What The...? Oh, Swell!
- Sunday, August 11 2013 @ 10:59 am EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 5,646

Chuck Menville and Len Janson's
Sergeant Swell of the Mounties (1972)
Sergeant Swell of the Mounties is a short film written and directed by Len Janson and Chuck Menville, with Menville starring in the title role.
The film is said to be a spoof of the '50s television series Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. It relies heavily on the use of the animation technique known as pixilation (using human actors as stop-motion puppets.) It also relies on silliness and corn ball humor, often venturing into stereotypical humor in search of a laugh (that it very often finds.) This independent film was introduced at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in March of 1972.
I have actually owned this film in Super-8 format (w/mag-stripe sound!) since the mid 1980's. After viewing it so often on the silver screen it is a little disorienting to see it on this small embedded video screen, but it's not like that is the only disorienting thing about this film. Do you have 16 minutes to spare in the quest for a good time? Mount Up! and give this little classic a try.
Directed by: Len Janson, Chuck Menville
Written by: Len Janson, Chuck Menville
Cast (in credits order)
Chuck Menville ... Sgt. Swell
Kathy Puerta ... Emmy Lou
John Tucker ... Chief Silly Savage / Pony Express Rider
Len Janson ... Billy The Creep
Spread Eagle ... Himself
Tony Krizan ... Bald Eagle
Ron Quigley ... Old Man
Dave Brain ... Sheriff
Produced by: Len Janson, Chuck Menville
Cinematography by: Ron Foreman