The Frisco Kid was another movie in which Gene Wilder spoke in an accent, more than one, throughout the entire film. The 1979 film directed by Robert Aldrich saw Gene Wilder as a Polish Rabbi and Harrison Ford as a gun slinging bank robber. Wilder's Rabbi was traveling to San Francisco from Poland to become the town's Rabbi. Ford's bank robber was traveling aimlessly from one heist to the next. An unlikely friendship began to form and the two made the trek west in the middle of the 1850 Gold Rush.Avram (Gene Wilder) is a Rabbi who has just completed the schooling necessary to be ordained. Finishing at the bottom of his class, he is condemned to making the trek to America and leave Poland behind. Given little direction and supplies, Avram is beaten and stolen from, but he recovered the Torah he is taking to San Francisco and continues his journey. While trying to catch some fish, an uncouth bank robber Tommy happens upon him and helps him catch some dinner. The two discuss their plans and Tommy, seeing how helpless and naive Avram is, decides to accompany him to California. Of course, Avram has no idea that Tommy breaks the law for a living and is taken aback when he realizes he is now an accessory to a bank heist after "holding the horses" when Tommy runs into the bank. Moving forward Avram rubs off on Tommy, and Tommy cusses less and laughs more. An unlikely friendship forms between the two men as they encounter killers, Native Americans and cocky lawmen in the old west. Getting to Frisco was certainly an adventure in this '79 comedy!Like Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx, Gene Wilder uses an accent through the whole picture, and again, does so very well. Playing a native of Poland, and at times impersonating a western accent while maintaining the Polish accent, Wilder does a great job with his voice in the film. I wanted to love the adventure comedy matching Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder, I just couldn't. The overt Jewish stereotypes were distracting, to say the least. It was fun to see the two play opposite each other, and such opposite characters, but the story was definitely lacking something. Although there were some funny scenes, like the one in which the Torah was delivered to the family Avram was traveling to meet, overall it wasn't a very good comedy and not much of it stays with the viewer upon its completion. I call 75-80 the lost years of Gene Wilder, and this film does little to change my mind about those years. Luckily for fans of Gene WIlder's, 1980 eventually came.

Whether or not this is supposed to be a comedy or a traditional western is difficult to decipher. Perhaps in somebody's mind the idea of a Western "Road" movie with a Polish Rabbi (Gene Wilder) and a bandit (Harrison Ford) seemed like a winner, but it unfortunately ends up being a western "Ishtar".With the intention of getting to a synagogue in San Francisco with his promised bride to be waiting (he thinks), Rabbi Wilder (87th in the class of 88) heads across the Atlantic and is hoodwinked out of his cash and prized Torah on his way out of Pennsylvania. The thought of confusing Jewish culture with the Amish had crossed my mind as being somewhat humorous, but here, it is stupid and even rather offensive.Then, Wilder combines traditional Jewish dances with those of Indians, and the result is tackier than a cauldron of beans being eaten around a camp fire. With only Wilder and Ford having any name recognition (only Ian Wolfe in a cameo as a monk is anybody familiar to veteran film goers), this is a lonely film for familiar faces. Wilder's bushy hair and wild eyed features seem like he still had make-up on from the black-face sequence in "Silver Streak". At least he is innocent here of any creative input in the film, which was directed by Robert Aldrich, who may be a master of the macabre and melodrama, but someone who knew absolutely nothing about comedy.

This movie is one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. A lot of this, however, is unintentional. At the same time, it also really rather sweet.The plot is a variation on a theme and the greenhorn Rabbi rescued by the tough old hand offers few surprises. The adventures they encounter, however, are truly fantastic. The railroad scene shamelessly exploits every cultural cliché available in a fine example of political incorrectness. Then of course, there's the Amish - plenty of opportunities for laughs there, except it turns out to be a rather sweet, touching scene. The Italian-American-Indians are hysterical but at the same time there is a very human portrayal quite unusual for the 1970s.The humour is very Jewish and has a delightful lack of malice. The characters are genuinely likable. Of course it's always funny to see Harrison Ford in his younger days (not to mention the wonderful scene where he does a very girly run in his long johns). Gene Wilder gives a fantastic performance that makes this movie truly worth watching.So while this movie may have dated more than a little and there are some strange quirks and mistakes that have to be ignored, this is a film that remains enjoyable.

When "The Frisco Kid" first came out, people were expecting a Mel Brooks type of comedy, because Gene Wilder had been in Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein (and The Producers). And because of this the film wasn't appreciated as it should have been. Comedies don't have to be vulgar, they don't have to resort to toilet humor, unless that is the type of comedy that a film maker does best. Here is an example of a sweet story, which probably can tell you so much about being Jewish in a non-Jewish world than any other movie. Gene Wilder jumping off the cliff, yelling Sheeeee-it, and Harrison Ford following, yelling Oy Kavol! is one of moviedom's funniest moments.Gene Wilder telling Harrison Ford, "You are my best friend. You're my only friend!" one of the most honestly emotional moments. The chemistry between the two is magical. They should have done more. The DVD release has been long awaited.