Plot: What’s it about?
Woody Weatherby (Ferlin Husky) is a simple, down-home guy who ends up in the fast paced world of Las Vegas casinos. As if the moonshine still exploding wasn’t enough, Woody and his clan receive word that a loved one has died and left behind some materials for Woody to take care of. Expecting to find riches galore Woody and his ambitious pal Jeepers (Don Bowman) saddle up in their old broken down jalopy and head off for the bright lights of Las Vegas. Once they arrive they learn Woody has not only inherited a casino, but also a wonderful convertible automobile. The trouble is the former owner owes over seven thousand dollars on the car as well as forty-thousand dollars in other debts, which Woody has to take care of. Woody decides to keep the casino open and operate it as a musical place as well. It won’t be easy to be sure, but many people have started with less than the sixty dollars Woody has to his name. With a shrewd car dealer and his massive thug (Richard Kiel) on his back, Woody needs to turn his casino into a money maker before it costs him an arm and a leg…literally!
I’ve never met another living person who has seen this movie before, but what few reviews I’ve seen seem to pan it as a terrible picture. While I can see this movie doesn’t have mass appeal, I think those who like the old fashioned comedy/musicals will find a lot to like with this one. I’m not a big fan of country western by any means, but the performances work well inside the movie and are enjoyable. This is corny to be sure and won’t be a hit among the film snobs out there, but I like this movie and it never fails to make me laugh whenever I watch it. The jokes are very dated and contain no risque type humor, but I can’t help but find them highly entertaining. I can’t think of a better way to describe this movie than to simply say it is good clean fun. You won’t find sexual overtones, graphic violence, or even curse words in this movie, just a good time and some nice musical performances. I recommend this release as a rental to those interested, but if you’re a fan like me you’ll want to own this one to watch over and again.
This rollickin’ musical comedy was directed by Arthur C. Pierce, who also directed several other movies that have amassed a cult following over the years. With a film like this there isn’t much call for dazzling techniques, but Pierce makes sure it all comes across in a concise fashion. Pierce uses static shots for the most part, but some nice pans and sweeps appear also. The high frequency of static shots doesn’t always work well, but in this case it captures the events well enough. The composition seem simple, but again this seems to serve the film well so I won’t criticize the choice too much. If you want to see more of Pierce’s films I recommend Mutiny In Outer Space, The Navy Vs. The Night Monsters, and Women Of The Prehistoric Planet. The acting is this movie is basic in every respect and serves the film very well. The cast includes Ferlin Husky (Hillbillys In A Haunted House, Swamp Girl), Don Bowman (Hillbillys In A Haunted House), Mamie Van Doren (Sex Kittens Go To College, Untamed Youth), Jayne Mansfield (Mondo Hollywood, Female Jungle), and Richard Kiel (Moonraker, Happy Gilmore). The musical performers involved include Bill Anderson, Wilma Burgess, The Duke Of Paducah, Sonny James, Del Reeves, and Connie Smith.
Video: How does it look?
Las Vegas Hillbillys is presented in a full frame transfer, which seems to be an acceptable aspect ratio. I am unsure of the original aspect ratio, but the compositions and framing seem to be in order with this transfer. The image looks better than I expected, but stills has some problems and most of them center on the source print. I’m sure the best elements were used, but the print still shows some grain at times and has many nicks and flecks to be seen. But this is to be expected to a certain degree, so I won’t complain too much. The colors are juiced and vibrant and though I noticed some bleeds, they were minor and not distracting in the least. The flesh tones seem natural and I found no troubles with the contrast either.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a stereo track which provides an adequate experience, but some of the musical scenes would sound fantastic in surround sound. As it stands this track sounds good and I never noticed any serious problems with the audio. The music scenes sound very good and no show no signs of distortion, which is good because what good is a musical comedy without the music? The sound effects are comical and come through well in this mix, but the real focus is on dialogue whenever the tunes aren’t playing. The dialogue sounds terrific and I found no volume or separation errors at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains a montage of previews for coming attractions, but no supplements specific to this movie.
