Rustlers’ Rhapsody – U.S.A.O Vaqueiro Cantador – Brazilian title
Vihoviimeinen hevosooppera – Finnish title
Rhapsodie in Blei – German title
Az éneklő cowboy – Hungarian title
Addio vecchio West – Italian title
Ballada o koniokradzie – Polish title
Kowbojska rapsodia – Polish title
A 1984 U.S.A., Spanish co-production [The Phoenix Co. (Hollywood), Impala, Tesauro (Madrid)]
Producer: Gil Parrondo
Director: Hugh Wilson
Story: Hugh Wilson
Screenplay: Hugh Wilson
Cinematography: José Luis Alcaine [Metrocolor, black & white, Panavision]
Music: Steve Dorff (Stephen Dorff)
Song: “I Lasso the Moon” sung by Gary Morris
Song: “I Ride Alone” sung by John Anderson
Song: “Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys” sung by Rex Allen, Jr., Roy Rogers, Rex Allen
Running time: 89 minutes
Cast:
Rex O’Herlihan – Tom Berenger (Thomas Moore)
Peter – G.W. Bailey (George William Bailey)
Miss Tracy – Marilu Henner (Mary Puflowski)
Railroad colonel – Fernando Rey (Fernando Vega)
Colonel Ticonderoga – Andy Griffith (Andrew Griffith)
Colonel Ticonderoga’s daughter – Sela Ward
Jim – Brant von Hoffman
Jud – Christopher Malcolm
Sheepherders – Manuel Pereiro (Manuel Rodriguez), Paul Maxwell, Antonio Jesus Ruiz
Blackie – Jim Carter (James Carter)
Sheepherder’s wife – Margarita Calahorra
Doctor – Billy J. Mitchell
Bob Barber – Patrick Wayne
Sheriff – John Orchard
Sheepherder in saloon – Emilio Linder
Bartender – Alan Larson
Saloon owner – Thomas Abbot (Thomas Abbott)
Real estate broker – Elmer Modlin (Elmer Modling)
Boy – Juan Miguel Manrique
Minister – Dennis Vaughan
Complaining John – Hugh Wilson
Colonel Ticonderoga’s henchman - Juanma, Bellido,Paquito
Railroad Colonel’s henchmen – Tio Rafael, Chencho
Cowboy – José Galera Balazote
With: Charly Bravo (Ramón Bravo), Eduardo Garcia, Ignacio Carreno (Ignacio López), Alicia F. Cavada, José Sacristan (José Turiégano), Tabaré Carballo, Solier Fagundez, George Bullock, Román Ariznavarreta Jorge Brito, Eugenio Serrano, Miguel García, Francisco Gómez, Basilio Escudero, Gabriel Laguna, Camilo Vila, Hal Burton, Diego Jiménez Flores, Diego Rodríguez
Stunts: Román Ariznavarreta, Jorge Brito, George Bullock, Hal Burton, Tabaré Carballo, Ignacio Carreño, Alicia F. Cavada, José Luis Chinchilla, Basilio Escudero, Solier Fagundez, Eduardo García, Miguel García, Francisco Gómez, Gabriel Laguna, José Sacristán, Eugenio Serrano, Camilo Vila, Juan Manuel Torres Gomez
Rex O'Herlihan, a "singing cowboy," is the only character aware of the plot outline. He explains that he "knows the future" inasmuch as "these Western towns are all the same" and that it's his "karma" to "ride into a town, help the good guys, who are usually poor for some reason, against the bad guys, who are usually rich for some reason, and ride out again." Rex's knowledge is also connected to the unspecified "root" vegetables he digs up and eats.
On his high-stepping horse Wildfire, Rex rides into the town of Oakwood Estates, walks into a saloon and meets Peter, the Town Drunk. In exchange for a free drink, Peter explicates the background: the town, and especially the sheep herders, are being terrorized by the cattle ranchers, headed by Colonel Ticonderoga. Also there is Miss Tracy, the traditional Prostitute with a Heart of Gold. A local sheriff is "a corrupt old coward who takes his orders from the Colonel."
Blackie, the foreman at Rancho Ticonderoga, swaggers into the bar with two of his henchmen and shoots one of the sheep herders. Miss Tracy objects, hot words are exchanged, and Blackie is accidentally shot in the back by his henchmen. Rex then shoots the guns out of their hands.
Peter exchanges his drunk suit for a sidekick outfit, catches up with Rex, and is reluctantly accepted. At the singing cowboy's campsite, Peter finds not one but two women there eager to get to know Rex a little better, Miss Tracy and the Colonel's daughter.
The Colonel goes to the boss of the railroad men who wear dusters and have theme music like characters in spaghetti westerns for help. "We should stick together. Look what we have in common: we're both rich, we're both power-mad, and we're both Colonels— that's got to count for something!"
Rex outwits the Bad Guys because he knows their every move before they do. But then the Colonels import "Wrangler" Bob Barber, apparently another Good Guy. Bob psychs out Rex in their first meeting by attacking Rex's claim to be the "most good Good Guy" and pointing out that a Good Guy has to be "a confident heterosexual." "I thought it was just a heterosexual", Rex objects. "No, it's a confident heterosexual," responds Bob.
Rex backs down from the shootout. On his way out of town, while preparing to change roles to that of a sidekick, Rex explains to Peter that he rides into town, kisses the girls and rides out again. "That's all: I just kiss 'em. I mean, this is the 1880s. You gotta date and date and date and date and sometimes marry 'em before they, you know ..."
Bob reports that Rex is finished as a Good Guy. Nevertheless, the Colonels, over Bob's objection, arrange for Peter to be bushwhacked. This rouses Rex to round up the sheep herders and face down Bob and the rancher/railroad combine. Bob is revealed as not a Good Guy at all because, after all, "I'm a lawyer!" Rex shoots him.
Colonel Ticonderoga makes peace. He apologizes to Rex and throws a party at Rancho Ticonderoga, after which Rex and Peter ride off together into the sunset.
YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2owzVm4ifM
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