The second Three Stooges short with Shemp Howard back with the team, "Out West" is a very good comedy Western with efficient direction by Edward Bernds and fine support from Jack Norman, Christine McIntyre, Jock Mahoney, Vernon Dent, and Stanley Blystone ("Never in the history of motion pictures has the United States Cavalry been too late").
Highlights from this wonderful short include the following (if you haven't seen "Out West," don't read any further). Moe's and Larry's act of mixing a drink in an old boot is a classic Three Stooges bit ("Pardon My Scotch" [1935] and "Bubble Trouble" [1953] are other Stooge films that utilize this gag). During the poker game, the two primary outlaws (Norman and George Chesebro) try to cheat but inadvertently render Shemp the winner with four aces. As Shemp and Doc Barker (Norman) discuss Shemp's vein, Barker figures that picks and shovels will be needed for the mother lode, but Shemp overreacts, since his "vein" is actually an enlarged vein in his right leg! The pretty saloon gal Nell (McIntyre) sings "There's a Last Rose of Summer" in order to distract the outlaws while Moe & Shemp are in the basement, clumsily and noisily trying to break Larry out of his jail cell. After Doc Barker drinks the Stooges' mickey, he goes into a convulsion, and Shemp sprays a fire hose at him. (Interestingly, when this short was remade several years later as "Pals and Gals" [1954], Doc Barker actually DROPS DEAD from tasting the oddly-mixed drink!)
To put it very simply, "Out West" is a fine Three Stooges Western. Ed Bernds, who ultimately was the best director the boys ever worked with, claimed that the numerous Stooge films he directed required a lot of hard work. But Bernds got a temporary respite during the filming of "Out West" when the cast & crew surprised him by bringing a cake on the set to celebrate his birthday!
Highlights from this wonderful short include the following (if you haven't seen "Out West," don't read any further). Moe's and Larry's act of mixing a drink in an old boot is a classic Three Stooges bit ("Pardon My Scotch" [1935] and "Bubble Trouble" [1953] are other Stooge films that utilize this gag). During the poker game, the two primary outlaws (Norman and George Chesebro) try to cheat but inadvertently render Shemp the winner with four aces. As Shemp and Doc Barker (Norman) discuss Shemp's vein, Barker figures that picks and shovels will be needed for the mother lode, but Shemp overreacts, since his "vein" is actually an enlarged vein in his right leg! The pretty saloon gal Nell (McIntyre) sings "There's a Last Rose of Summer" in order to distract the outlaws while Moe & Shemp are in the basement, clumsily and noisily trying to break Larry out of his jail cell. After Doc Barker drinks the Stooges' mickey, he goes into a convulsion, and Shemp sprays a fire hose at him. (Interestingly, when this short was remade several years later as "Pals and Gals" [1954], Doc Barker actually DROPS DEAD from tasting the oddly-mixed drink!)
To put it very simply, "Out West" is a fine Three Stooges Western. Ed Bernds, who ultimately was the best director the boys ever worked with, claimed that the numerous Stooge films he directed required a lot of hard work. But Bernds got a temporary respite during the filming of "Out West" when the cast & crew surprised him by bringing a cake on the set to celebrate his birthday!