Draw! is a 1984 American Western comedy film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern. It stars Kirk Douglas, James Coburn and Alexandra Bastedo.
In the Twilight of the Old West, a Retired Outlaw, Harry Holland, only wants to leave Bell City with money he won fairly at a poker game. However, his way is barred by Reggie Bell, a gambler who lost most of the money, the sheriff and a deputy, Wally Blodgett. In the subsequent shoot-out, the sheriff is killed and Holland and Bell are wounded. Holland takes refuge in a hotel along with a 'hostage' - Bess. The townsfolk decide the only thing to do is hire an ex-sheriff, Sam Starret, to 'face down' Holland. But he is now a drunk - can he beat his long-time nemesis?
Tropes!:
- The Alcoholic: The town mayor and his council send for former lawman Sam Starret who's fast on the draw and can kill Holland. Unfortunately, Sam Starret is past his prime, is a hopeless drunk and lives in Mexico.
- Alliterative Name: Harry H. Holland, a.k.a. Handsome Harry Holland, and his old nemesis Sam Starret.
- Annoying Laugh: All-round Jerkass Reggie Bell—the son of the most powerful man in Bell City—has an annoying high-pitched laugh that he lets out any time he thinks he is getting one over on someone. The disgusted looks on the faces on those around him every time he laughs show that everyone in town is sick of it, but too scared to call him on it.
- Bandito: A rather pathetic bandito gang—who have only two horses and two guns between the five of them—attempt to ambush Sam and Wally on their way out of Mexico.
- Blasting It Out of Their Hands: In the opening scene, Holland demonstrates his skill with a gun by blasting a stick out the hand of a young boy who is sneaking up on him. He later blasts the gun out of Reggie's hand during the shootout in Bell City. It becomes a Running Gag when Reggie tries to hold Starret at gunpoint, only to have Starret shoot the gun out of his hand.
- Bound and Gagged: After he abducts The Alcoholic Sam Starret, Wally transports him back to Bell gagged and bound on a travois.
- Bullying a Dragon: Reggie and two of his mooks attempt to force Sam Starret out of town at gunpoint: showing up in his bedroom pointing guns at him. When Reggie attempts to humiliate The Alcoholic Starret by pouring a bottle of booze on the floor and forcing him to lick it up, Starret decides he has had enough and shoots the gun out of Reggie's hand, the hat off the head of one of the thugs, and arrests the three of them and locks them up.
- Carpet-Rolled Corpse: Not dead, but Wally smuggles Starret into Bell City rolled up inside a tarpaulin to hide hide the fact that the once great lawman is now a hopeless drunk.
- Circuit Judge: Starret manages to persuade the townsfolk of Bell City to wait until the circuit judge arrives so Holland can get a fair trail: confident that Holland will be acquitted once the facts are known. Unfortunately, the judge turns out to be a Hanging Judge who has a personal grudge against Holland.
- Faking the Dead: After realising that Holland faces no chance of a fair trial in front of Hanging Judge Fawcett, he conspires with Holland to stage a Showdown at High Noon. With age of Bess's stagecraft, they fake Holland's death, and Starret then takes Holland's 'body' out of town to bury it. Once they are out of town, Holland sits up and the two of them split the money Starret was paid to bring him in.
- Gun Twirling: Holland gives an impressive display of this to the young boy Moses at the start of the film. He then immediately undercuts this by telling Moses that it is a completely useless skill that any man with a finger can master. He does it again to holster his gun after the final showdown before collapsing as part of his Faking the Dead act.
- Hanging Judge: Starret manages to persuade the townsfolk of Bell City to wait until the Circuit Judge arrives so Holland can get a fair trail: confident that Holland will be acquitted once the facts are known. Unfortunately, the judge turns out to be Judge Fawcett: a hanging judge who has a personal grudge against Holland because Holland once shot him through the throat.
- Hat Damage: In the opening scene, Harry shoots a stick out of Moses's hand with a gun he has hidden under his hat: putting a hole in it. He then pokes a finger through the hole and comments wistfully about it being his only hat. Later, Sam shoots the bowler hat of the head of one of Reggie's thugs who try to jump him in his bedroom; much to the shock of the thug.
- High-Speed Hijack: Holland jumps from his horse on to the runaway stagecoach in an effort to stop it.
- Hostage Situation: A Retired Outlaw holes up in the hotel with a hostage before a showdown with his boozing ex-lawman enemy.
- Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: After the final showdown with Harry Holland, Sam Starret takes of the sheriff badge and tosses it contemptuously at the mayor before he leaves town.
- I Own This Town: Reggie Bell gets away with throwing his weight around, including trying to have Holland arrested on trumped-up charges when Holland beats him in a poker game, because is the son of the man who owns half of Bell City.
- Just Got Out of Jail: 'Handsome' Harry Holland has just completed a 15 year sentence in prison.
- Lima Syndrome: Almost unintentionally, Harry takes Bess hostage because he knows that the town thinking her life is in danger is the only thing keeping him from being lynched. Over the several days they are holed up in her hotel room, they fall in love and she winds up conspiring with him to find away to avoid mob justice.
- The Magic Poker Equation: Harry Holland sits in on one hand of poker with the annoying Reggie Bell. After a vigorous round of betting, Reggie is forced to put an IOU for $200 into the pot to match Holland's bet. Reggie lays down a full house and starts to rake in the pot, only for Holland to lay down a king high straight flush.
- Of Corpse He's Alive: Not actually dead, but Wally ties the passing out drunk Sam Starret to a board and props him up at the window to persuade Holland and the townsfolk that Starret is present and in fighting condition.
- One-Word Title
- Open Heart Dentistry: After Holland is wounded during the shootout with the sheriff, Bess fetches the town dentist to extract the bullet from his leg.
- Outfit Decoy: One of the Banditos who ambush Sam and Wally pokes his sombrero on a stick over the top of the ridge. Sam shoots it off the stick and then shoots it five more times while it is still in the air. The banditos turn tail and run.
- Pistol-Whipping: After they drive of the Bandito gang, Wally knocks Sam out by rapping on the head with his pistol to keep him unconscious for the rest of the trip to Bell City.
- Retired Badass: Sam Starret used to be the most feared lawman in the Wild West. Now he is past his prime, is a hopeless drunk and lives in Mexico.
- Retired Outlaw: 'Handsome' Harry Holland has Just Got Out of Jail and is looking to go straight, but events conspire against him.
- Showdown at High Noon: The final showdown between Holland and Starret takes place first thing in the morning rather than at noon, but otherwise fits the bill. Except that they have rigged it between the two of them to all Holland to fake his death.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Almost unintentionally, Harry takes Bess hostage because he knows that the town thinking her life is in danger is the only thing keeping him from being lynched. Over the several days they are holed up in her hotel room, they fall in love and she winds up conspiring with him to find away to avoid mob justice.
- Tap on the Head: Wally raps Sam Starret once over the head to knock him out so he can take him back to Bell city. He repeats this at least once over the course of the journey.
- Twilight of the Old West: In the final days of the Old West, a former desperado faces down a now drunken ex-sheriff, who was his long time nemesis.
- Underside Ride: Entirely unintentionally, but Holland ends clinging to the underside of the runaway stagecoach when he falls off it while trying to stop it and has to cling the underside and hold on for dear life as he is dragged along.
- What a Drag: After falling off the runaway stagecoach while trying to stop it, Harry Holland gets dragged along behind it as he clings to the underside of the coach for dear life.
