The Frisco Kid

The AJFF celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of “The Frisco Kid” by bringing this crowd-pleasing comedy back to theaters. Starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford — fresh from being launched to superstardom by “Star Wars” — this hysterical comedy is the tale of an Orthodox Polish rabbi traveling across the Old West to his new congregation in San Francisco. Along the way, he meets up with a bank robber, who agrees to help the rabbi reach his destination.

The two men accidentally end up teaching each other a lot about their different worlds and also learn a good deal about themselves. Wilder’s remarkable comedic timing is on full display here and many critics say this is his finest work on film. The role Ford plays was originally intended for John Wayne, but the youthful Star Wars star fits the part better than The Duke would have.

Considered one of the finest Jewish comedies ever to come out of Hollywood, you’ll be guaranteed to laugh as the big screen welcomes back an old friend in “The Frisco Kid.”

Jason Evans is a local film critic and journalist. He is the co-chair of the AJFF Film Evaluation Committee.