Disney decided to take the tale of Don Quixote and relocate it to the American West for the 1971 live-action film, Scandalous John. Starring the ever-grouchy, yet endearing Brian Keith (Family Affair) in the title role, the film tells the story of John McCanless, an aging gunslinger who is trying to recapture the glory days of the Old West.

McCanless is an old-timer in an ever-changing world. Once a famous outlaw, he is now running a ranch with the help of his ranch hand, Paco. When real estate developer, Barton Whittaker sets his sites on McCanless’s land as the future location of a dam, he quickly gets on the cranky rancher’s bad side.

John enlists Paco and his daughter, Amanda, to help him set out on one last cattle drive, an easy-enough endeavor considering he only has one steer left. Unfortunately, his bitter and belligerent attitude soon puts him behind bars. But the old coot still has plenty of fight in him and he isn’t throwing in the towel just yet.

With a supporting cast that featured M*A*SH alumni Harry Morgan as the local sheriff and a very young John Ritter (Three’s Company,) Scandalous John was a film that aimed to tug at the heartstrings, while providing the occasional dose of comic relief. Disney would later perfect the formula in offerings such as The Apple Dumpling Gang, which leaned more heavily towards the comedic side of things, but for those who happened to catch Scandalous John in theaters during its original release, it was a memorable and charming film in its own right.