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Way Out West (1937 film)

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Way Out West
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames W. Horne
Written byContributing (uncredited):
Stan Laurel
James W. Horne
Arthur V. Jones
Screenplay byCharley Rogers
Felix Adler
James Parrott
Story byJack Jevne
Charley Rogers
Produced byStan Laurel
Hal Roach
StarringStan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
CinematographyArt Lloyd
Walter Lundin
Edited byBert Jordan
Music byMarvin Hatley
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • April 16, 1937 (1937-04-16) (U.S.)
Running time
1:02:30
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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.[1] It was the second picture for which Stan Laurel was credited as producer.

Plot

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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

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Credited:

Uncredited:

Soundtrack

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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.

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  • 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

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Notes

  1. ^ Way Out West at AllMovie

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.
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