Way Out West (1937 film)
Encyclopedia
Way Out West is a Laurel and Hardy
comedy
film
released in 1937. It was directed by James W. Horne
, produced by Stan Laurel
and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
.
, have been entrusted to deliver the deed
to a gold mine the prospector discovered to the man's daughter, Mary Roberts (Rosina Lawrence
), a poor young woman living in Brushwood Gulch who is consistently victimized by her cruel guardians
, saloon owner Mickey Finn (James Finlayson
), and his equally-cruel saloon-singer wife, Lola Marcel (Sharon Lynne).
Traveling by stage coach, they attempt to flirt with the woman (Vivien Oakland
) who is riding with them. She rebuffs the pair, and upon arriving in Brushwood Gulch, she complains to her husband, the town's sheriff
(Stanley Fields). The angry sheriff orders the pair to leave on the next coach out of town, or else they'll be "riding out of here in a hearse
". Stan and Ollie promise to do so once they have completed their mission.
After dancing to "At the Ball, That's All" by The Avalon Boys, Stan and Ollie arrive at Mickey Finn's saloon. When Mickey Finn learns why they're here, he has Lola play Mary in order to hijack the deed from them. Stan and Ollie have never seen Mary before, and are duped by their charade. However, before leaving town, they encounter the real Mary Roberts and immediately try to get the deed back. The evil Finns won't surrender the deed, however, and a major struggle ensues as Stan and Ollie attempt to reclaim the deed. Stan manages to grab it, but Lola traps him in the bedroom and wrests the deed from him by tickling
him into hysterics. After further chasing, Mickey and Lola manage to seal the deed into their safe. Ollie calls for the police, but the police turn out to be the angry sheriff, who chases Stan and Ollie out of town.
Outside the town, Stan and Ollie plan to sneak back into Brushwood Gulch at night to reclaim the deed. They arrive at the saloon and, after a series of mishaps, manage to make it inside. They are met by Mary, who helps them open the safe, grab the deed and escape before Mickey Finn can intervene. Outside the town again, and accompanied by Mary, the happy trio sing "We're Going to See My Home in Dixie" as they head off into the sunset with Ollie yet again falling into the hole in the pond.
Unlike most of Laurel and Hardy's films and shorts, the story ends has a happy ending
as opposed to the usual 'unfortunate ending'.
was composed by Marvin Hatley
and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring). The film includes two famous songs, firstly "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. (In recent years, this bit has been widely mashed-up
with various modern tunes, which can be seen on sites like YouTube
.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3mHPmNKRE And secondly "At The Ball, That's All" sung by The Avalon Boys
and accompanied by Laurel and Hardy performing an extended dance routine, one which 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 reaching number 2 in the British charts.
); Laurel had served in that capacity uncredited for the duo's entire career. The executive producer was Hal Roach. The film was colorized in 1985.
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
released in 1937. It was directed by James W. Horne
James W. Horne
James Wesley Horne was an early American actor, screenwriter and film director. He began his career as an actor under director Sidney Olcott at Kalem Studios in 1913 and directed his first film for the company two years later....
, produced by Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
.
Plot
Stan and Ollie, after consorting with Seymore "Sy" Roberts, an old prospectorProspecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
, have been entrusted to deliver the deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
to a gold mine the prospector discovered to the man's daughter, Mary Roberts (Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer. She was a native of Ottawa, Ontario.-Career:...
), a poor young woman living in Brushwood Gulch who is consistently victimized by her cruel guardians
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
, saloon owner Mickey Finn (James Finlayson
Jimmy Finlayson
James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is famous for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression...
), and his equally-cruel saloon-singer wife, Lola Marcel (Sharon Lynne).
Traveling by stage coach, they attempt to flirt with the woman (Vivien Oakland
Vivien Oakland
Vivien Oakland , was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios...
) who is riding with them. She rebuffs the pair, and upon arriving in Brushwood Gulch, she complains to her husband, the town's sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
(Stanley Fields). The angry sheriff orders the pair to leave on the next coach out of town, or else they'll be "riding out of here in a hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
". Stan and Ollie promise to do so once they have completed their mission.
After dancing to "At the Ball, That's All" by The Avalon Boys, Stan and Ollie arrive at Mickey Finn's saloon. When Mickey Finn learns why they're here, he has Lola play Mary in order to hijack the deed from them. Stan and Ollie have never seen Mary before, and are duped by their charade. However, before leaving town, they encounter the real Mary Roberts and immediately try to get the deed back. The evil Finns won't surrender the deed, however, and a major struggle ensues as Stan and Ollie attempt to reclaim the deed. Stan manages to grab it, but Lola traps him in the bedroom and wrests the deed from him by tickling
Tickling
Tickling is the act of touching a part of the body so as to cause involuntary twitching movements and/or laughter. The word evolved from the Middle English tikelen, perhaps frequentative of ticken, to touch lightly. The idiom tickled pink means to be pleased or delighted.In 1897, psychologists G...
him into hysterics. After further chasing, Mickey and Lola manage to seal the deed into their safe. Ollie calls for the police, but the police turn out to be the angry sheriff, who chases Stan and Ollie out of town.
Outside the town, Stan and Ollie plan to sneak back into Brushwood Gulch at night to reclaim the deed. They arrive at the saloon and, after a series of mishaps, manage to make it inside. They are met by Mary, who helps them open the safe, grab the deed and escape before Mickey Finn can intervene. Outside the town again, and accompanied by Mary, the happy trio sing "We're Going to See My Home in Dixie" as they head off into the sunset with Ollie yet again falling into the hole in the pond.
Unlike most of Laurel and Hardy's films and shorts, the story ends has a happy ending
Happy ending
A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which almost everything turns out for the best for the protagonists, their sidekicks, and almost everyone except the villains....
as opposed to the usual 'unfortunate ending'.
Cast
- Stan LaurelStan LaurelArthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
..........................Stan - Oliver HardyOliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
........................Ollie - James FinlaysonJimmy FinlaysonJames Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is famous for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression...
.................Mickey Finn - Rosina LawrenceRosina LawrenceRosina Lawrence was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer. She was a native of Ottawa, Ontario.-Career:...
.................Mary Roberts - Sharon Lynne......................Lola Marcel
- Stanley Fields.....................Sheriff
- Vivien OaklandVivien OaklandVivien Oakland , was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios...
...................Sheriff's wife - Harry BernardHarry BernardHarry Bernard was a movie comedian who worked for Mack Sennett and with Laurel & Hardy, usually typecast as a policeman.Bernard was born in San Francisco, California, and died in Hollywood.-Selected filmography:...
.....................Man at Bar - Mary GordonMary Gordon (actor)Mary Gordon was a Scottish actress, long in the United States, who specialized in housekeepers and mothers, most notably the landlady Mrs. Hudson in the Sherlock Holmes series of movies of the Thirties and Forties...
.......................Cook - May Wallace.......................Cook
- Jack HillJack Hill (actor)Jack Hill was an American actor, who appeared in scores of Laurel & Hardy comedies.-Filmography:* A Quiet Street * Stage Fright * Dogs of War * Back Stage...
.............................Finn's Employee - Sam LufkinSam LufkinSamuel "Sam" William Lufkin was an American actor who usually appeared in small or bit roles in short comedy films.-Career:Born in Utah, Lufkin spent most of his career at the Hal Roach Studios where he made over 60 films...
.........................Baggageman - Tex Driscoll........................Miner
- Flora FinchFlora FinchFlora Finch was an English-born film actress who starred in over 300 silent films, including over 200 for the Vitagraph Studios film company.-Early life and career:...
.........................Miner's wife - Fred ToonesFred ToonesFred "Snowflake" Toones was an African-American film actor comedian of the early sound era...
.......................Janitor
Quotes
- Ollie to the Sheriff's wife: "A lot of weather we've been having lately"
- Lola: "Tell me, tell me about my dear dear daddy, is it true that he's dead?" Stan : "Well we hope he is, they buried him." Lola : "Oh it can't be, what did he die of?" Stan : "I think he died of a Tuesday, or was it Wednesday..."
- Ollie: "Every cloud has a silver lining" Stan: "That's right, any bird can build a nest, but it isn't everyone who can lay an egg!"
- Stan (to Lola): "Now that you've got the deed, I bet you'll make a swell gold digger."
Film soundtrack
The film's scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was composed by Marvin Hatley
Marvin Hatley
Thomas Marvin Hatley , professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American film composer and musical director, best known for his work for the Hal Roach studio from 1929 until 1940....
and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring). The film includes two famous songs, firstly "Trail Of The Lonesome Pine
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (song)
"The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" is a popular song published in 1913, with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald and music by Harry Carroll. In the song the singer expresses his love for June who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The chorus is:...
" sung by Laurel and Hardy except for a few lines by Chill Wills
Chill Wills
Chill Theodore Wills was an American film actor, and a singer in the Avalon Boys Quartet.-Biography:Wills was born in Seagoville, Texas in 1902. He was a performer from early childhood, forming and leading the Avalon Boys singing group in the 1930s...
and Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer. She was a native of Ottawa, Ontario.-Career:...
, lip-synched for comedic effect by Laurel. (In recent years, this bit has been widely mashed-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
with various modern tunes, which can be seen on sites like YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3mHPmNKRE And secondly "At The Ball, That's All" sung by The Avalon Boys
The Avalon Boys
The Avalon Boys were a quartet of singers popular in the 1930s. They appeared in a number of comedy films and had a memorable role in Laurel & Hardy's Way Out West.-Personnel:*Chill Wills *Art Green*Walter Trask*Don Brookins-Film appearances:...
and accompanied by Laurel and Hardy performing an extended dance routine, one which 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 reaching number 2 in the British charts.
Production
This film was the second picture for which Stan Laurel was credited as producer (the first was 1936's Our RelationsOur Relations
Our Relations is a 1936 feature film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, produced by Laurel for Hal Roach Studios.-Plot:Laurel and Hardy star as both their famous Stan and Ollie characters and as Stan and Ollie's twin brothers Bert and Alf...
); Laurel had served in that capacity uncredited for the duo's entire career. The executive producer was Hal Roach. The film was colorized in 1985.