Pest from the West | |
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Directed by | Del Lord |
Written by | Clyde Bruckman Buster Keaton |
Produced by | Jules White |
Starring | Buster Keaton Lorna Gray Gino Corrado Richard Fiske Bud Jamison Forbes Murray Eddie Laughton Ned Glass |
Cinematography | Henry Freulich |
Edited by | Charles Nelson |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Pest from the West is the first short subject starring American comedian Buster Keaton made for Columbia Pictures. Keaton made a total of ten films for the studio between 1939 and 1941.
Keaton is a millionaire vacationing in Mexico traveler who falls in love with a señorita (Lorna Gray) and sets out to win her.
This was the first film made by Columbia Pictures starring Keaton and was a condensed remake of his English-made feature film The Invader (1935). Keaton's silent-era writer Clyde Bruckman collaborated on the screenplay and it was directed by comedy veteran Del Lord. The supporting cast features Columbia regulars Lorna Gray, Gino Corrado, Richard Fiske, Bud Jamison, Eddie Laughton, and Ned Glass with the voices of short-subject stars Charley Chase and Curly Howard heard on the soundtrack.
Much of Pest from the West was filmed on location at Balboa, California, United States (Keaton repeatedly falls off his boat, into Balboa Bay). The Mexican-village settings were adapted from sets used in Columbia's 1937 feature film Lost Horizon .
Pest from the West was a huge hit in theaters, and earned rave reports from exhibitors. Keaton starred in nine more Columbia shorts, the last of which was She's Oil Mine . Like Pest from the West, this borrowed content from an older Keaton feature, The Passionate Plumber .
The Film Daily called the short "one of the funniest shorts of the season. In fact, of any season. It just goes to prove that this Buster Keaton feller is a natural B.O. gold mine that is not being mined." [1]
The Three Stooges was an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared over the act's run : Moe Howard and Larry Fine were mainstays throughout the ensemble's nearly 50-year run and the pivotal "third stooge" was played by Shemp Howard, Curly Howard, Shemp Howard again, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face". Critic Roger Ebert wrote of Keaton's "extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929" when he "worked without interruption" as having made him "the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies". In 1996, Entertainment Weekly recognized Keaton as the seventh-greatest film director, and in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him as the 21st-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema.
Edward Francis Cline ("Eddie") was an American screenwriter, actor, writer and director best known for his work with comedians W. C. Fields and Buster Keaton. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and died in Hollywood, California.
Charles Joseph Parrott, known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with producer Hal Roach. Chase was the elder brother of comedian/director James Parrott.
Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle Hammons (1882–1962). Educational primarily distributed short subjects; it is best known for its series of comedies starring Buster Keaton (1934-37) and the earliest screen appearances of Shirley Temple (1932-34). The company ceased production in 1938, and finally closed in 1940 when its film library was sold at auction.
Christine Cecilia McIntyre was an American actress and singer who appeared in various films in the 1930s and 1940s. She is mainly remembered as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many of The Three Stooges shorts produced by Columbia Pictures.
Charles Lamont was a prolific filmmaker, directing over 200 titles and producing and writing many others. He directed several Abbott and Costello comedies and many Ma and Pa Kettle films.
Jules White was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges.
Three Sappy People is a 1939 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 43rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Boom in the Moon is a 1946 Mexican comedy science fiction film directed by Jaime Salvador and starring Buster Keaton. The film is notable both as Keaton's only Mexican production and as the last time Keaton had star billing in a feature film.
Virginia Pound, known professionally as Lorna Gray and Adrian Booth, was an American film actress known for her comic roles, and later as a villainess. She is best known for her roles in Columbia Pictures comedy shorts and Republic Pictures serials.
Mooching Through Georgia is the second short subject starring American comedian Buster Keaton made for Columbia Pictures. Keaton made a total of ten films for the studio between 1939 and 1941.
The Invader is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Buster Keaton, Lupita Tovar and Lyn Harding. The film follows the same plot as its remake Pest from the West (1939), with a millionaire setting out to win a local girl in Mexico.
Rockin' thru the Rockies is a 1940 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 45th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.
Eddie Laughton was an American film actor. Laughton appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1952, and is best known for his work with The Three Stooges.
She's Oil Mine is the last short subject American comedian Buster Keaton made for Columbia Pictures. Keaton made a total of 10 films for the studio between 1939 and 1941.
Elwood Ullman was an American film comedy writer most famous for his credits on The Three Stooges shorts and many other low-budget comedies.
Pardon My Berth Marks is the fourth short subject starring American comedian Buster Keaton made for Columbia Pictures. Keaton made a total of ten films for the studio between 1939 and 1941.
Elsie Ames was an American comic dancer and film actress. Between 1937 and 1974 she acted in 15 films. She is best known as the female film partner of Buster Keaton.