Way Out West
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James W. Horne
Produced by Stan Laurel
Hal Roach
Written by Jack Jevne
Charley Rogers
Felix Adler
James Parrott
Starring Stan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
James Finlayson
Rosina Lawrence
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) April 16, 1937
Running time 65 minutes
Language English
Preceded by Our Relations
Followed by Swiss Miss
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.
Contents [
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Quotes
4 Film soundtrack
5 Production
6 See also
7 References
] Plot
Stan and Ollie, after consorting with Seymore "Sy" Roberts, an old prospector, 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 Go Way Down to Dixie" as they head off into the sunset.
Unlike most of Laurel and Hardy's films and shorts, the story ends has a happy ending as opposed to the usual 'unfortunate ending'.
1940s reissue poster for Way Out West (1937)[edit] Cast
Stan Laurel..........................Stan
Oliver Hardy........................Ollie
James Finlayson.................Mickey Finn
Rosina Lawrence.................Mary Roberts
Sharon Lynn......................Lola Marcel
Stanley Fields.....................Sheriff
Vivien Oakland...................Sheriff's wife
Harry Bernard.....................Man at Bar
Mary Gordon.......................Cook
May Wallace.......................Cook
Jack Hill.............................Finn's Employee
Sam Lufkin.........................Baggageman
Tex Driscoll........................Miner
Flora Finch.........................Miner's wife
Fred Toones.......................Janitor
[edit] Quotes
Ollie to the Sheriffs 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 score 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. 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.
Production
This film was the second picture for which Stan Laurel was credited as producer (the first was 1936's Our Relations); 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.
See also
Laurel and Hardy films
] References
Mickey Finn, the name of the character played by James Finlayson, is a reference to a type of drug-spiked alcoholic drink.
The title is a spoof of the D.W. Griffith silent film, Way Down East starring Lillian Gish.
A sight gag in which Laurel and Hardy are hitchhiking and Stan gets a stagecoach to stop by rolling up his pants leg is a spoof of a similar scene in the 1935 movie It Happened One Night, in which Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable are hitchhiking, and Colbert persuades a driver to stop by hiking up her skirt.
Notes
Bibliography
Aping, Norbert. The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy: A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K. Jefferson North Carolina: McFarland, 2008. ISBN 978-0786433025.
Bowers, Judith. Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon: The Story of the Britannia Music Hall. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd, 2007. ISBN 1-84158-617-X.
Everson, William K. The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy. New York: Citadel, 2000, (first edition 1967). ISBN 0-8065-0146-4.
Louvish, Simon. Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy. London: Faber & Faber, 2001. ISBN 0-571-21590-4.
Marriot, A.J. Laurel & Hardy: The British Tours. Hitchen, Herts, UK: AJ Marriot, 1993. ISBN 0-9521308-0-7.
McCabe, John. Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy. London: Robson Books Ltd., 2004. ISBN 1-86105-781-4.
McCabe, John with Al Kilgore and Richard W. Bann. Laurel & Hardy. New York: Bonanza Books, 1983, first edition 1975, E.P. Dutton. ISBN 978-0491017459.
McGarry, Annie. Laurel & Hardy. London: Bison Group, 1992. ISBN 0-86124-776-0.
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