Released during the Christmas holidays, and what a gift. 10 Stars.
Thanks much to Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall for making all us kids laugh out loud for years. This is one of the final episodes with the entire cast, and perhaps, the most outrageous. Excellent direction by Edward Bernds, and with some very good on location work. Bernds used the famous Iverson Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, the setting for hundreds of B westerns Monogram Pictures cranked out in its heyday.
Some clever casting here, featuring Cal "Alfalfa" Switzer as Shifty Robertson, who sells Slip the "rights" to a uranium mine in the town of Panther Pass, Nevada? You know where this is going, and it takes off as the guys pile into the jalopy and drive across country(?) to the old west?
Writers Elwood Ullman and Bert Lawrence put together some real goofy dialogue. The poker game scene, thanks to Bernds, was lifted from the THREE STOOGES. The crooks, lead by Harry Lauter (as Haskell), challenge the guys to a crooked game of cards, exchanging cards under the table, which gets all messed up by Louie. They also meet an old prospector played by veteran actor Raymond Hatton -- and his "talking" mule Josephine. Hatton was perfect for this semi-western, lending some words of encouragement to one and all.
Best bit is a dream sequence; Slip and Sach don fancy western gear and march into town as the defiant Lone Arrangers. The shooting scene is darn funny, and you can tell Leo Gorcey is having a blast here. Both he and Huntz Hall look pretty sharp as cowboys. The grande finale is an insane car chase -- around rocks and brush -- with the jalopy going nuts in high gear. Just terrific.
The supporting cast is worth mentioning, lead by lovely Mary Beth Hughes (as Jeanette), kind of a poor man's MIss Kitty from GUNSMOKE. Mary would later appear on Red Skelton's tv show. Francis McDonald plays the indian chief. He entered films in 1913 and appeared in hundreds of silent and sound westerns. After this film, he had a notable role playing a slave in the TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Sadly, Bernard Gorcey died shortly after the film was completed in an auto accident in Hollywood. Leo Gorcey, hit hard by the loss, would star in one more film before retiring from the series. Also the final appearance of Bennie Bartlett (as Butch), and Edward Bernds as director. Assistant director Austen Jewell commented in later years that Leo's father was a terrific comedian and had quite an influence on the set. As for Bennie, he added, you needed more than two people to form a gang, and the gang was shrinking. He left the series because he eventually became a background character, going on to work in tv for a few years.
Watch this for the memories. Released on dvd by Warner Brothers, Volume 3. 2013. 6 to 8 episodes per box, which are now collectors items. Thanks to TCM for running all the episodes, especially on Saturday mornings. We love it.
