Your hat is too big for your britches, Mister! said the Queen of Mixed Metaphors
If you’re a fan of the lost genre of Broadway-derived movies of shallow Western musicals which make fun of the old West, then Red Garters (1954) may be for you. In Limbo County they’re holding a funeral, followed by the customary barbecue, to celebrate the gunning down of a low-down skunk. But who’s this stranger that’s come to town, fast on the draw, confused by the women, and snuffling about with the local gunslinger?
Singing their way through the contretemps brought on by the intrusion of civilized law enforcement vs the cultural acceptance of revenge killings, this beautifully photographed account of foolish men and their foolish women has a certain charm to it, but the charm is in a minor key. Don’t expect great revelations, but if you like the idea of a smart woman still falling for and winning a fast-draw, womanizing bully, and singing about it, then perhaps this is the sort of charm for which you’ll fall.
