Film Snail

Sunset
Sunset

5.6

Sunset

R·1988·107m

Summary

Tom Mix and Wyatt Earp team up to solve a murder at the Academy Awards in 1929 Hollywood.

Cast

James Garner

James Garner

Wyatt Earp

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

Tom Mix

Malcolm McDowell

Malcolm McDowell

Alfie Alperin

Mariel Hemingway

Mariel Hemingway

Cheryl King

Kathleen Quinlan

Kathleen Quinlan

Nancy Shoemaker

Jennifer Edwards

Jennifer Edwards

Victoria Alperin

Patricia Hodge

Patricia Hodge

Christina Alperin

Richard Bradford

Richard Bradford

Captain Blackworth

M. Emmet Walsh

M. Emmet Walsh

Chief Marvin Dibner

Joe Dallesandro

Joe Dallesandro

Dutch Kieffer

Andreas Katsulas

Andreas Katsulas

Arthur

Dann Florek

Dann Florek

Marty Goldberg

Bill Marcus

Hal Flynn

Michael C. Gwynne

Michael C. Gwynne

Mooch

Dermot Mulroney

Dermot Mulroney

Michael Alperin

Miranda Garrison

Miranda Garrison

Spanish Dancer

Liz Torres

Liz Torres

Rosa

Castulo Guerra

Castulo Guerra

Pancho (as Cástulo Guerra)

Dakin Matthews

Dakin Matthews

William Singer

Vernon Wells

Vernon Wells

Australian Houseman

Dennis Rucker

Dennis Rucker

Paul

John Dennis Johnston

John Dennis Johnston

Ed

Kenny Call

Kenny Call

Cowboy Fred

Jack Garner

Cowboy Henry

Jerry Tullos

Jerry Tullos

Leo Vogel

Herb Tanney

George the Conductor (as Steem Tanney)

Peter Jason

Peter Jason

Frank Coe

Richard Fancy

Richard Fancy

Academy Speaker

Glenn Shadix

Glenn Shadix

Roscoe Arbuckle

Lisa Alpert

Michael's Secretary

Sonia Zimmer

Dibner's Secretary

Marina Palmier

Candy Store Girl

Tessa Taylor

Candy Store Girl

Jon Van Ness

Jon Van Ness

Director

P. Randall Bowers

Assistant Director (as Randy Bowers)

Maureen Teefy

Maureen Teefy

Stagecoach Lady

Arnold Johnson

Arnold Johnson

George

Eric Harrison

Alperin Butler

Amy Michelson

Alfie's 1st Wife

James O'Connell

James O'Connell

Gate Guard

Bing Russell

Bing Russell

Studio Guard

James C. Lewis

Jail Guard (as C. James Lewis)

William Applegate Jr.

Jail Inmate (as Bill Applegate)

Luis Contreras

Luis Contreras

Jail Inmates

Charles Noland

Jail Inmates

Robert Covarrubias

Robert Covarrubias

Jail Inmates

Donalin Patton

Girls at Lunch

Kay Perry

Girls at Lunch

Rod McCary

Rod McCary

Douglas Fairbanks

John Fountain

John Gilbert

Irene Olga López

Irene Olga López

Asuncion Maria Romero (as Irene Olga Lopez)

Jeris Poindexter

Jeris Poindexter

Cleaning Man

F. William Parker

F. William Parker

Mayor Robert Hellman

Grant Heslov

Grant Heslov

Car Attendant

Don Sparks

Don Sparks

Reporters

Melanie Jones

Reporters

Darrah Meeley

Reporters

Tom Tarpey

Tom Tarpey

Reporters

Krista Gray

Reporters

Katie Morgan

Reporters

Bevis Faversham

Oliver Hardy (uncredited)

Paul Higby

Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)

Vincent Jerman-Jerosa

Vincent Jerman-Jerosa

James Cagney (uncredited)

Beverly Leech

Thelma Todd (uncredited)

Marilyn Michaels

Mae West lookalike / Candy Girl (uncredited)

Denney Pierce

Denney Pierce

Billy Clanton (uncredited)

Barry Vigon

Boat Captain (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Blake Edwards

Story

Rod Amateau

Reviews

DrewBlack

DrewBlack

February 13, 2021

9

This is one of those cases of a movie that should have worked way better than it did.

Just the very idea of watching Earp and Mix solving some murder mystery in Holywood sounds incredible and fun to watch. However, Edwards' screenplay never truly finds its identity, floating between Neo-Noir, Western and Comedy. Maybe paired in Noir-Western or Comedy-Western it would've worked better: it just didn't know wheter to take itself seriously or not. That is, however, the only real problem with it.

The production and time setting is awesome, with a shoutout to the costume design. Mix's especially.

The colors are a sight to see, creating a warm-hot feel to the movie, reminiscent of the Western, but in a Noir setting.

Mancini's soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard. Perhaps as a consequence of the film's lack of true identity, Mancini went every which way with it. His "Sunday west" bits combined with more somber and serious tracks - reminiscent of his work on Touch of Evil (1958) - just complete each other so well.

Willis is in a point in his career that is intersting to watch. Even before his greatest hit (and masterwork) Die Hard (1988), in which he hadn't found his persona yet. Still, he looks and sounds much like the star he would become months later, with a touch of Mix-cowboy in. He is a very "light" presence on-screen, and in the good way.

McDowell is always a convincing actor, and his "Happy Hobo" Alfie Alperin is quite fun to watch - especially given the parallels to another Happy Hobo, Chaplin's The Tramp - but he isn't given a lot of screen time, and from the very beginning, it's quite clear that he is the villain.

But the highlight of the film is the veteran James Garner. His incarnation of the legendary frontier lawman Wyatt Earp is (albeit anachronistic) one of the best. In my opinion, only second to Kurt Russell's in Tombstone (1993). That "hawk-eyed" archetype that Earp basically defines in pop-culture was very well-captured by Garner - even out of his "natural habitat" of the west.

Sunset is a very fun, lighthearted buddy movie. It is a great movie that should have been an all time classic, yet it somehow feels right. It's a one-of-a-kind curio piece. And my heart says it deseves more recognition. Give or take a star or two.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$16,000,000.00

Revenue:

$4,594,452.00

Keywords

showdown
wyatt earp
murder
western hero