I enjoyed his cameo. Funny to have such an English sheriff. He played his lines fairly straight which is good.

His scenes in the movie are great, it was great fun to see him play that part

If we want to enjoy the movie experience, we must suspend all prior knowledge of a famous performer playing a part. Then the actor must work to convince us that he is in character. That's the give and take of the theater.
For instance, John Wayne convinced me that he was John T Chance, Tom Donophan, Rockwell Torrey, Rooster Cogburn, Cole Thornton, and JB Books over a time span of about 15 years. I knew Wayne was in there, but he made these characters live for me. His director contributed to my suspension of belief by making these characters big men of action, and quick moral certainty, who felt a noble generosity toward the town folks he was charged to protect, just like the Duke.
Have you noticed that when we refuse to suspend belief about an actor/actress, or when a major player is poorly cast, we tend not to like the film?
On first seeing John Cleese, I was immediately reminded of Richard Harris playing English Bob in the Eastwood film, albeit Cleese is a comic figure and Bob a tragic one. I felt Cleese was a great western character in this film, as well as English Bob in the Eastwood film Unforgiven. Adding an eccentric English character to the old West has helped to enrich both films.

@pusterummet, sorry, but there is no "problem" with casting Cleese. Yes, we see the man who engaged in a lot of zany skits prior to this role, but quite frankly, he handles the role with aplomb and carves out a nice little bit of the film for himself. And if you'll notice, this film contains lots of little pieces; this one happened to belong to Cleese, Glover, and Costner.

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The "problem" with Cleese here is ofcourse that he is know for all his Python and Fawlty Towers work.. I don't think when this movie was made that he had ever had a serious role.. That's the "danger" of casting these known celebs in such minor roles.. You don't see a Sheriff.. you see John Cleese

i just saw this movie, and the part where danny glover is shooting at cleese and his crew while hiding in the high ground. i swore it sounded/looked exactly like him.
funny how it ended up being him in such a random movie. Hes so jokes.

I couldn't help but wonder if Cleese himself suggested that scene/gag. Hysterical.

Best comedic scene is when cleese is playing chess opposite a guy who looks deeply engrossed in the game..when cleese moves his chess piece you expect the other guy to respond and move his chess piece but no!cleese just turns the board around..and continues pondering his next move.he was playing chess all by himselfclassic.

It's so funny to see Kevin Kline and John Cleese in scenes together in this movie when you know what they were doing just three years later in A Fish Called Wanda.
Beer, Norm?
Isnt it early?
For a beer?
No, for stupid questions.
Cheers

"I should also add there was horror of horrors a few british out laws in the west."
Most notable, Percy the Kid, aka "Paddlin' Percival" He was infamous for holding up stages, but seemed less interested in the strong box then in making the male passengers drop their trousers and bend over while he spanked them with a large paddle. He wore a Lone Ranger style half-mask, but everyone could reognize him by his notoriously bad teeth.

Two of my ancestors went from England to fight in the American civil war and if the stories told by the family are correct One became a sheriff in Texas and as stated before there was a great influx of emigrants from Great Britain to the US of A at this period of American history.
So why do American's get so huffy about British actors playing in westerns.
I should also add there was horror of horrors a few british out laws in the west.

he didn't throw his hat down, it was shot off. even though he had a couple of funny bits this was probably the most serious role i have ever seen him in. he should have done more.

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Don't know why an Englishman as a western sheriff is any less believable than a Danish ex-Foreign Legionnaire as a federal marshal or an Irish soldier-of-fotune as a U.S. cavalry officer (real life Dalton nemesis Chris Madsen and 7th Cavalry major Myles Keogh, respectively).

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Well, the real life Ben Thompson who was a notorious gunslinger and also town marshal of Fort Worth was indeed English.But John Cleese!!!? talk about mis-cast.

John Cleese was not half bad in A Fish Called Wanda. He was rather buff.
Check out the scene where he is hiding behind the picture frame.

This role is the sexiest John has ever looked. He's so calm and in charge and THAT BEARD!

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Pretty close, I have the advantage of watching it on DVR as I type.
Today, my jurisdiction ends here

is he a bad guy, I don't recall if he is? I did love this movie, Cleese was great, I know he was the sheriff in all, but was he a baddie at all? I'm pretty sure he was a good guy. "I don't much care for that word" lol.

According to the "memorable quotes" section it goes: "Today, my jurisdiction ends here. Pick up my hat."
This was immediately after the rifleman shot his hat off his head.

I'm sure it does, but that doesn't change the fact that on Monty Python's Flying Circus they did in fact use that exact line all of the time. Seeing as John Cleese was the one saying it in this movie and multiple times on their TV show, I think it is safe to say that it is a nod to Monty Python's.

That's more a standard English policeman's line like as in "Hallo, Hallo, Hallo, what's all this then?" Certainly predates the Python era.