"The Slowest Gun In The West" (1960)

Nat Hiken, who was responsible for two classic TV series, "The Phil Silvers Show" and "Car 54, Where Are You?", wrote, directed and produced this western comedy.  It was aired as a comedy special.

The town of Primrose, Arizona is overrun by outlaws.  The latest sheriff has been shot down, and the good people of the town have to search for someone else who is willing to take the job.  Fletcher "Fletch" Bissell III, otherwise known as the Silver Dollar Kid (Phil Silvers) rides into down and immediately gets on the wrong side of the bad guys (Ted DeCorsia, Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef).  Fletch talks a good game, but it's revealed quickly that Fletch is a coward.  Plans are made to kill Fletch to get him out of the way, but he manages to avoid danger.

The guys who want to keep the town crime ridden get an idea:  they decide to find someone to take out Fletch, who despite his ways, has brought peace to town.  They find Chicken Finsterwald, who's claim to gun-slinging fame was shooting an old lady in the back.  When the woman recovered and came looking for him, cowardly Finsterwald (Jack Benny) ran out of town.

Silvers was in fine form, out talking the other characters, and talking his character's way out of trouble.  Silver's brand of comedy worked well with Benny's self-depreciating, understated humor.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Elam and Van Cleef, actors known for their work in serious western films.  Jack Albertson (of "Chico and the Man" fame) appeared as one of the good townspeople, and I barely recognized Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham on "Happy Days") as a love interest of Fletch's.