| Director | Hugh Wilson |
|---|---|
| Budget | $5.5 million |
| Box office | $6.1 million |
The concept of the film is explained in a voiceover wondering what it would be like if one of the old Rex O'Herlihan films were to be made today. At that point, the scene shifts from black and white to color and the soundtrack changes from mono to surround sound.
As a consequence of this paradigm shift, 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 explains the background: the town, and especially the sheep herders ("nice enough, but they smell God-awful"), 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 sheepherders, then the town's real-estate agent. Miss Tracy objects, and when she is verbally abused by one of Blackie's henchmen, Rex intervenes. Blackie draws on Rex after he threatens to "shoot in the hand" anyone drawing on him – and duly delivers on that threat. The disabled Blackie orders his two henchmen Jim and Jud to kill Rex, but in firing hurriedly, they shoot Blackie in the back instead. Rex then shoots both in the hand and orders them to remove Blackie's corpse.
Peter exchanges his drunk suit for a sidekick outfit, catches up with Rex and is reluctantly accepted. (Rex has sworn off sidekicks as they keep dying.) 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 Miss Ticonderoga.
The Colonel goes for help to the boss of the railroad men – who wear dusters. "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!" But Rex outwits the Bad Guys because he knows their every move before they do. Then the Colonels import "Wrangler" Bob Barber, apparently another Good Guy. Bob discomposes 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, he is a lawyer. Rex shoots him by finishing him off for good.
Colonel Ticonderoga makes the peace. He apologizes to Rex and throws a party at Rancho Ticonderoga, after which Rex and Peter (who survived because Rex had him wear a bulletproof vest) ride off together into the sunset.