Check out the "Cisco Kid / I Shot The Sheriff" performance on The Jacksons Variety Show.
I'm glad you pointed this out, because it's one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of a Western-themed Michael "short film". He's even got a blue shirt on just like in the Smooth Criminal film!
But, yes, he could have definitely pulled off a Western short film. Club 30's could've easily been transformed into Saloon 1860s! However, I do think it's a little hard to picture Smooth Criminal as a song for a Western short film, although, the whistling in the intro could be interpreted as a Western touch. I think Smooth Criminal suits the crime noir/gangster genre much better. Nevertheless, I think the whole vibe of his films like Smooth Criminal, You Rock My World, and the live performances of Dangerous have a sort of Western feel to them, just like the Variety Show skit "Cisco Kid/I Shot the Sherriff". In fact, Michael's films and performances like Smooth Criminal make quite a few nods to the "Fistful of Dollars" trilogy. In Smooth Criminal, the scene where Michael shoots the thug behind him without looking is similar to what Clint Eastwood's character did in "For a Few Dollars More". Michael even sampled the Theme from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" for his live performance of Dangerous at the 1995 MTV Music Awards! It's really interesting when you stop and think about all of the different artistic styles that influenced Michael over the years!
Speaking of which, I personally feel that the song Bad would fit perfectly in a Western themed video! Just listen to some of the lyrics:
"Just show your face in broad daylight"
"Don't shoot to kill"
"I'm giving you on count to three"
"Gon' lock you up before too long"
Imagine Bad as a Western!
But at the end of the day, I agree with Michael: The direction they went in with Smooth Criminal was the best route. Maybe he could've done the Western thing with a different song.
