Way Out West (1937)

It’s really hard to describe the impact that Laurel and Hardy had on my life; they were my gateway to classic cinema. I first saw Way Out West when I was six years old (in 1985) and was amazed to find that I actually enjoyed a movie that my father found hilarious. Prior to this, I spent most of my time watching He-Man (and other dreadful 1980s cartoons) and had no desire whatsoever to watch “old” movies. When my dad purchased Way Out West on video (a colorized copy), I was absolutely skeptical. “It’s so old,” I cried. “How can it possibly be any good?”  Then I watched it and I have been hooked on Laurel and Hardy ever since. If this “old” movie was funny, then maybe other “old” movies were just as good, too.

Way Out West is my favorite Laurel and Hardy film. It is well directed by James W. Horne, who not only manages to get great performances from his supporting cast, but more, importantly never allows for the pace to lag; it is an extremely fast moving film. Way Out West is, thankfully, devoid of the unnecessary romantic subplot that often plagued comedies from that era (for a good example, see Bonnie Scotland, or The Marx Brothers' A Day at the Races). It also benefits from a great supporting cast: James Finlayson as the shady bar owner, Mickey Finn, Stanley Fields as the gruff Sheriff, and, most memorably, Sharon Lynn as the bitchy saloon singer, and Finn's wife, Lola Marcel.  Finlayson was a regular member of the Laurel and Hardy stock company and always proved to be a great foil for the boys. 

This was  Stanley Fields only appearance in a Laurel and Hardy film, but he is convincingly menacing in the role of the Sheriff. My favorite bit is when he tells the boys to get out of town in the next coach, or they’ll riding out of town in a hearse. Then after having made his threat, he adds, “Good day, strangers.”

Lynn is genuinely funny as Lola, especially when pretending to be Mary Roberts; she dabbles in  melodrama by adopting a fake southern accent and exaggerated body gestures (putting the back of her hand to her forehead, etc).  In the tradition of Laurel and Hardy, she is a very domineering woman and completely has Mickey Finn whipped.  She can turn on the charm in a heartbeat, but when crossed, LOOK OUT!!! 

What also helps Way Out West is that it actually has a solid story to build its jokes on; the boys have been entrusted to deliver the deed to a gold mine to Mary Roberts, the daughter of a deceased prospector. Mary lives in Brushwood Gulch with her guardians, Mickey and Lola, who treat her like a slave. When Finn finds out why the boys are in town, he tricks them into giving him the deed by having Lola pose as Mary.  The boys eventually get wise to the ruse and the rest of the movie concerns them trying to steal the deed back, so they can give it to the “real” Mary Roberts.  This adds an element of suspense that is generally lacking in Laurel and Hardy’s films, because we are curious to see whether or not the boys will succeed in their goal.  Mary Robert is played by Rosina Lawrence, who is fairly likable in the role, even if she isn't really given much to do.

Way Out West has four musical numbers in it, but they actually add to the charm, rather than detract from the overall comedy. The opening scene has Lola doing a song and dancer number at the saloon, “Will You Be My Lovey Dovey,” and is punctuated by shots of old men ogling her. The scene ends when one of the wives of the men arrives unexpectedly and starts slapping him across the head. This is the main reason why the musical numbers in Way Out West work so well; the filmmakers wisely incorporate comedy into the narrative. Compare this to the Marx Brother’s vastly overrated A Day at the Races (released the same year) where the comedy comes to a complete standstill while Allan Jones warbles out a few tunes. These musical numbers are completely dull and seem to go on forever.  Not only are the songs in Way Out West catchy, but they are fairly short, too. The most endearing scene in the film is when Stan and Ollie do a soft shoe dance while the Avalon Boys sing, “At the Ball.” From a narrative stand point there’s no reason for this scene to exist, but it is an absolute joy to watch, and, more importantly, it feels organic to the actual movie. They are about to enter Finn’s saloon, but notice the Avalon Boys singing and stop to listen to them. The music eventually overtakes them and they being to dance. It is a very naturalistic moment and doesn't seem contrived, unlike the dreadful musical numbers in A Day at the Races. 

Way Out West is loaded with hilarious comedy bits, here are a few of my favorite moments: 

Stan and Ollie have hitched a ride in a stagecoach and find that the other passenger is an attractive blonde (Vivien Oakland).  Ollie attempts to flirt with her and breaks the ice with, “A lot of weather we’ve been having.” He then follows up with, “Only four months until Christmas.”

 The movie repeatedly cuts to a close up of the woman who constantly wears an annoyed expression on her face. In a turn of events, it is revealed that the woman is the Sheriff’s wife.  She complains to her husband that Stan and Ollie annoyed her throughout the entire trip and he then tells them to take the next stagecoach out of town, or else. It’s a quintessential Laurel and Hardy moment; they are genuinely well meaning guys, but they have a tendency to get on other people’s nerves.

After having learned of Mickey and Lola's deception, Stan and Ollie confront them, and it turns into one big wrestling match; the deed constantly changes between hands and Stan ultimately stuffs it in his shirt, this leads to risque scene in which Lola locks Stan in her bedroom and then wrestles the deed away from him underneath her bed. Stan is extremely ticklish and whenever he is touched by Lola, he begins to laugh maniacally. This scene is interesting, because, with the exception of a few bits of dialogue, it plays like a silent movie; the humor is completely visual. 

Stanley's ability to use his thumb as a lighter. This gag gets repeated throughout the film; whenever the boys need a light, Stanley will snap his thumb and a flame with shoot out from the tip of it. This baffles Oliver and he constantly attempts to do it himself and, after numerous failures, is finally successful, but this completely freaks him out and he begins to scream, nearly blowing the boys cover in the process. 

Way Out West is one of the earliest movies to directly reference another movie, in this case Frank Capra's It Happened One Night. In that film, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are attempt to hitchhike, but with no success. Finally, Colbert is able to get a motorist to stop by slightly pulling up her dress and revealing her shapely leg. In Way Out West, Stan and Ollie are trying to catch a stagecoach, but with little success. Finally, Stan is able to get a stagecoach to stop by rolling up his trousers and showing off his right leg. It's a joke that would have resonated with 1930s audiences, yet is still able to work on it's own merits. When I first saw this movie when I was six, I (obviously) had not seen It Happened One Night, but I still laughed at this moment; it is so wonderfully absurd.  

While the film is brimming with slapstick, there is a lot of extremely funny dialogue as well. My favorite exchanges is Lola, impersonating Mary, asks, "Tell me about my dear, dear Daddy! Is it true that he's dead?"
To which Stan replies,"We hope so, they buried him."  

Way Out West is the kind of movie that gets ignore when film critics/historians (namely AFI) compose their Greatest Films list. It's certainly not a top 10 film, but it's definitely on par with the likes of Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera (critics have a raging hard on for the Marx Brothers), movies that often end up on  top 100 lists. C'mon AFI. 

Note: Just for the record I like the Marx Brothers. Duck Soup is one of my favorite comedies, but I definitely prefer Laurel and Hardy. 

Just for the hell of it, here are my top 10 Laurel and Hardy movies:

1)      Way Out West (obviously) (1937)

2)      The Music Box (1932)

3)      Sons of the Desert (1933)

4)      Two Tars (1928)

5)      Men O’ War (1929)

6)      Big Business (1929)

7)      Babes in Toyland (1934)

8)      Blotto (1930)

9)      Me and My Pal (1933)

10) The Live Ghost (1934)

Credits

Cast: Stan Laurel (Stanley), Oliver Hardy (Ollie), James Finlayson (Mickey Finn), Sharon Lynn (Lola Marcel), Rosina Lawrence (Mary Roberts), Stanley Fields (Sheriff), Vivien Oakland (Sheriff’s wife), The Avalon Boys (Singers), Harry Bernard (Man Eating at Bar), Tex Driscoll (Paw), Flora Finch (Maw), Mary Gordon (Cook).

Director: James W. Horne
Screenplay: Charley Rogers, Felix Adler, James Parrott.
Running Time:  65 min. 

10 Reasons I Love The Ten Commandments (1956)

The Ten Commandments has become a fixture during the Easter holiday that it’s only a natural a backlash would eventually happen. Many film historians have made it their goal to put Cecil B. DeMille in his proper place by constantly bad mouthing the famous director every chance they get. One of the latest culprits is Michael Sauter, who in his book, The Worst Movies of All Time: Or, What Were They Thinking?, includes three DeMille movies(Sign of the Cross, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ten Commandments)  on his list. Which makes me suspect that Sauter  hasn't seen too many movies! Sure, DeMille’s movies are corny and absolutely lacking in subtlety, but it’s a bit of stretch to claim that they are among the worst movies EVER MADE! No one will ever mistake Cecil B. DeMille for being a David Lean, or an Orson Welles, but there’s no denying that his films are immensely entertaining, and that he was an extremely influential director. In fact, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, DeMille was a huge star in his own right; he was one of the few directors that audiences instantly recognized. What I find appealing about DeMille is the lack of irony in his films; everything is done in a straightforward and sincere manner.  There is no sense that anyone involved with the film is sending it up, rather it’s done out of genuine love for the material. Sure, it often leads to some unintentional funny moments (the lesbian seduction scene in Sign of the Cross comes to mind), but it’s preferable to the nonstop winking in today's blockbusters. It is extremely irksome how modern day directors constantly pay service to the fan boys by referencing the source material, regardless as to whether or not it is relevant to the plot (see the Star Wars prequels). 

The Ten Commandments is a vastly flawed film, but it still remains one of my favorite movies. This is interesting given that I have fairly agnostic when it comes to the existence of God, but even I can’t resists the films many charms.  It’s nearly four hours long, but moves at an extremely swift pace. It’s one of the few “epics” where I’m not constantly checking my watch to see how much time has passed. I could write an elaborate and long winded review defending The Ten Commandments; instead I have opted to list ten reasons why I love the movie.

So, without further ado, here they are:

1) Charlton Heston as Moses. 

It's become rather trendy to blast Heston for his politics, however, for the sake of this article, I could careless that he was once the president of the NRA, rather I'm more interested his performance as Moses, and it is truly a memorable one at that.  It's really hard to imagine any other actor in the role, because Heston completely dominates the proceedings with his chiseled looks, towering presence, and booming voice; it's easy to believe that his Moses is, indeed, as messenger from God. 

2) Yul Brynner as Rameses.

Yul Brynner is a perfect foil for Charlton Heston with his eagle like stare, bald head, and ripped physique. He was only 5'8", but he was one of the most intimidating actors to grace the screen. His Rameses is an absolutely fearless, and stubborn, ruler, yet Brynner some how manages to brings an air of vulnerability (and sympathy) to the character that is often lacking in  DeMille villains; the most telling scene is  Rameses praying at the altar of his Egyptian God after the death of his son. 

3) Anne Baxter as Nefretiri.

Baxter has often been criticized for camping it up in the role of Egyptian princess Nefretiri, I personally like her performance and think her over top portrayal is perfect for this movie. In The Ten Commandments, almost everything is larger than life, and if Baxter were to have given a more restrained performance, she would have been lost in the shuffle. It's just not that type of film. I also find it interesting how Nefretiri does a complete 180 as the film progresses; at the beginning she is a rather warm and loving person, but by the movie's end she has been transformed into an icy villainess (as a result of having been scorned by Moses and losing her soon to a plague). Baxter is absolutely chilling in these latter scenes, especially when she taunts Rameses for being weak willed and manipulating him into going after Moses and the Hebrews. 

4) Vincent Price as Baka. 

Vincent Price rules!!! That's really all I have to say about that! Okay, fine, I shall elaborate. Price is an absolutely blast to watch as the slimy overseer Baka, who has his eyes sets on the comely water girl Lilia (Debra Paget). He does a lot of leering and a lot of sneering in his performance and then comes to an untimely end at the hands of Moses; it's not the kind of acting that will give you rave reviews, but it's certainly a lot of fun to watch. Plus, Price is certainly far more livelier than the ultra stiff, John Derek, who plays Lilia's love interest (and Moses right hand man) Joshua. It should be noted that Price and Paget would later be reunited in two Roger Corman movies, Tales of Terror and The Haunted Palace, where they played a married couple.  Take that, Derek.

5) Cedric Hardwicke as Sethi. 

Hardwicke might actually give the most impressive performance in the entire film; he manages to take the rather thankless role of Sethi (Rameses father and Moses' adopted father) and breathe life into it; he brings a lot of warmth to the role, and surprisingly, humor as well. The most heart breaking scene in the entire movie is when Moses is brought before Sethi in chains (after having killed Baka) and he must, reluctantly, punish Moses for his crimes. Yet, he can't bring himself to name a punishment and leaves it to Rameses.  Sethi could have easily been a cold hearted tyrant, yet he is a rather likable character thanks to Hardwicke. 

6) The plagues of Egypt.

When I was a kid, this was also the part of the movie that I looked forward to, because this is when all the neat special effects start to kick in;  from turning the Nile into blood to the Angel of Death (in the form of a green fog) slowly creeping upon the city of Egypt, it makes for some extremely compelling (and often eerie) cinema. Sure, some of the special effects have shown their age, but they are still rather effective in conveying the point DeMille was trying to make. My favorite bit is when Moses picks up a snake and it transforms into a wooden staff. It is a very simple special effect, done with a dissolve, but extremely convincing as well.

7) The Exodus.

The spectacle that is put on display is completely awe inspiring. It's also interesting to note all the mini story lines that are going on in this scene; a woman giving birth, a donkey that refuses to budge, Bithiah (Moses' adopted mother) promising a dying old man that she will plant his fig tree in the new land. Even in all this pageantry, DeMille was able to include the human element. These bits don't have much impact on the main narrative, but they help make it a much more involving experience.

8) The Parting of the Red Sea.

When I first saw this scene when I was six, my jaw completely dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe my eyes. How did they do this special effect? I can only imagine the impact it must have had on audiences in the 1950s, viewing it on the big screen. It is one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. 

9)  The Writing of the Ten Commandments.

This moment is rather fun to watch, despite the rather chintzy effects on display; God appears as a pillar of fire (done with animation) and proceeds to etch out the Ten Commandments on a nearby stone, while Moses is completely awe stuck by the experience.This is juxtapose with the Hebrews wallowing in one huge orgy, after having lost faith in Moses (he has been on the mountain top of Mt. Sinai for forty days).  The lecherous traitor Dathan (Edward G. Robinson) has convinced them to make and  worship a Golden Idol (a calf), under the ruse that the Egyptians would welcome them back with open arms once they saw the gold calf. Naturally, all hell breaks loose once Moses returns and sees just how far his people have fallen. It's over the top to be sure, but all the better for it. Who wants to watching a religious epic where people calmly talk out their problems?  

10) Cecil B. DeMille's direction.

It needs to be said that DeMille's direction is absolutely first rate. I know the very idea of DeMille being a competent director is blasphemy in many film circles, but I stand by my point. DeMille keeps things going at rather brisk pace and allows manages to keep the audience's attention. He also able to create great tension in many scenes simply by showing a character's face, or their body language. In the beginning of the film, Rameses I (Ian Keith) is told about the prophecy of the deliver and orders the execution of every newborn in the slave quarters, this is then followed by the shot of a mother in a complete shock after having just witnessed the murder of her child. This is an extremely effective, and understated, piece of direction; we don't see the murder itself, just the after effect. The camera lingers on the grieving mother's face and that's all we need to know. The other moment is when the Angel of Death descends upon Egypt; what really stands out in this scene is DeMille's use of sound. Moses and company are having dinner indoors, but their meal is constantly interrupted by the sound of chaos emanating from the streets; we hears screams and, at one point, the sound of a chariot crashing. It's an extremely unnerving sequence and it's done without a single special effect. That mark of a good director. 

 Credits

Cast: Charlton Heston (Moses), Yul Brynner (Rameses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derek (Joshua), Debra Paget (Lilia), Nina Foch (Bithiah), Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi), Martha Scott (Yochabel), Vincent Price (Baka), John Carradine (Aaron), Olive Deering (Miriam), Henry Wilcoxon (Pentaur), Judith Anderson (Memnet), Eduard Franz (Jethro), Douglas Dumbrille (Jannes), Julia Faye (Elisheba), Donald Curtis (Mered), Lawrence Dobkin (Hur Ben Caleb), Frank DeKova (Abiram), H.B. Warner (Amminadab), Ian Keith (Rameses I), Woody Strode (King of Ethiopia), Eugene Mazzola (Rameses’ Son), Francis McDonald (Simon),Ramsay Hill (Korah), Joan Woodbury (Korah’s Wife), Henry Brandon (Commander of the Hosts), Babette Bain (Littlie Miriam),  Esther Brown (Princess Tharbis), Fraser Heston (The Infant Moses), John Miljan (The Blind One), Mike Connors (Amalekite Herder), Onslow Stevens (Lugal), Clint Walker (Sardinian Captain), Peter Coe (Egyptian Soldier).  Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille.

Director: Cecil B.DeMille
Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank.
Running Time:  220 min. 

Hollywood Revue of 1929

It’s hard to criticize a movie like Hollywood Revue of 1929, because it has no story to tell, it is a series of musical numbers and comedy skits strung together over the course of two hours.  It’s the equivalent of watching a high school talent show; the only exception being that the performers are some of biggest stars of the day as opposed to awkward teenagers hoping to make a name for themselves. Indeed, the Hollywood Revue of 1929 was a novelty film to cash in on the latest craze in motion pictures – sound; it was, rather inexplicably, nominated for Best Picture at the 1928/29 Academy Awards (it lost to The Broadway Melody).

For the audience of the time, it must have been pretty jaw dropping to see some of their favorite silence actors speaking and singing on the big screen. In a few cases (specifically and tragically John Gilbert), the voices of the actors did not live up to their silent screen image and their film careers would come to an abrupt end.  The problem is that the novelty has worn out for modern audiences, most of whom are oblivious to half the actors in the cast, and, as a result, Hollywood Revue is an extremely arduous task to sit through; this has more to do with the unimaginative staging (and primitive sound recording) than the actual talent on display.  It is photographed like a stage play, done in complete long shots and extended takes with on occasional close up of the performer to create a dramatic effect.  The camera, for most part, remains stationary throughout the film; there are a few instances where a crane shot is used. Sometimes this stylistic choice can be beneficial, the most memorable example being Laurel and Hardy’s comedy skit, but it gets tiresome really fast. It’s also amazing just how slopping the editing is at the times; the film looks like it was edited with a chainsaw.  The jarring moments are when the position of the chorus girls will slightly change between camera sets up.

There are a few fairly offbeat moments in the movie; the two that really come to mind are William Haines ripping apart Jack Benny’s tuxedo shirt and Bessie Love making her introduction in Jack Benny’s inside coat pocket.  The comedy bit with Haines is extremely odd as if comes completely out of nowhere; The two of them banter back and forth, then Haines starts ripping apart Benny’s shirt.  Bessie Love’s introduction is a stand out moment, because it’s one of the few moments that involve a special effect.  Love is miniaturized in Benny’s pocket and does a little wave to the audience. Benny picks her up, places her on the stage floor, and then she grows to her normal height.  It’s really weird directorial decisions, but at least it’s interesting, if not entirely successful.

The movie, for all its flaws, still manages to have a few memorable moments that make it worthwhile. My favorite bits are the following:

1)      Bessie Love singing, “I Never Knew I Could Do a Thing Like That.”  After seeing Bessie Love in this movie and The Broadway Melody, I’m amazed that she didn't have a bigger career in sound films as she is an absolute joy to watch.  She has a rather lively personality and, more importantly, looks like she’s genuinely having a good time. She certainly comes off a lot better than some of her more famous co-stars; compare her energetic musical number to Joan Crawford’s rather stilted song and dance routine at the beginning of the movie. Her exuberance must have rubbed off on the producers, because she appears again later on the movie, in a musical number (“Marie, Polly, and Bess”) with Marie Dressler and Polly Moran.  While most silent stars were fairly reluctant to embrace sound pictures, Miss Love doesn't seem to have such a hang up; she seems eager to conquer the new medium. In this musical number she sings about the difficulties of transitioning from silents movies to sound movies; it's a very interesting scene to watch, because it's about a very specific moment in cinema history. It essentially encapsulates the anxiety that most Hollywood stars were feeling in 1929. Would they still have a film career by 1930? 

On an interesting side note: Love would make a cameo appearance in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

2)      Laurel and Hardy’s Magic Act.  Hollywood Revue of 1929 is not a classic film, but it is invaluable in that it features an early sound appearance by the great comedy team, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It’s not necessarily one of their best routines, but it is still rather amusing; Oliver fumbles his way through magic tricks and gets frustrated by Stan’s inattentiveness. It’s interesting to note that Oliver does all the talking, while Stan remains mute throughout the skit. While Stan was usually the quieter of the two, he was still given plenty of dialogue in their later films. This comedy routine feels like a test run for the two comedians; a chance to try out  few ideas and then later perfect them in later films. Was it their original intention that Stan would remain mute in their later sound pictures? Or was this a one time thing? 

 

3)      Gus Edwards singing “Lon Chaney’s Gonna Get You if You Don’t Watch Out.” This is a rather fun number. In it, Gus Edwards warns a couple of comely lasses that if they’re not careful Lon Chaney will snatch them in their sleep, then insanity ensues as a group of male dancers wearing monster masks force the women to dance with them, before they drag them to the bowels of hell. Sure, it’s not political correct, but it’s done with its tongue firmly implanted in its cheek and is fairly well staged.  It is interesting how audiences couldn't divorce Chaney from the horror films he made to the point that he was equated to being the boogeyman; this song isn't about how one of his screen creations is going to get you - NO - Lon Chaney, himself, is going to get you if you don’t watch out.  

4)      The Adagio Dance with the Natova Company.  This dance routine is one of the few times were the stationary camera is actually beneficial to the act being performed onstage. It’s probably the one scene that will have you at edge of your seat. The dance involves a petite woman being swung around like a doll by three male dancers; at point her head is just a fraction of an inch away from crashing into the floor. If this sequence were done in more conventional style, with lots of edits and close ups, the audience would assume there was a lot of fakery involved. Here, there is absolutely no doubt of the authenticity of the routine, because the filmmakers allow it to play out in front of us.

5)      Cliff Edwards and the Brox Sisters performing “Singin’ in the Rain.” This isn’t one of the earliest, if not the earliest, renditions of this song preserved on film, thus making is a historically significant moment. It’s also interesting to note that there’s a midsection (performed by the Brox Sisters) that later versions would omit. It’s also staged in a rather imaginative fashion; the most effect moment being the use of back light to create silhouettes of dancers in raincoats.  The number ends with the dancers ascending an arched stairway to form a silhouetted rainbow. The song is later reprise (in two strip technicolor) by the entire cast at the film's finale.

6)      Jack Benny as the Master of Ceremonies.  Hollywood Revue of 1929 actually has two master of ceremonies, Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny, but Benny comes off a lot better thanks to his brand of self deprecating humor. He is always amusing to watch, even when the jokes are not all that funny.  Nagel, on the other hand, is extremely stiff and looks like he would rather be somewhere else. The filmmakers must have noticed the contrast, because Nagel disappears in the film’s second half, while Benny is given free reign to do whatever he wants.

Leonard Maltin perfectly sums up this movie in his Movie Guide book, “Definitely a curio for film buffs, rough sledding for others.” If you are a fan of classic movies, especially from the silent era, then this movie is definitely worth a look.  It can be tedious at times, but there are enough moments to make it worth your while.

Credits

Cast:  Conrad Nagel (Master of Ceremonies), Jack Benny (Master of Ceremonies), Cliff Edwards, Bessie Love, Joan Crawford, John Gilbert, Norma Shearer, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Marie Dressler, Polly Moran, Gus Edwards, Buster Keaton, Lionel Barrymore, Anita Page, Charles King, Marion Davies, William Haines, Karl Dane, The Brox Sisters.

Director: Charles Reisner.
Screenplay: Al Boasberg, Robert E. Hopkins, Joseph Farnham.
Running Time:  120 min.