The Shakiest Gun in the West

"He's so bad he was scalped by a cigar store Indian!!"

1968 1h 41m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 51

ComedyFamilyWestern

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jesse W. Haywood (Don Knotts) graduates from dental school in Philadelphia in 1870 and goes west to become a frontier dentist. Penelope "Bad Penny" Cushing (Barbara Rhoades) is offered a pardon if she will track down a ring of gun smugglers. She tricks Haywood into a sham marriage as a disguise. Haywood inadvertently becomes the legendary "Doc the Haywood" after he guns down "Arnold the Kid".

“He's so bad he was scalped by a cigar store Indian!!”

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Cast

Don Knotts
Dr. Jesse W. Heywood
Barbara Rhoades
Penelope 'Bad Penny' Cushings
Jackie Coogan
Matthew Basch
Ruth McDevitt
Mrs. Olive Heywood
Frank McGrath
Mr. Remington
Terry Wilson
Welsh
Carl Ballantine
Abel Swanson
Pat Morita
Wong

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alan Rafkin
Writers: Everett Greenbaum, James Fritzell, Frank Tashlin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

58 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alan Rafkin, shot by Andrew Jackson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Vic Mizzy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tony Martinelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Don Knotts and Barbara Rhoades and Jackie Coogan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He's so bad he was scalped by a cigar store Indian!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0063591 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alan Rafkin directs. Andrew Jackson behind the camera. Vic Mizzy scores. Tony Martinelli cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

158 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Alan Rafkin, shot by Andrew Jackson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Vic Mizzy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Tony Martinelli shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Don Knotts and Barbara Rhoades and Jackie Coogan carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He's so bad he was scalped by a cigar store Indian!!".
7IMDB entry: tt0063591 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.