''Out West'' is a 1918 American

two-reel A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

silent

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

, a satire on contemporary

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

, starring

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

, Buster Keaton, and

Al St. John Al St. John (also credited as Al Saint John and "Fuzzy" St. John; September 10, 1892 – January 21, 1963) was an early American motion-picture comedian. He was a nephew of silent film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, with whom he often performed on ...

. It was the first of Arbuckle's "Comique" films to be filmed on the West Coast, the previous five having been filmed in and around New York City. The idea for the story came from

Natalie Talmadge Natalie Talmadge (April 29, 1896 – June 19, 1969) was an American silent film actress who was the wife of Buster Keaton, and sister of the movie stars Norma and Constance Talmadge. She retired from acting in 1923. Early life and career Ta ...

, who was later to become Keaton's first wife.

Plot

Arbuckle plays a drifter who has caught a ride hiding in a train's water tank but is thrown off the train after being discovered stealing food from the passengers. He is chased by a group of Indians who intend to kill and eat him. He runs to a town called Mad Dog Gulch where he inadvertently foils a robbery attempt by Wild Bill Hickup (St John) and his gang after which the town sheriff (Keaton) appoints him the new bar tender of the local bar "The Last Chance Saloon". Later Hickup returns, this time drunk and causing chaos in the bar. After he begins forcing himself on a young lady "Salvation Sue" (Lake), The Bartender and the sheriff attempt to eject Hickup once again. When their attempts to knock him out by breaking bottles over his head and even shooting him in the back prove ineffective, they manage to subdue him by tickling him until he flees. Humiliated, Hickup attempts to gain his revenge by kidnapping Sue and riding out of the town with her as his gang keep the bartender and the sheriff at bay. The bartender eventually breaks free and chases Hickup back to his shack as the Sheriff holds off Hickup's men. After once again subduing Hickup by tickling him, the bartender and Sue push his shack off a hill with him still inside.

Cast

as Train Rider, Bartender * Buster Keaton as Sheriff, saloon owner *

as Wild Bill Hickup * Alice Lake as Sue the Salvation Army lady *

Joe Keaton Joseph Hallie Keaton (July 6, 1867 – January 13, 1946) was an American vaudeville performer and silent film actor. He was the father of actor Buster Keaton and appeared with his son in several films. Life and career Keaton was born a few mile ...

as Man on train * Ernie Morrison Sr.

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Out West'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut of the scene of arrows in man's back and their removal, man burning back with gas flames, and the shooting of the bartender.

Critical response

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' gave the film a positive review in its January 25, 1918 issue, saying it "hits a better comedy tempo than any of his rbuckle'srecent productions." Keaton's comic tumbles were singled out for praise, as was Arbuckle's direction of the film: "Good camera work aids the comedy."

References

* "Out West" (film review) in '' Variety Weekly''. January 25, 1918.

External links

* * * {{Amg movie, 144225, Out West
''Out West''
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

Out West
at the

International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton. Mission According to the Damfinos, their mission is "t ...