Paint Your Wagon

Did you ever watch West Side Story and suddenly find the idea of gang members ballet dancing just ridiculous? If so, you're going to have a similar problem seeing the scum of the Old West two-stepping in Paint Your Wagon, a musical tale of the California Gold Rush. True, listening to Lee Marvin croaking his way through Lerner and Lowe's overripe Broadway score, or Clint Eastwood attempting sincerity during "I Talk to the Trees," is giggle-inducing. But the sight of hordes of chorus boys dressed up like Gabby Hayes ultimately makes Wagon all but impossible to take seriously; you feel as if you're watching the most expensive bad community theater production of anything, ever. And the wide-screen transfer and exceptionally realistic stereo sound here only heighten the high camp value. D