Way Out West

Stan and Ollie, the lovable duo from the Keystone Cops and the Our Gang series, stepped into the Wild West in their 1937 comedy classic, Way Out West. Director James W. Horne brought these slapstick masters face to face with the rugged frontier landscape, where outlaws, outlaws' wives, and outlaws' sidekicks roamed free. The movie is the twelfth of the 22 Laurel and Hardy features. Stan and Ollie, dressed in cowboy gear, find themselves riding into town after arriving in Deadwood City by stagecoach. Their mission is to hand over a deed to a valuable gold mine to the beautiful and innocent Betty June (Sarah Edwards), the daughter of the late prospector, Big Bob McClelland. Stan and Ollie are not too keen on traveling through the treacherous lands of Dead Man's Gorge, where outlaws are known to terrorize travelers. The unlikely pair encounter their first challenge upon arrival at Deadwood City, where their stagecoach is hijacked by the infamous outlaw, Joe (James Finlayson), and his cohorts. Fortunately, a local saloon-singer, Mrs. Quackenbush (Marjorie Reynal), witnesses the theft and alerts the authorities. With the help of the townspeople, Stan and Ollie successfully recover the stolen deed and continue their journey to deliver it to Betty June. However, the journey ahead is far from smooth. Stan and Ollie face numerous obstacles, including raging rivers, raging bullfights, and raging outlaws. They narrowly escape death by a hanging when they accidentally get hanged and have to use a makeshift pulley system to rescue themselves. Meanwhile, back in Deadwood City, the notorious saloon-singer, Mrs. Quackenbush, catches the eye of the cunning outlaw, Joe, who seeks to win her hand in marriage. Mrs. Quackenbush's beauty and singing talents are unmatched in town, but her heart belongs to none other than the outlaw himself. As Stan and Ollie draw closer to delivering the deed to Betty June, they are pursued by the dastardly guardian, Mr. Quackenbush, who, with his wife by his side, is determined to get his hands on the deed and the gold mine. In one of the most memorable scenes, the hapless duo inadvertently gets captured by the evil guardian, only to narrowly escape by hiding in a giant flour sack. The final scenes feature the duo's attempt to evade the outlaws and deliver the deed. They find themselves trapped in a mine shaft where they face a series of hilarious situations, including a confrontation with a ferocious bear, a misinterpreted message, and a near-fatal rockfall. As the dust settles, Stan and Ollie manage to outsmart the outlaws by replacing the deed with a fake one, which leads the villainous duo on a wild goose chase across the desert. In the end, the true deed is delivered to Betty June, and the gold mine remains under her rightful possession. As Stan and Ollie ride off into the sunset, they share a hearty laugh, having conquered the Wild West and outsmarted their foes. Way Out West is a true classic, filled with slapstick humor, physical comedy, and, above all, the timeless charm of Laurel and Hardy. It remains one of their finest hour, showcasing the duo's inimitable chemistry and ability to adapt to any situation.