"Las Vegas Hillbillys" (1966)
     Movie review by William Moriaty


Woolner Brothers Pictures, Inc.
Executive producer: Bernard Woolner
Produced by: Larry Jackson
Directed by: Arthur C. Pierce
Written by: Larry Jackson
Musical Score: Dean Elliot
Starring:
"Woody" Woodrow Wilson Weatherby.....FERLIN HUSKY
Tawny Downs.....JAYNE MANSFIELD
"Boots" Malone.....MAMIE VAN DOREN

Co-starring:
Don Bowman
Louis Quinn
Billy Bird

With:
Richard Kiel
Arlene Charles
Helen Clark
Christian Anderson
Theodore Lenmann
John Harmon
Bennett King
Chuck Harrod
Larry Barton

Country Music Stars:
Sonny James
Ray Drusky
Del Reeves
Bill Anderson
Connie Smith
Wilma Burgess
Duke of Paducah
Junior Carolina Cloggers
The Jordanaires
Run Time: 90 minutes
Color

Does anyone out there other than me remember the rich, deep-speaking and singing voice of 60's country artist Ferlin Husky? To this Florida cracker born of the 50s, my favorite era of country music was the 60's through about 1980 when artists like Husky, Lefty Frizell, Porter Waggoner, Bill Anderson, Johnny Cash, Lynn Anderson, Waylon Jennings, Roy Clark, Marty Robbins, George Jones, Jim Reeves and Willie Nelson were the country and western darlings of the airwaves and transitioned our TVs and world from black and white to color. To me this was genuine country, not the "Hayseed MTV" that is so common in today's country world.

An Unlikely Duo
This movie incorporates the almost improbable "when worlds collide" partnership of country artist Ferlin Husky and 50's and 60's sex-kitten Mamie Van Doren. Much like my review of the 60's British film "Beat Girl", I found that as well as being schlocky, this film was actually enjoyable. Unlike "Beat girl" however, this is literally a movie the whole family could watch.

White Lighnin' Express
The movie opens with Husky, playing the part of struggling country singer "Woody" Woodrow Wilson driving with his sister and singing "White Lightning Express" in an old jalopy. They're driving the back hills roads of Johnson's Corner, Tennessee on their way to visit moon-shining kin folk to learn news that his namesake uncle, who owns a country and western casino in Las Vegas has recently passed away.

Due to the carelessness of one of the still operators, they all flee as "Fire in the hole!" is shouted and the stills start blowing up, spilling their brew over the Tennessee Mountains.

Home on "The Grange"
For social activities in Johnson's Corner, Tennessee, there's the gathering place called "The Grange" where folks of all ages get to listen to good ol' clean country music. The emcee of "The Grange" is a somewhat comedic good ol' boy, a la Jerry Clower, who throws out such country-isms, as "My school was so tough that when my teacher asked who killed Abraham Lincoln, five kids put their hands up!" That evening, entertainment was provided by the Junior Carolina Cloggers, Bill Anderson and the Po Boys sang "Bright Lights and Country Music", newcomer Connie Smith masterfully belted out "Nobody But a Fool", and our boy Woody (Husky) sang "I Feel Better All Over". As "Woody" was a struggling local and the artists were established Nashville sensations, the emcee joked of Woody that he was "about as popular as a wet dog in a elevator", and even went as far as hint a moonshine connection by adding that Woody wrote a drinking guide called "Betty Cooker's Crock Book". One of my own personal favorite country jokes is from a wonderful worker at the DOT who grew up in the country outside of Opp, Alabama (I almost know more people from there than Florida) who stated "We lived so far out in the country that we didn't even get Bonanza until Tuesday". The Yankee chemical salesman he told this to sat staring blank and appeared clueless.

The Estate of Uncle Woody
"Even though he was a heathern gamblin' man", Woody's Aunt Clem went on to further describe her departed brother in kinder words and to let Woody know that his uncle had written in his will that his nephew inherit the Las Vegas country and western casino. So Woody and his cousin Jeep jumped in the jalopy and headed west to Nevada and presumed fame and fortune. Some of the jalopy driving scenes in the western mountains is quite humorous.

Woody Meets Jayne Mansfield
Out in the middle of the desert in her giant luxury car, holding a foofy dog a la Lisa Douglas, is none other than other 50s and 60s sex kitten Jayne Mansfield, whose apparently dead luxury car is pushed by Woody's jalopy back into Vegas. Mansfield plays socialite and mistress (to Uncle Woody, no less) Tawny Downs.

The Golden Circle Star
Woody and Jeep finally arrive at his Uncle's country and western casino bar, the Golden Circle Star. The Golden Circle is tended by attractive blonde "Boots" Malone. I actually enjoyed Van Doren in the role, and thought she was cute as a bug in a rug when she did her first song number. But what Uncle Woody failed to tell his bumpkin nephews is that his estate was flat broke with creditors using strong-arm characters (like none other than Richard Kiel) to collect on debts owed.

The Surrealistic "Dixie" Number
The strangest part of the movie is when a local motorcycle gang raids the club and a go-go version of "Dixie" is played as a dedication to the new owners. We see guys and dolls doing The Twist, The Watussi and The Mashed Potato to this perverted version of the South's back-up National Anthem ("Free Bird" by Lynrd Skynrd is of course the South's actual National Anthem).

The Woody Dream Sequence
Homesick for Tennessee and faced with paying off debts he never owed as well as fending off Richard Kiel, Woody steals away to the back of the Golden Circle Star to escape by sleep (works for me) where he dreams of his own "All-Star Revue". In the dream we see Woody sing "Money Greases the Wheel", Wilma Burgess sing "Baby, Sweet Sweet Baby" and outstanding work by Sonny James singing hits such as "What Makes a Man Wonder?", "I'll Keep Holding On To You" and "True Love's A Medicine". Conversely, the dream scene with Jayne Mansfield, a tragic figure in real life, is itself tragic as she does "The Twist" singing into a phone while holding her foofy dog.

Can Aunt Clem Save the Day?
Unexpectedly, Woody's Aunt Clem manages to back a ticket and fly out west to see the progress of her nephews. Turns out she knows several country artists from Nashville who owe her favors. But can Aunt Clem convince them to help out Woody in his time of need?

Other Songs
Roy Drusky sings "I Don't Believe You Love Me Anymore", and Dell Reeves sings "Watching the Belles of Southern Bell Go By" and "Women Do Funny Things To Me"

Favorite Lines
Gas station attendant to Woody about his cousin Jeep:  "Does he always put his foot in his mouth like that?" Woody -- "Sometimes he puts in both of 'em!"

Woody describing how smitten he is with "Boots" Malone:  "She's pretty, but she reminds me of a two-year-old filly that needs to be tamed!"

Woody's moon-shining kin describing Tawny Downs:  "She's as pretty as a peacock tail flyin' over a petunia patch at sunset!"

Woody apologizing to Tawny about his cousin Jeep:  "Sometimes he lets his mouth get ahead of his good sense!" Tawny -- "I often do the same thing, it makes life so interesting."


The movie synopsis and review of "Las Vegas Hillbillys" is ©2003 by William Moriaty. "Schlockarama™" is a part of Crazed Fanboy™ dotcom and all contents are ©2003 by Nolan B. Canova

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