THE JAYHAWKERS (1959). With Jeff Chandler, Fess Parker, Nicole Maurey. Pre-Civil War farmer battles jayhawkers, a word that meant anti-slavery raiders of Kansas, Missouri and other border states. The subject had possibilities, but whenever four Hollywood writers are used for a script, the overwhelming odds are against quality.

Curiously, this serious film was directed and co-written by Melvin Frank, who, in many capacities worked on sometimes good and funny movies, such as Hope-Crosby's "Road" or Danny Kaye vehicles. His "A Touch Of Class" is a delight.

Here, the one amusing section comes at the start, as Fess Parker is teaching English to French widow Maurey's children. In unplanned humor the kids murder the French language, and in planned joviality Parker intones: "I'm a goin' , you're a goin' , he's a goin'... I ain't a goin', you ain't a going ..." Followed by: "I'm a fixin' to, you're a fixin' to ... I ain't a fixin' to, you ain't a fixin' to... "

A footnote. "Fesse" means "buttocks" in French, so that in France the actor was renamed Fair Parker. (Edwin Jahiel)