I thought it was going to be difficult to find some of these old Harrison Ford movies but surprisingly it wasn't. I'm not a big western fan, it's just not my favorite genre of films. However, I watched The Frisco Kid with an open mind and I ended up enjoying this western dramedy.
This story follows Rabbi Avram Belinski (Gene Wilder) who was traveling from Poland to San Francisco to run a synagogue and to get married. However, once his ship from Poland docked in Philadelphia, he was supposed to take another ship that would take him to San Francisco but it had left early. Which was unfortunate for him because in trying to be helpful, he was conned out of money, beaten and robbed. Then tossed out of a horse-drawn buggy having to pick up his belongings that were tossed on the road.
His luck improved when he was helped by a group of Amish people, who he mistakenly thought the men were Rabbis due to their similar clothing and appearance. They were very kind and even gave him a little money to help with his travels which continued with Avram taking a train. In a funny scene, while he was in the restroom, the train was robbed by a lone bandit.
Avram didn't continue riding the train, I guess the money he got from the Amish could only take him so far. Since, he didn't have any money, he got a job working on the railway and he earned enough to buy a horse. I guess he figured traveling by horse would be a better way to get to San Francisco. If only he knew how to get there because if it wasn't for him meeting Tom Lillard (Harrison Ford), Avram would have continued to be lost. Something else Avram didn't know was that Tom was a thief and was the one who had robbed the train.
For some reason, Tom took pity on Avram and decided to take the Rabbi to San Francisco. Initially, he had given Avram directions but he must have realized Avram would have never reached his destination if left on his own. As the duo traveled they encountered everything from a bad snow storm to having to evade a posse seeking justice after Tom robbed a small town bank to being befriended by First Nation (Native American) people and a group of Monks.
What I liked about this movie is that it's part wacky comedy and part drama with friendship and faith at it's core. The unlikely friendship between Avram and Tom really moves the story, I thought Wilder and Ford really had great chemistry that came across perfectly on screen. They really are an odd couple with Avram being kind, steadfast and very committed to his faith and throughout the movie he uses it to guide him. Meanwhile, Tom gives off the appearance of being a tough guy and rough around the edges (well, he is a robber) but he's also rather kindhearted even if tries not to show it. At times, he seemed bewildered by the Rabbi's naivete and devotion to his faith but he also went out of his way to help Avram. I think they both learned a great deal about friendship and about life from each other.
I got a sense that Tom was lonely, he was a bandit with no posse or friends and meeting Avram seemed to be just what he needed. I would say the same goes for the Rabbi as well because he was truly a fish out of water and was in desperate need of the kindness and help from strangers.
There's a good scene with Avram in a saloon, he was challenging the band of robbers (the same ones he met in Philadelphia) to get his money back. Although he was out numbered he didn't stop trying to fight, however, things would have been dire for him if Tom had not stepped in. These robbers would then ambushed them later which led to an intense shoot out. These robbers would continue to be a problem eventually leading to a final showdown with Rabbi Avram being challenged to a duel.
I know that if it wasn't for this Filmography Challenge, I would have never even heard of this movie let alone watched it. I'm glad I did because The Frisco Kid was funny while also being filled with drama showing emotional complexities about faith, friendship and more. One last thing, I was surprised the cover featured a big picture of Harrison Ford while Gene Wilder only had a small picture especially since they were both the main stars of this film. I guess when this was released on DVD, Warner Bros. decided to capitalize on Ford's popularity and recognition by using this cover.
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