The Castaway Cowboy (1974) Rating: 3.0 stars out of 5.0 stars
Cast: James Garner, Vera Miles, Robert Culp, Eric Shea Written by: Don Tait, Richard Bluel and Hugh Benson Directed by: Vincent McEveety Running Time: 91 minutes
James Garner's charm goes a long way in this Walt Disney western about Lincoln Costain (Garner), a Texas cowboy who mysteriously washes up on the shore of a small Hawaiian island (it's unclear as to how he actually got there... something nefarious no doubt). He is rescued and taken in by widowed potato farmer Henrieatta MacAvoy (Vera Miles) and her son Booton (Eric Shea). We soon learn that their potato farm is going under.
The crops are being trampled and destroyed by wild cattle you see, and after Henrieatta sees Garner rescue her son from a charging bull, she convinces him to stay on the island and help her raise cattle. Two problems: the hired hands on the farm are a bunch of silly Hawaiian natives who would rather goof off than work, and the note to the land is in the hands of a shady businessman (Robert Culp) who wants to ensure that the farm never becomes profitable. So, you think there might be some silly hijinx with the Hawaiians trying to learn how to become cowboys? Any guess as to who ends up with the land by film's end? Sure you'll know the answers to these questions before you start the film, but it's still mildly entertaining nonetheless.
It is nice to go back and watch some of the old Disney live action films again... reminding me of a time when Disney films focused on simple fun and good natured values. Garner is great as the "cowboy out of water" (he even breaks into song at one point, with full orchestration!), but Culp is wasted as one of the nicest, most restrained villains in movie history. I wouldn't have even know he was the bad guy had I not read the back of the case. Culp never really gets to have fun with his role, which is a shame because given the chance he could have been particularly slimy and fun (he does get to wear a cool suit though). The Castaway Cowboy also boasts a good score and some nice location shooting. The fun, campy moment of the film comes when Costain tracks down a witch doctor in some caves and the two battle it out.
Two off-putting things though: nearly every scene is dubbed, and every once in a while a shot will be edited in using the characters in front of a blue screen (or rear projection or whatever it was back then), when there seems to be no reason for it. For example, two characters will be talking to a third at a beachside resturaunt... two of them are actually there, but the third is on a soundstage with footage of the beach running behind them. Weird.
The Castaway Cowboy is available on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment. The disc contains the film in full-frame only and features no extras whatsoever. The print isn't exactly what I would call pristine either (the phrase "fair at best" comes to mind), as the image is plenty grainy and filled with artifacts. It's a shame this film wasn't given better treatment... it's a fun little western that's good for young and old alike.
The Castaway Cowboy is rated G.
Reviewed by Chuck Dowling - chuckd21@fdn.com AOL Instant Messenger: FilmJax The Jacksonville Film Journal - http://www.jaxfilmjournal.com/
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