eileen-osullivan1 I just loved this film. Kenneth Moore was inspired as the English gentleman buffoon. When you get that 'innocent abroad' persona - for example with Ali G in America; with 'The Idiot Abroad' etc, it's a brilliant tool for cutting through prevailing cultural norms, even if they are for example, whether it's etiquette to shoot first and speak later, or better to proffer a nice cup of tea. When he 'disarms' the injuns at the start of the film it's beautifully done and dead funny.Jayne Mansfield is like a cartoon character, full blown - in a not quite 'Marilyn' way - and a reasonable foil for our Ken. Even her '50s starlet soon to be housewife' style of singing, (check out 'The Valley Of Love'), seemingly so inappropriate in a rough, tough saloon owner/ music hall glamour girl, fits in so neatly. The whole thing is a pastiche of the age - the 'civilized' 50s making sense of a wild, wild world, with a boy meets girl bottom line.Like I said - brilliant! Oh and English classic comedian Syd James has a cameo role, so even better.

Spikeopath A British comedy Western filmed in Spain, starring a bastion of English acting (Kenneth Moore), an American sex-bomb (Jayne Mansfield) and directed by the man who brought us High Sierra & White Heat (Raoul Walsh}. Yes that's quite a hodge-podge of elements and it's no surprise to find that that's exactly what the film is; a mixture of fun froth and cringe inducing oddities.The film is adapted by Howard Dimsdale from a short story written by Jacob Hay. The plot centres around Jonathon Tibbs (Moore), the young son of a family of English gunsmiths. He travels to the American West in the 1880s to sell firearms to the locals. While on stagecoach route he survives an Indian attack purely by stiff upper lip British luck, and then he inadvertently acquires a reputation of quickness on the draw due to his wrist mounted Derringer style weapon. Sensing an opportunity to finally clean up Fractured Jaw, which is in the middle of a war between The Lazy S & Box T factions, the mayor bluffs Tibbs into becoming the sheriff. Cue hilarity as the hopelessly ill equipped Englishman starts to clean up the town with the help of buxom saloon owner Kate (Mansfield) and his new family; the Indians.The problems with the film are many, the over used fish out of water formula, the budget restrictions being over obvious and the glaringly blatant lack of chemistry between the two oddly casted leads-are just the ones that first spring to mind. Then you can add the bad idea to include the likes of Robert Morley and Sid James in your film, and give them next to no time on screen. So yes it's not too harsh to say that The Sheriff Of Fractured Jaw is a weak film in many ways. Yet it is funny, something that comes quite often with the fish out of water formula if the writing is clever enough. Mercifully Dimsdale's screenplay sets up a number of humorous set pieces and Walsh, tho long past his best, professionally puts them together.Moore gives the whole British tenderfoot act his complete gusto, and Mansfield looks terrific; every inch the sex-bomb befitting her legacy. Some fine support comes from Henry Hull & Bruce Cabot, while the tunes (Mansfield dubbed by the brilliant Connie Francis), notably the gorgeous theme song "In The Valley Of Love," keep the film brisk and firmly footed in the light entertainment department. It's a film that if you dwell on it too much could drive you to distraction, but as time fillers go in the comedy Western sub-genre, it just about finishes above average and is recommended for like minded adults on a very rainy day. 6/10

csrothwec Kenneth Moore usually had a very acute sense of his acting limitations and the type of appearance which would use the talents he undoubtedly had to the full. He was thus usually very enjoyable to watch, ('Genevieve', 'The Thirty Nine Steps'. 'A Night to Remember'), and, in one case, (in terms of films - his later TV appearances, such as in the first BBC 'Forsythe Saga' is something different), his talents coincided exactly with the demands of the film to produce a really good, memorable film, ('Reach for the Sky'). Unfortunately, his usual caution failed him entirely in this sad excuse of an 'entertainment' movie. It is lavishly produced on an epic, Cinemascopic scale, (and one presumes his fee for appearing was commensurate). It has one of the best directors in the field, (Roaul Walsh), and a stock of standard 1950s British support characters, (inevitably including Sidney James), in attendance as well. Beyond this, however, it has nothing at all going for it. The essential humorous 'core' of the film, (the incongruity of Moore's upper class Englishman amongst the crudities, (and what, even by the 1950s, were becoming stereotypical film clichés), of the 'Wild West'), wears off after about the first fifteen minutes and becomes increasingly tiresome as the film progresses. The 'plot' is wafer-thin and recourse has to be made to inserting songs, (which have not worn at all well over the decades and are all instantly forgettable), in order to 'entertain' the audience. To make matters worse, the background scenery does not even LOOK like 'the Wild West', (but, rather, a cross between the Yorkshire Dales and North Wales). Finally, (oh dear, oh dear), there is Miss Mansfield's 'performance'. Full marks for effort and determination, but whether it is through trying to comprehend what she is saying in her 'southern drawl', (which seems to change almost from scene to scene, but still remains largely impenetrable for long stretches of the film), or from listening to her warbling attempts to get through the aforementioned songs, one unfortunately just has to draw the conclusion that she simply 'did not have it' in terms of being a star to carry a film in a lead role. Her physical resemblance to Munroe is obviously a strong one, but, as this film shows all too clearly, was just not enough in itself to build a career on in films. Overall, then, a sad affair and waste of talents and resources through inappropriate usage. One for passing a couple of hours if one is really ill/down in the dumps on a wet afternoon and just wants something to 'pass the time' before tea, but is unlikely ever to want to see again.

ianlouisiana A film with an extraordinary pedigree,a cast of fine actors,directed by one of the true mavericks of the studio system who worked with D.W.Griffith,"The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw"is a gem of a movie.So artless that is of course extremely artful,what appears as serendipity is in fact the result of good pros getting together and having a lot of fun whilst never taking their eye off the ball. Mr Kenneth More is immaculate as the Englishman Abroad,so well - mannered,well - dressed and well - spoken that in a lesser actor those characteristics might have seemed a parody,but Mr More,all breeze and confidence carries it off perfectly.America may no longer be a British colony but he doesn't have to believe it if he doesn't want to. He takes up with Miss Jayne Mansfield,the owner of the saloon and very innocent and appealing she is too.In 1958 her career was reaching its peak - if I may use such an expression - ,a young,winsome and tragically ill - fated actress who very few took seriously but who is - in my opinion - due for a reassessment in an era when women's achievements are considered in contexts other than those of their physical attributes. Mr Bruce Cabot and Mr Henry Hull are on hand to add authenticity to what is a fish - out - of - water comedy.Unlike other Western Brits (English Bob,say,or John Cleese in "Silverado")Mr More does not have a nasty streak.He is simply the old - fashioned decent English chap finding himself in a tricky situation a long way from home and muddling his way through. I have no idea why "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" was made,whether Mr Walsh owed the studio a picture of whether Rank thought Mr More's career might benefit from more U.S. exposure or whether somebody just thought it seemed like a good idea at the time,but after fifty years I'm happy to report that to me it still seems like a good idea,and with the passing of time it has become a funny rather touching movie that will please lovers of the Western because it is respectful of the genre and lovers of innocent beautifully played comedy because it is respectful of that genre too.