devises a breathing apparatus that involves a bellows to pump air through a lengthy hose that is attached to a bucket. The diver has to go fifteen feet to the riverboat and look down at his hands and feet to find his way around. Just as our heroes are getting a knack for diving, the villain, known only as 'the Fat Man' (Rick Davis of "What Waits Below") and his men overpower O.W. as well Jed who were out in the boat. Meanwhile, Sam--diving when the villains arrive--hides in the smokestack of the river boat. The villains end up doing the heavy lifting and pull the entire quarter of a million in gold off the ship. Sam swims back to shore as the villains are about to hang Jed and O.W. and rescues them, gets the gold, and leaves the villains the worse for their wear. Afterward, our heroes penetrate the Denver Mint after Laura kidnaps Treasury Inspector Thorston Bromley (Woodrow Parfrey of "Planet of the Apes") and holds him as a hostage while Sam impersonates him so he can get into the mint.
Director Arnold Laven relies on comedy to lessen the far-fetched nature of this western outing and Reynolds delivers a crisp comic performance. Burt Reynolds fans who haven't seen "Sam Whiskey" are missing a real treat.