Along Came Jones (1945)

A robber (Dan Duryea) is hidden on the side of the road as a stagecoach approaches.  He shoots one of the horses in the leg which cascades into a tremendous crash.  As he moves in to seize the bag of money he is after, the man riding shotgun threatens.  The robber shoots him.  After the driver hands over the money, the robber gallops away.  However, the mortally injured man shoots the robber.  The robber drops his rifle, which has his named etched on it: Monte Jarrad.

Meanwhile, Melody Jones (Gary Cooper) and George Fury (William Demarest) riding south in search of work.  Melody is singing a song, which consists of silly verses and a 'round and a round' chorus.  George thinks Melody has hit his head one too many times.  They arrive in Paynesville where a local notes the MJ initials on Melody's saddle.  Monte Jarrad is said to be a tall slim fellow who travels with his Uncle Roscoe.  Soon, the whole town has jumped to the conclusion that Monte Jarrad has arrived in Paynesville.  Melody is loving all the respect and deference that the townsfolk are giving him, thinking his squinting eyes and standoffish demeanor explain all.  Not until Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young) calls him Monte and escorts him out of town does he realize it was a case of mistaken identity.  Now he feels the fool but he is also attracted to Cherry.  Not so dull-witted as George things, Melody returns to the Longpre farm to discover why Cherry opted to call him Monte rather than just clear up the misunderstanding with the townsfolk.

Here is an unusual combination of Western, comedy, and romance.  The villain, Jarrad, is a straightforward coldblooded killer who would fit just fine in a more serious movie.  By contrast, Melody can't draw a gun to save his life.  He is more likely to fling it into the dirt than successfully get it out of his holster.  This is who they are talking about when they accuse someone of not being able to hit the broadside of a barn.  However, he does prove to have a keen mind, deducing what is happening behind the scenes on several occasions.  Though Demerest is good in the role, I kept seeing Uncle Charley from My Three Sons providing sage advice to Melody.

This feels like a movie that couldn't decide what it wanted to be.  Just okay.