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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Well, there's another fine movie...!", 22 Feb 2002
"Way Out West" is today considered to be the best feature film Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy made together, and upon viewing it is easy to understand why! The jokes (of which there are many, conveniently worked into the Western setting of the main storyline) come in all shapes, sizes and forms including slapstick (which the duo had perfected in the many silent movies they made before switching to "talkies" in 1929), word play and even elements of surrealism, more commonly associated with the films of Laurel and Hardy's contemporaries The Marx Brothers. After it's initial theatrical release in 1937 the film fell into neglect but was (thankfully) fully restored in the mid-1980's. The quality of the restored monochrome print, featured on this DVD, is quite simply supurb (taking into consideration the age of the movie). Unfortunately the "colorised" version of the film (also featured), whilst interesting to watch, just isn't in the same league as the black and white. The colours, although natural looking, appear pale with character movement producing a disconcerting blur effect, and the constant "jumping" of the images within the frame make for difficult viewing. The mono soundtrack, used for both versions, is acceptable. Snaps, crackles and pops are to be expected but in no way do they "drown out" the dialogue and music. The final feature of this DVD is a similarily restored black and white print of the duo's 1929 silent short "Big Business" complete with Wurlitzer organ accompanyment! Quality is again supurb and it's a pity VVL didn't include other short films at the expense of the poor quality colour presentation of the main feature.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Their best feature?, 28 Nov 2001
Way Out West could be Stan and Ollie's best feature. It certainly has great moments. A soft-shoe dance. "Trail of the Lonesome Pine" song. Stan and Ollie in a compact carriage with a lady - "A lot of weather we've been having lately".What am I leaving out? Oh James Finlayson's squinting villain. Sharon Lynn tickling Stan. Dinah the Mule. The finger-cum-firelighter. The delightful conclusion. "I'm from the South too. South London". This film is perfect Stan and Ollie. My review was non-existant because I think Pauline Kael said everything that could be said about the movie when she said: The film is leisurely in the best sense; you adjust to a different rhythm and come out feeling relaxed as if you'd had a vacation. DVD is also a bit special. Computer-colorised version if you don't like black and white and more impressively, Big Business, one of Stan and Ollie's best silent shorts, again with Jimmy Finlayson. That short might be better than the film itself which says a lot.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The smartest one is the mule!!, 30 Jan 2004
Having seen this film in various forms over the last 30 years (16mm, VHS, laserdisc), this one ranks as my all-time favorite. At a short 65 minutes, the film is thin on plot - Stan & Ollie delivery a deed to a gold mine to the daughter of a late prospecting friend, but it ends up in the hands of her scheming guardians (Sharon Lynn and their greatest foil, James Finlayson) - but the film is full of setpieces that never disappoint. Stan & Ollie don't appear for the better part of the first 5 minutes, and even then, we hear them coming (in the form of their infamous 'Cuckoos' theme) before we see them.The musical numbers featuring The Avalon Boys ('The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine' and especially 'At The Ball, That's All') don't advance the plot, but are sure great breathing space. The latter is probably the most charming setpiece the boys ever filmed as Stan and Ollie (and Dinah the mule, for that matter) perform their engaging dance number outside of Mickey Finn's saloon, and the former is Ollie's best vocal showcase since 'Lazy Moon' from 1931's 'Pardon Us'. You have to take a couple of extra viewings to catch some of the overlooked reactions of Jimmy Finlayson. My favorite is a shot that is a payoff to his offering Stan & Ollie 'the best in the house' after taking the deed from them, but later as he shares a drink with them, his reaction would indicate that the house best tastes more like paint thinner than a well-aged wine! Pure fun from start to finish! If only it were available in this quality on the East side of the Atlantic!
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