Lots of Americans who came in late liked Tom Baker on DOCTOR WHO because he made the show so funny. So when the early William Hartnell stories finally made it over here around 1985 or so, they took one look and never watched again! Too bad. A couple of my favorite Hartnell stories are "The Romans" and "The Gunfighters", BOTH of which are done as COMEDIES. Clearly, Hartnell had a knack for comedy. I wish he did more of that on this show. I just recently got CARRY NO SERGEANT on Blu-Ray!!
Call me crazy, but this story is my favorite version of the "Wyatt Earp-Doc Holliday" story. And it features currently my favorite actors in those 2 roles. Wyatt is just a likable, reasonable guy, while Doc... well, he's not a total B******, but good thing he's got Kate to help keep him in line. (And he treats Kate WAY better here than in several other more famous versions of the story.)
I love the bit when after being tricked to going to the saloon-- WITH Doc's gun-- The Doctor's hosts suddenly introduce themselves...
"...and this here's THE CLANTONS!"
"OH DEAR, I mean, what a pleasure!"
He KNOWS he's in trouble... lucky Kate helped him out of it (with Doc's help-- no doubt she pushed him into it).
I love the scene where Dodo pulls a gun and tries to force Doc to take her back to Tombstone, and he decides to do so... before telling her he COULD have just shot her, but... (and she faints)
I love when The Doctor is in jail for his own protection... and someone hands him a gun. Wyatt walks up, and just when he sees his prisoner is armed, The Doctor hands him the weapon. "I say, would you mind taking this? People keep handing me GUNS!" Wyatt is confused, but also amused.
And my last favorite bit has to be when Bat Masterson shows up. "Oh, that's right! You haven't met POP here." "I say, would you MIND NOT calling me Pop?"
Part Four, the comedy vanishes. Oh boy!
John Alderson turned up on THE TIME TUNNEL as "Little John" in the "Robin Hood" episode.
Some years back, I watched "The Gunfighters" (DOCTOR WHO), "Spectre of the Gun" (STAR TREK) and "Living In Harmony" (THE PRISONER) back -to-back! Infuriatingly-- my 3rd tape of THE PRISONER (out of 5) has NOT been seen since then. I have NO IDEA what the hell happened to it, which makes it impossible for me to watch all 17 episodes of THE PRISONER right now... until or unless I spring for the Blu-Ray box set. (I swear, this house has "black holes" in it.)
I found out some years ago that the incessant singing in this story was no doubt inspired by the singing in CAT BAYOU, with Jane Fonda... singing supplied by Nat King Cole and-- Stubby Kaye-- who eventually turned up in "Delta and the Bannermen".
Now if you wanna see a musical-comedy western that makes this (and BLAZING SADDLES) look "normal" by comparison, check out LEMONADE JOE (1964) from the Czech Republic.
For more western comedy, also see THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST (with Don Knotts), EVIL ROY SLADE (with John Astin) and THE VILLAIN alias CACTUS JACK (with Kirk Douglas, Ann-Margret, and Arnold Schwartzenneggar). Oh yeah, and LIGHTNING JACK (with Paul Hogan).