Dirty Dingus Magee
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Burt Kennedy
Screenplay by	Tom Waldman Frank Waldman Joseph Heller
Based on	The Ballad of Dingus Magee 1965 novel by David Markson
Produced by	Burt Kennedy
Starring	Frank Sinatra George Kennedy Anne Jackson Jack Elam John Dehner
Cinematography	Harry Stradling Jr.
Edited by	William B. Gulick
Music by	Jeff Alexander
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	November 18, 1970
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Dirty Dingus Magee is a 1970 American comedy revisionist Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Frank Sinatra as the title outlaw and George Kennedy as a sheriff out to capture him. The movie was based on the novel The Ballad of Dingus Magee by David Markson and the screenplay was partly written by Joseph Heller.^[1][2]

Plot

Hoke Birdsill rides into Yerkey's Hole demanding the law take action because Dingus Magee has robbed him. Since no law exists, the mayor, Belle, who also runs the town's bordello, sees to it that Hoke himself becomes the new sheriff. Dingus keeps getting away with his crimes, helped by Anna Hot Water, his young Indian companion, but when he tries to steal from Belle, he finds Hoke has beaten him to it. Hoke enjoys being on the other side of the law, so Dingus turns the tables, becoming sheriff to go after him. After being rivals for so long, Dingus and Hoke eventually team up, burning Belle's brothel to the ground.

Cast

• Frank Sinatra as Dingus Magee
• George Kennedy as Hoke Birdsill
• Anne Jackson as Belle Nops
• Lois Nettleton as Prudence Frost
• Jack Elam as Wesley Hardin (spoofing real-life outlaw John Wesley Hardin)
• Michele Carey as Anna Hot Water
• John Dehner as General George
• Henry Jones as Reverend Green
• Harry Carey, Jr. as Charles Stuart
• Paul Fix as Chief Crazy Blanket
• Terry Wilson as the unnamed Sergeant

Reception

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times thought the movie was awful: "I lean toward blaming Frank Sinatra, who in recent years has become notorious for not really caring about his movies. If a shot doesn't work, he doesn't like to try it again; he might be late getting back to Vegas. What's more, the ideal Sinatra role requires him to be in no more than a fourth of the scenes, getting him lots of loot and top billing while his supporting cast does the work."^[3]