User Reviews

Cowboy James Stewart gets a letter that's followed him through many jobs for almost two years. It seems as though his prosperous brother from Cheyenne died and left him a going business, something called The Cheyenne Social Club. So Stewart quits his job in Texas and rides to Cheyenne to claim his inheritance and saddle pal Henry Fonda goes along for the ride.

The Cheyenne Social Club rises and falls on the chemistry between its two stars and this one rises like the lightest of angel food cake. The two movie icons and best friends from Princeton days are so perfectly cast it's a shame they didn't make a sequel and have some further adventures.

No doubt also these two helped director Gene Kelly over the rough patches in a movie genre he really wasn't familiar with. Kelly was wise enough to cast the film with a whole lot of players familiar with the western genre. And he was wise enough to give all these people their head and they don't let him down.

It turns out that The Cheyenne Social Club is a bordello under the temporary management of Shirley Jones. It's quite an institution in Cheyenne, but it doesn't quite seem right for Stewart, something a working cowboy can enjoy, but not live off. Of course his friend Fonda seems to have settled down quite nicely there.

Fonda's part could have been the great grandfather of the character he played in The Rounders. Apparently whatever suits Stewart just tickles Fonda plumb to death.

Best moment in the film is when Jimmy Stewart gets the best of bad guy Robert J. Wilke in a gunfight after he beats up Shirley Jones. Of course it's with the help of Fonda and a noisy pecan. Has to be seen to be appreciated.

This was James Stewart's last starring western and a great one to go out on as well.

"The Cheyenne Social Club" is a delightful easy going comedy western produced and directed by screen legend Gene Kelly. Given the subject matter, Kelly manages to stick handle around the double entendres and present a comedy that is tastefully done and probably offended no one.

Two drifters, John O'Hanlan (James Stewart) and Harley Sullivan (Henry Fonda) are working cattle in Texas. One day O'Hanlan receives a letter informing him that he has inherited some property in Cheyenne, Wyoming. So he and Harley set out for Cheyenne.

When they arrive, they discover that the property that O'Hanlan has inherits is a bawdy house known as The Cheyenne Social Club. They meet the "Madame", Jennie (Shirley Jones) and the rest of the girls, Opal Ann (Sue Ann Langdon), Pauline (Elaine Divry), Carrie Virginia (Jackie Russell), Annie Jo (Jackie Joseph) and Sara Jean (Sharon DeBord).

O'Hanlan at first is hailed as a saviour by the townsfolk. He is given carte blanche at the local saloon by the Barkeep (Robert Middleton) and becomes the most popular man in town. Harley meanwhile has struck up a friendship with another saloon girl Alice (Jean Willes) after he stops her runaway horse.

O'Hanlan is uncomfortable with the kind of business he's in and announces that he is closing up the Social Club while he ponders his next move. Well, the townsfolk don't take too kindly to this and turn against him. In particular he runs afoul of bully Corey Bannister (Robert J. Wilke).

When Jennie is beat up by Bannister, O'Hanlan comes to her aid. With some unexpected help from Harley, he manages to gun down Bannister. The local Marshal (Arch Johnson) warns O'Hanlon that Bannister's relatives will surely come after him. Harley decides to return to Texas. On the trail he meets the Bannisters led by "Uncle" Charlie (Charles Tyner) who are heading to Cheyenne.

Only O'Hanlon is left to defend the Social Club and its girls. But then........................

Stewart and Fonda had been friends since the 1930s and play well off of each other. As a contrast, takes a look at "Firecreek" which they made two years earlier for two completely different performances. Both had done light comedy before so were able to play these roles convincingly. They even get to "sing" a song on the trail (good thing they didn't quit their day jobs).

The film is made even better with its fine supporting cast. In addition to those already mentioned there is Dabbs Greer as Lawyer Willowby, J.Pat O'Malley as a fast talking drummer and John Dehner, Jason Wingreen, Myron Healey and Hal Baylor in other roles.

Great entertainment.

Fun Western comedy with two-towering actors and bemusing situations that happen when an upright cowboy after the death of his brother receives an unusual legacy : The Cheyenne social club and he along with another friend from Texas go to the location . Agreeable film about two nice cowpunchers plenty of humor , thrills and stunning performances . "John", a honest cowpuncher (James Stewart) to which accompanies his inseparable friend "Sullivan" (Henry Fonda), another cowboy from Texas who are longly friends from 10 years ago , at the prospect of inheritance they decide to go in search of the business of his deceased brother . At the long trek takes place some amusing exchange of dialogs among them . After that , they discover the truth as the Club results to be the town's bawdy brothel plenty of joyful girls ( Shirley Jones , Sue Ane Langdon , Elaine Devry as sexpots of bordello) with a great tradition in the region. As Stewart increasing involvement with luscious employees and Fonda helps to operate the bordello . Meanwhile there appears the assortment of bad guys (Robert J Wilke , Charles Tyner) who force shoot'em up on them.

Gentle entertainment about a bordello in the Old West with two masters of the performance , James Stewart and Henry Fonda , they are magnificent experts in the art of conjuring laughs of nothing , here are reunited in this atypical but amusing western with a lot of jokes , undistinguished moments and comical attitudes , in addition a multitude of absurd situations. Fun screenplay by James Lee Barret , Western's ordinary , though clichés run through-out , the enjoyable story is enhanced for amusing moments developed among main characters and especially on the relationship between James Stewart and Henry Fonda. The stellar cast is accompanied by some secondary actors very good as Shirley Jones , Robert J Wilke , Robert Middleton , John Dehner and Charles Tyner .

It also appreciates a good production design and colorful cinematography in Panavision by William H. Clothier , John Ford's usual .It's a movie highly desirable to spend 103 fun minutes professionally directed by Gene Kelly, an expert dancer and choreographer . Kelly dares to lead this western with acceptable results, and offers us here an entertaining comedy without major skills , but should to make it more dynamic . He directed some films as "Singing in the Rain" , ¨On the town¨ , co-directed by Stanley Donen , and ¨Invitation to the dance¨, ¨Hello Dolly¨ , ¨Guide of married men ¨ , ¨ Cheyenne Social Club turns out to be his only Western . It's a minor and thin effort and is beneath this great trio Fonda-Stewart-Kelly . An object of lesson by old masters who will appeal his fans .

Is "The Cheyenne Social Club" a comedy or action Western? Director Gene Kelly tries to combine the two with very uneven results. Cowboy James Stewart receives a letter telling him that he has inherited property from his late brother so he starts out for Cheyenne along with his buddy, Henry Fonda. It is only after he arrives that Stewart finds out the Cheyenne Social Club is not a boarding house or saloon as he supposed, but, well, something else. Director Kelly plays up the discomfort Stewart feels being the not so proud owner and his futile efforts to close the place down, but most of the jokes in that vein fall flat. That is not to say we can't find humor as, for example, Stewart changing his politics when he fancies himself as a businessman, or Fonda cracking nuts at inopportune moments. Fonda's speeches as the credits are rolling are hilarious. Stewart listens politely until he can't take any more and finally has to tell Fonda to shut up. The movie is at its best when these two old pros are interacting with one another.

(63%) A light hearted comedy western made toward the latter stages of both James Stewart, Henry Fonda's career, and actually westerns in general. The premise is strong and this does a decent job at telling it through good performances along better than average writing. Despite this being very much centred around prostitution it's as squeaky clean as any Disney movie, with very little in terms of sleaze. In fact even the brothel itself is spotless, I've seen dirtier real life hospitals. With its charm, nicely drawn characters, and good entertainment value I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to all fans of the western genre or just those looking for something decent to pass the time.

Western comedy about an aging cowboy (James Stewart) whose brother dies and leaves him a brothel. So he and his friend (Henry Fonda) go visit the place and get involved with the girls who work there and wind up defending them from local riffraff. Another of those '60s westerns with stars from Hollywood's Golden Age playing characters that are a little dirty. Just a little, though. It's still pretty tame by today's standards. Not a dick joke to be had. Ultimately, it's harmless fluff with enjoyable performances from Stewart and Fonda.

This is a great comedy western without being stupid satire and is nothing like Blazing Saddles by Mel Brooks. I personally hate satire on a high level. This is a hilarious movie with a great cast of characters. I first saw this movie when I was very young. But to ensure before I rated that I didn't remember this movie as funny just because I was a kid. I recently viewed it again. I am 44 and thing it is hilarious. I enjoy mostly serious westerns but also love comedic westerns when they are done well. Other good movies are Maverick, Support Your Local Sheriff, Support Your Local Gunfighter and John Wayne's "McClintock". So if you don't like any westerns that have comedy then this will not be for you. Perhaps you just go more for gritty reality such as Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, Unforgiven or classics such as True Grit and The Outlaw Josey Wales. But if you enjoy a laugh without being stupid satire you will like this movie. I am assuming that is why the reviews that have been written were mostly negative.

Next to "El Dorado", this is my favorite western. It is fun from start to finish. Best friends in real life play best friends on the Texas panhandle. Jimmy Stewart (John) and Henry Ford (Harley) have been "riding together" for 10 years when John receives a letter from a lawyer in Cheyenne.

With John and Harley being drifters, it has taken the letter two years to catch up to them. John is told his older brother DJ has died and left him a thriving business in Wyoming; The Cheyenne Social Club. Always wanting to be a "Man of Property", John packs up and heads to Cheyenne with Harley in tow (even though neither man knows exactly why Harley feels the need to tag along everywhere John goes).

Both John and Harley are salt-of-the-earth people. Harley has a passion for pecans and John cannot wait to claim his inheritance and become a Republican. The wagon wheel comes off when John realizes the Cheyenne Social Club is actually an high end, upscale brothel. The ladies who live in the equisitly furnished house are the cream of the crop, expecting nothing but the best from themselves and their clientelle. When John pops into the picture, the ladies fancy him a hero although John has plans to turn the house into a legitimate business.

The casting and directing of this film is perfectly done. Shirley Jones is the Madam of the house and all the ladies cast give prostitutes a fine name. Gene Kelly (yes that Gene Kelly) directs this enjoyably light fare with a smooth touch.

Why this was not made into a series of movies, I'll never know. There could have been 2 sequels based on the strength of the cast's chemistry alone. If an attempt to remake this wonderful film is ever undertaken, it's success or failure will rely on the casting. Like "Fun with Dick and Jane" and "Bewitched", the wrong combination of actors can kill a great storyline.

This is a 9 out of 10 stars. It must be viewed the first time over a dinner of steak and beer with a room full of friends and the sweet smell of perfume in the air.

It's incredibly cute to see old friends making movies together. You feel the chemistry on the screen just as strongly as you do when you watch a real-life couple playing husband and wife. Errol Flynn and David Niven held such affection for one another, you could feel the warmth between Bette Davis and Claude Rains even when they were sparring, and James Stewart and Henry Fonda could practically finish each other's sentences. In the opening sequence of The Cheyenne Social Club, they ride their horses from Texas to Wyoming, and Hank talks nonstop the entire time. Finally, Jimmy can't endure any more, and he informs his chatty companion that the current family story had already been told twice. It's very funny.

The premise is also very funny: James Stewart inherits his late brother's estate consisting of one building in Cheyenne. He finds out only after meeting the women boarders that it's a brothel! Can you imagine these 1930s actors thrust into the sexual explicitness of the 1970s? Henry Fonda winds up sleeping with most of the girls throughout the movie, and James Stewart puts his hand on a woman's naked bosom. Welcome to 1970. It's pretty jarring to watch, but hopefully the guys had a lot of fun in their grey-haired years. Although you won't see any grey hair on Hank; he looks significantly younger than he did eight years earlier in Advise & Consent. Still as handsome as ever.

The weak part of the movie is, as you might guess, the brothel. Shirley Jones is the madam (and still participant), and she and her girls are extremely happy with their work. They are cheerful, giggly, and eagerly anticipating their next customers. Highly unrealistic, but this is a light comedy. If you can get past the glorification of prostitution, and you want to see friends getting older but still having fun together, you'll probably like this cute western.

After many years in the military, seeing few movies, I am still catching up on old flicks thanks to videos. Discovering Cheyenne SC is worth all my efforts. Cliches and all, it is a pleasure to watch the interaction of these two old "pros," Stewart and Fonda, and the superb supporting cast. I view this film often and laugh each time. I live close to the Eaves Ranch set, which I understand was built or expanded primarily for Cheyenne SC and where most of the movie was filmed. The set has changed some and the water tower was demolished a couple years ago. There is a piece of RR track and a couple livestock cars there, and the town buildings still exist, having been used for dozens of other movies since "Cheyenne SC" including "Silverado" and "Wyatt Earp." Unfortunately the owner/builder of the set Mr. J.W. Eaves just passed away on August 8 this year.(2001) A memorial service was held at his movie town.

This is a fairly good movie, but the most remarkable thing about is that plot elements of this movie appear in the pulitzer prize winning book Lonesome Dove, written by Larry McMurtry.

The two main characters in this movie and their journey from texas to montana is very similar to the plot of lonesome dove.

I believe that the screenwriter who wrote the screenplay for this movie, James Lee Barrett, hired mcmurtry to write (or co-write) the screenplay for this movie. I believe that barrett also used mcmurtry to write the screenplay for the movie Bandolero, which is even more similar to lonesome dove than is this movie.

Also, mcmurtry may have helped write the screenplay for Shenandoah, another movie which credits barrett as screenwriter.

Mcmurtry wrote a book called Film Flam, which was all about hollywood, and this book shows that mcmurtry had extensive experience writing for hollywood.

I don't know about you, but the thought of a Jimmy Stewart movie where he is the new owner of a brothel just seems wrong. Would Elwood P. Dowd or Mr. Smith do this? Certainly not.

It's sad, but in the late 60s and early 70s, there a string of "modern" westerns that featured amoral leads--Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart, among others, made them. Now it was nice to see movies that tried to be different, but these westerns generally weren't very good. And, it was very hard to really care about the movies as there no heroes and no sense of right or wrong--or at least a rather warped sense of right or wrong.

While this movie isn't bad, it wasn't terribly good and was full of clichés--especially the "hooker with a heart of gold" cliché. Just once, I'd like to see a movie where a prostitute is a selfish alcoholic or has an STD.

The film has decent writing and the dialog between Fonda and Stewart is good. The movie itself is pretty predictable and forgettable.

This is a cheap copy of "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) & "The Wild Bunch" (1969). The former is directed by John Sturges & the latter by Sam Peckinpah. Both are brilliant. I think "The Wild Bunch" was the last truly great Western. I do give a lot of respect to "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (1976), which is directed by (& stars) Clint Eastwood. I like it better than his film "Unforgiven" (1992), which won an Oscar for Best Picture. This film, however is poorly directed by Gene Kelly.

Old cowpoke John O'Hanlan (James Stewart) inherits The Cheyenne Social Club from his late estranged brother. He saw his brother as the money grubbing type. He and his talkative best friend Harley Sullivan (Henry Fonda) leave the cattle trail and set off for Cheyenne expecting to own a saloon. He is shocked to find it to actually be a high end brothel. Jenny (Shirley Jones) is the girls' madam. John is dismayed and intends to fire all the girls.

This is directed by Gene Kelly. I knew that he directed a few movies but I assumed that they are all musicals. John is being too wrong-headed. He's shocked about everything. Jimmy Stewart plays a guy desperate to be the nice guy and that's fine. I just don't understand his motivation. Why is he in such a hurry to throw the girls out when he has no other pending plan for the place. His character needs to be backed up with more setup. John and Harley do talk a lot about Democrats and Republicans. I'm not sure what that means in that era. Maybe that's where the motivations get buried. I'm not sure that a 70's audience would automatically know the historical political standings either. Maybe John should be more religious and a house of ill-repute would be offensive to his convictions. Otherwise, Gene Kelly's directing seems fine. It's nothing extra. The material is lifted by some good actors but John does frustrates me a little.

Stars jimmy stewart, henry fonda, shirley jones. Post-civil war era. When cowboy o'hanlan inherits property, he returns to cheyenne to look it over. I think we all saw this same story on murder she wrote. Except in this version, the murders happen a little differently. And this one has a couple naughty double entendres. Clearly, we're way past the film production code! A very late, modern western. It's not bad. With a lot more talking than action. Some silly humor here and there. Lots of little continuity issues that are easy to overlook. Directed by gene kelly. The oscar winning dance guy. Story by james barrett. Wrote many things. Died young at 59. Both stewart and fonda acted for another ten years after this.

The Cheyenne Social Club sounds like a bad idea on a number of levels. For beginners it stars two elderly actors towards the end of their careers in a comedy about prostitution, not to mention Gene Kelly would be one of the last people I would expect to be directing a western. For a long time it remained a movie I doubt I would ever watch yet much to my surprise the film turned out not only to be perfectly dignified but also very funny and surprising endearing. The idea of Jimmy Stewart being the owner of a brothel and becoming a sugar daddy sounds wrong on paper yet somehow it manages to work. The Cheyenne Social Club paints an idealized version of a whore house in which the women are proud of their profession and worship their boss. The movie doesn't shun prostitution and while propaganda might be a strong word I certainly got the impression the movie was voicing its support for the legalisation of prostitution.

Henry Fonda is by far the funniest thing in the film; a child in an adult's body living out a completely carefree existence with Stewart being the straight man and the grown up one of the two. Even as soon as the film begins Fonda babbles through the entire opening credits which according to the movie lasts for literally over a thousand miles which helps distract from how ordinarily plain the test in the opening credits are. The relationship between the two is incredibly endearing with one of my favourite moments of the film is the two of them innocently sleeping in the same bed together. It is also very amusing as Fonda just follows Stewart wherever he goes as he has nothing else to do with his time but also because he just likes his company. It's evident through their own screen chemistry that the two where lifelong friends. The film's other major highlight is Stewart and Fonda's discussing of politics (Stewart being a Republican and Fonda a Democrat) mirroring their real life personas and bringing to mind an occasion when their friendship was almost brought to an end when they got engaged in a fist fight over politics in 1947 ("I don't like to dispute you John but didn't you always vote democratic?, Well...that was when I didn't know any better") .

The Cheyenne Social Club is the third of three films James Stewart and Henry Fonda starred in together. The first two of which are among the weakest films I've seen from ether actor. Thankfully the third time was the charm; it took 35 years to get these two legendary actors in a great film together but it was worth the wait.

Despite the fact it had Gene Kelly (of all people) as director, this western comedy-drama is incredibly tired and stale. James Stewart plays a cowboy in the late 1800s who inherits an upscale brothel; Henry Fonda is Jimmy's talkative partner; Shirley Jones is the resident madam. Everyone does their best with the tepid material, although Stewart has rarely looked this drained. The spirit of the piece seems lost on Kelly, whose set-ups and comedic asides are charmless, accenting all the inherent western-genre clichés without adding anything fresh. Perhaps the script is the main culprit: screenwriter James Lee Barrett, working from the novel by Davis Grubb, must have been raised on old western serials, for his scenario is cluttered up with hammy folks and the type of movie-prostitutes who can't wait to jump into the sack. *1/2 from ****

No matter how many movies teamed Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda, it was not enough. Gene Kelly directs the pair here in a simple story of long-time friendship in the Old West, familiar ground, sure, but a story that always brings a smile to my face.

When John O'Hanlan (Stewart) discovers that his long lost brother has died, he's surprised to find that he has inherited a business. Enthusiastically he crosses the country from Texas to Cheyenne to become ‘a man of property', just what he's always wanted.

But the Cheyenne Social Club, his business, is a brothel. The premiere brothel in this boom town, sure, but that's not exactly what O'Hanlan had in mind. Thankfully his riding partner Harley Sullivan (Fonda) has tagged along, Harley may have his own point of view on most things, but he does smooth out many of the rough spots they encounter along the way.

Story is predictable, the climax is anti-climatic, but, who cares when you get to see these on-screen buddies in a buddy movie defined.