The Sheepman
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| The Sheepman | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Marshall |
| Produced by | Edmund Grainger |
| Written by | William Bowers, James Edward Grant |
| Starring | Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Nielsen |
| Running time | 85 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Sheepman is a tongue-in-cheek 1958 Western film directed by George Marshall, starring Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine and Leslie Nielsen. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay for William Bowers and James Edward Grant.
[edit] Plot
Gambler Jason Sweet (Glenn Ford) wins a herd of sheep in a poker game and proceeds to take them by train into the middle of cattle country. It isn't long before the townsfolk take notice, but Sweet is more than up to the challenge.
The first thing he does is pick a fight with the roughest, toughest man around, 'Jumbo' McCall (Mickey Shaughnessy), and beat him up. He also reveals himself to be an expert with a gun. Dell Payton (Shirley MacLaine) doesn't know what to make of him, but is attracted to him, as is he to her. Her suitor, local cattle baron 'Colonel' Steven Bedford (Leslie Nielsen), is troubled by this and also because he and Sweet know each other. The newcomer recognizes Bedford as his old enemy Johnny Bledsoe, a card sharp and gunfighter gone respectable.
When Bedford finds himself losing their battle for domination, despite having the whole town behind him, he brings in a professional gunman, Chocktaw Neal (Pernell Roberts), but Sweet has little trouble dealing with him. The final showdown comes down to Bedford and Sweet. Sweet is faster and smarter and Bedford ends up dead. Sweet gets the girl; then, to her utter astonishment, he sells the sheep. He only kept them because he refused to be pushed around by anybody.
