The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid

Infobox Film
name = The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid


caption =
director = Michele Lupo
producer = Elio Scardamaglia, Francesco Scardamaglia, Marcello Fondato
writer = Marcello Fondato, Francesco Scardamaglia
starring = Bud Spencer, Cary Guffey, Raimund Harmstorf, Joe Bugner
cinematography = Franco Di Giacomo
distributor =
released = 1979
runtime = (Italy) 95 minutes
country = Italy
awards =
language = Italian, English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by = "Chissà perché... capitano tutte a me"
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0079859

The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (original Italian title: "Uno Sceriffo extraterrestre - poco extra e molto terrestre") is a children's comedy movie starring Bud Spencer and child actor Cary Guffey that was released in cinemas in 1979. It was followed by a sequel in 1980, "Chissà perché... capitano tutte a me" (English title: "Everything Happens to Me")

Plot

One morning, the little town of Newnan, Georgia, is thrown into hysteria when a UFO is reported over the nearby lake; even the personnel from the nearby Air Force base is mobilized. The only one remaining untouched by this hubbub is Sheriff Hall (Spencer), the big and punchy keeper of the local law; indeed, he does not believe in aliens, especially since layabouts like Brennan (Joe Bugner) use the excitement to make all sorts of mischief. Still, strange things begin to happen to some of the citizens who share his point of view: a barber's chair begins to turn rapidly around its axis - along with its customer - and an ice cream cart suddenly squirts its entire contents (and more) onto the street after the vendor had made a joke about the aliens being hungry for his ice cream.

The same night, a blackout hits the city. Hall goes on patrol when his rheumatic deputy Allen (Luigi Bonos) calls him to retrieve a runaway boy. Arriving at the boy's favorite place, the local amusement park, Hall finds not one but "two" boys; one of them - wearing a silver spacesuit - turns out to be the runaway, the other (an apparent nine-year-old; played by Guffey) perpetually introduces himself as H-725, comes up with space-related terms like lightyears and spaceship, brandishes a strange device which makes all things around him go haywire, and even enables Brennan (who has been taken into custody) to escape on two occasions and Allen to (temporarily) overcome his rheumatism. Still, the sheriff is not convinced - not until the boy irradiates him with what he calls "bio-magnetic energy", enabling him to make a very big trout leap into his hands and a horse talk in English!

Meanwhile, however, an ambitious Air Force Captain named Briggs (Raimund Harmstorf) sees his chance with the UFO sighting and the evidence of an alien landing (which is, of course, H-725's doing and caused the aforementioned blackout) to further his own career. Working without the knowledge of his highly sceptical general, Briggs finally manages to track down the boy - but his attempts to take him away are foiled by the sheriff's hard-hitting fists and H-725's technical wizard device, as well as Brennan's assistance.

Finally, while Hall and H-725 camp out at Stone Mountain to await the arrival of the boy's pick-up, Briggs and his men manage to kidnap the boy and bring him to the base. The sheriff, however, manages to infiltrate the facility and gets the boy out. In a mass showdown at the local fire brigade hall, where a party was to be held, Briggs and his men get their share from the Sheriff Hall, the little alien and their friends.

Finally, later that night, a spaceship comes to pick up H-725, and he and Hall part as friends. But as Hall returns home, he suddenly finds H-725 sitting in the back of his car - he has managed to get an additional period of leave on Earth to spend with his big friend.

Trivia

*The real firefighters and equipment for Newnan Fire Department were used in the filming of this movie. They were used on location in the Newnan area and the filming at Stone Mountain.

External links

*
* The Italian Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movie website [http://www.budterence.tk/sceriffo.php]