You are here:

The Shakiest Gun in the West

Name: The Shakiest Gun in the West
Director: Alan Rafkin
Released: 1968
Duration: 101 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

1968

Approved

Director

Alan Rafkin

Runtime

101 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film primarily functions as a mid-century genre parody, prioritizing slapstick humor over social critique. It successfully challenges the hyper-masculine Western hero archetype by replacing the stoic gunslinger with an incompetent dentist. However, this subversion is limited to gendered clichés and does not extend to broader systemic critiques. The narrative remains tied to the demographic norms of its era, lacking meaningful racial or LGBTQ+ representation. Ultimately, the film uses character archetypes for comedic absurdity rather than to explore diverse social realities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Shakiest Gun in the West have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows the 1960s standard where everyone is assumed to be straight or cisgender. A sham marriage is used for comedic purposes rather than to explore queer identity.

How does The Shakiest Gun in the West portray gender?

Fair

The film pokes fun at hyper-masculinity by casting a bumbling dentist as the hero. However, the female lead's role is tied to deception, and the comedy revolves around male incompetence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Shakiest Gun in the West?

Minimal

The cast is homogeneous and white-centric, typical of 1870s frontier comedies. There are no notable characters of color with significant roles.

How does The Shakiest Gun in the West represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story uses genre satire to deconstruct Western myths. Traditional structures like marriage are treated as comedic plot devices rather than tools for social critique.

Does The Shakiest Gun in the West include disability representation?

Limited

The protagonist's incompetence is used for slapstick humor. This does not provide nuanced representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Challenges the hyper-masculine Western hero archetype by featuring an incompetent protagonist.
Uses genre parody to mock traditional romanticized Western myths.

Limited or Absent

Lacks significant racial diversity and characters of color with substantial roles.
Does not offer nuanced representation of disability or neurodivergence.
Maintains assumptions that everyone is straight or cisgender without exploring queer identities.

Official Synopsis

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".

How are these scores produced? →