Evil Roy Slade (1971)

"...[not just] a hilarious comedy, but a good family film - since it's a movie kids and adults will find funny.  The Unknown Movies Page

Editor's Note Evil Roy Slade (Astin) is the roughest, toughest, meanest train robber the West has ever known, but when he falls in love with a beautiful young woman, he's transformed from a villainous thug to a loving family-man. Meanwhile, archenemy Nelson Stool (Rooney) and Marshal Bing Bell (Shawn) are unconvinced the ex-villain has gone clean, and continue to pursuit Slade in the hopes that he'll "slip-up." Silly jokes, sight gags, and campy humor aplenty in this comedy for the whole family.

	Edie Adams
	Pamela Austin
	Henry Gibson
	John Astin
	Milton Berle
	Dick Shawn
	Mickey Rooney
	Jerry Belson - Writer
	Garry Marshall - Writer
	Jerry Paris - Director

The Unknown Movies Page 10 of 10
For the first two-thirds of its running time, Evil Roy Slade shapes itself to become possibly be the funniest comedy of all time. I'm serious. Previously, I had heard how it was much beloved by its small but loyal cult, but I had just thought it would be another of those typically very funny movies. Not long after I started to watch it, I knew this was not one of those other movies - this was instead one of those all too rare hysterical, hilarious, enthusiastic, pedal to the metal funny dumb movies. I was amazed that not only did the movie get me to laugh hard, but laugh hard again and again and again. The number of gags that work beautifully is astonishing. Oh, I admit at around the two-thirds mark it basically runs out of gas, but the good feelings it generates keeps it buoyant right to the end. So while I can't say it's the funniest comedy of all time, I can say it's one of the funniest comedies of all time...The humor in this movie isn't just consisted of one-liners - there are a number of outrageous sight gags (such as the sight of Evil Roy Slade riding a special kind of horse someone gave him in exchange for his life) that predate the kind that the Zucker/Abrahams team later popularized in Airplane! and their other movies...There is at least one good thing about this movie having an origin from 1971 television - you know it will be safe for the kids to watch. Kids will probably be a lot more forgiving of the movie's flaws, and they will be rolling on the floor. Best of all, even though grown-ups might shuffle a little in their seats during the last part of the movie, they too will find a lot to laugh about before then, much more than enough to make up for the dead patch. Evil Roy Slade can then not just be considered a hilarious comedy, but a good family film - since it's a movie kids and adults will find funny.