Way Out West (1937 film)

Way Out West
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	James W. Horne
Written by	Contributing (uncredited): Stan Laurel James W. Horne Arthur V. Jones
Screenplay by	Charley Rogers Felix Adler James Parrott
Story by	Jack Jevne Charley Rogers
Produced by	Stan Laurel Hal Roach
Starring	Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy
Cinematography	Art Lloyd Walter Lundin
Edited by	Bert Jordan
Music by	Marvin Hatley
Production company	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	April 16, 1937 (1937-04-16)(U.S.)
Running time	1:02:30
Country	United States
Language	English

Way Out West is a 1937 Laurel and Hardy comedy film directed by James W. Horne, produced by Stan Laurel, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the second picture for which Stan Laurel was credited as producer.

Plot

Laurel and Hardy embark on a quest to locate Mary Roberts, the rightful heir to a substantial inheritance, including a gold mine deed, following news of her father's demise. Discovering Mary amidst the West's cabaret milieu, they encounter formidable obstacles in the form of her legal guardians, indifferent to her well-being and intent on usurping her wealth.

Their journey to Brushwood Gulch is beset with misfortune, from Ollie's mishap in a river sinkhole to their encounter with the stern sheriff and his wife. At Mickey Finn's saloon, a case of mistaken identity leads to the theft of Mary's deed by the unscrupulous Finns, triggering a frantic pursuit.

In a daring nighttime endeavor, Laurel and Hardy orchestrate a break-in to retrieve the deed, facing numerous obstacles. Their efforts culminate in a showdown with the Finns, wherein Ollie's improvised coercion secures the deed's return. With Mary in tow, they escape, leaving the Finns confined to their own establishment.

Cast

Credited:

• Stan Laurel as Stanley
• Oliver Hardy as Ollie
• Sharon Lynn as Lola Marcel
• James Finlayson as Mickey Finn
• Rosina Lawrence as Mary Roberts
• Stanley Fields as Sheriff
• Vivien Oakland as Sheriff's wife
• The Avalon Boys as themselves
• Dinah the mule as herself

Uncredited:

• Harry Bernard as man eating at bar
• Flora Finch as Maw
• Mary Gordon as Cook
• Jack Hill as Finn's employee
• Sam Lufkin as stagecoach baggage handler
• Fred Toones as Janitor
• May Wallace as Cook
• James C. Morton as Bartender

Reception

Critical response

Pauline Kael praised the film: "This satire of Westerns is probably Laurel and Hardy's most comically sustained feature ... They do a classic soft-shoe shuffle outside a saloon; Hardy's lolling elephantine grace has never been more ingratiating ... The film is leisurely in the best sense; you adjust to a different rhythm and come out feeling relaxed, as if you'd gone on vacation." ^[1] Leonard Maltin gave it three and a half of four stars: "One of their best features ... Another bonus: some charming musical interludes, and the boys perform a wonderful soft-shoe dance." ^[2] Leslie Halliwell gave it one of his rare four of four stars: "Seven reels of perfect joy, with the comedians at their very best in brilliantly-timed routines ... " ^[3]

Soundtrack

The film's score was composed by Marvin Hatley and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring). The film includes two well-known songs: firstly Macdonald and Carroll's "Trail of the Lonesome Pine", sung by Laurel and Hardy (except for a few lines by Chill Wills and Rosina Lawrence, lip-synched for comedic effect by Laurel), and secondly J. Leubrie Hill's "At the Ball, That's All", sung by the Avalon Boys and accompanied by Laurel and Hardy performing an extended dance routine, one that they rehearsed endlessly.

"Trail of the Lonesome Pine" was released as a single in Britain in 1975, backed by "Honolulu Baby" from Sons of the Desert ; it reached number 2 in the British charts.

In popular culture

• Way Out West is referenced in the 1979 film The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid when the Sheriff (Bud Spencer) ends up replicating Stan Laurel's thumb fire trick featured in the film.
• The opening scene of the 2018 biopic Stan & Ollie depicts a shooting of the film, with Laurel and Hardy arriving on the set for one of the dance scenes.
• The original BBC version of "Song of Summer", Ken Russell's 1968 biopic of Frederick Delius, begins with Eric Fenby (Christopher Gable) anachronistically playing cinema organ accompaniment to a silent showing of the "Commence to Dancin'" dance episode. It was cut from the 2001 DVD release, as permission could not be obtained to use it.

References

Notes

1. Kael, Pauline (1991). 5001 Nights at the Movies. A William Abrahams/Owl Book. ISBN   0-8050-1366-0.
2. Maltin, Leonard (2015). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide (3rd ed.). Plume Book. ISBN   978-0-14-751682-4.
3. Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). Grafton Books. ISBN   0-06-016322-4.

Bibliography

• Aping, Norbert (2008). The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy: A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-3302-5.
• Bowers, Judith (2007). Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon: The Story of the Britannia Music Hall. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd. ISBN   978-1-84158-617-5.
• Everson, William K. (2000) [1st. pub. 1967]. The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy. New York: Citadel. ISBN   0-8065-0146-4.
• Louvish, Simon (2001). Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy. London: Faber & Faber. ISBN   0-571-21590-4.
• Marriot, A.J. (1993). Laurel & Hardy: The British Tours. Hitchen, Herts, UK: AJ Marriot. ISBN   0-9521308-0-7.
• McCabe, John (2004). Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy. London: Robson Books Ltd. ISBN   1-86105-781-4.
• McCabe, John; Kilgore, Al; Bann, Richard W. (1983) [1st. pub. E.P. Dutton:1975]. Laurel & Hardy. New York: Bonanza Books. ISBN   978-0-491-01745-9.
• McGarry, Annie (1992). Laurel & Hardy. London: Bison Group. ISBN   0-86124-776-0.

External links

• Way Out West at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Way Out West at IMDb
• Way Out West at the TCM Movie Database
• Way Out West at Rotten Tomatoes
• Way Out West at Trailers from Hell