The film of the week this time is THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068853/

It's sad that most people my age that I know only associate Paul Newman with various jars of a sauces and other culinary delights. He was the kind of actor you don't get much these days. The kind of guy who combined substance with charm better than most. This film is one of his most underrated, however it's not perfect. The plot is fairly simple. A former petty criminal Roy Bean decides to appoint himself the judge of a small town in Texas. The rest of the film is pretty much just Roy Bean being the judge and taking care of various criminals and low lives who wander into town. It's a very odd film because the tone is more satirical than serious yet Newman brings a sense of clas to it.

There are also some odd casting choices like Anthony Perkins as a Methodist minister, and a bizzare cameo by Stacy Keach as the albino bandit Bad Bob. Not much connects the story, which makes it quite fragmented and more like a series of shorts. I don't mind that because the film is quite fun, but some may want a stronger plot thread to hold the film together. There is a also a terribly cheesy musical number for no reason, a bit like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Despie these flaws though it is a lovely and quirky western that stands out thanks to it's sense of humor.