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.