Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- gentle
- witty
- warm
- lazy afternoon
- classic movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film technically polished, harmless, and intermittently charming, but too episodic and tonally inconsistent to become a memorable comic western.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Avram's rabbinical faith and Polish Jewish background shape his comic encounters across the American frontier.
Rabbi Avram and bank robber Tommy become traveling companions despite their opposing vocations and temperaments.
The film repeatedly turns Avram's Jewish customs and outsider status into comic friction with settlers, outlaws, and Native Americans.
Avram's route from the eastern United States toward San Francisco unfolds through hijacking, capture, escape, and other loosely connected misadventures.
Films like The Frisco Kid, and why
Cat Ballou
shared comic western setting, fish out of water humor, and mismatched friendship
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
shared old-fashioned western adventure, eccentric comedy, and unlikely male partnership
Shanghai Noon
shared buddy comedy structure, western peril, and warm cross-cultural encounters
Crossing Delancey
shared jewish cultural identity, immigrant experience, and gentle comedic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Aldrich
- Release Date
- 1979-07-06
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (177)
Cast
- Gene Wilder
- Harrison Ford
- Ramon Bieri
- Val Bisoglio
- George DiCenzo
- Leo Fuchs
- Penny Peyser
- William Smith
- Jack Somack
- Beege Barkette
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Frisco Kid about?
- A sheltered Polish rabbi and a roguish bank robber become unlikely partners during a chaotic journey across the American frontier.
- What is The Frisco Kid like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Frisco Kid as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Frisco Kid violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Frisco Kid as mild.
- What did critics think of The Frisco Kid?
- Critics generally found the film technically polished, harmless, and intermittently charming, but too episodic and tonally inconsistent to become a memorable comic western.
- Which films are like The Frisco Kid?
- Films with a similar feel include Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Shanghai Noon, and Crossing Delancey.
- How long is The Frisco Kid?
- The Frisco Kid runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Frisco Kid?
- In United States, The Frisco Kid is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
