Way Out West is a 1930 American pre-Code parody film, directed by Fred Niblo, starring William Haines, Leila Hyams, Polly Moran, and Ralph Bushman. It tells the story of Windy, a con man who cheats a group of cowboys out of their money. When they discover his cheating and learn that he has been robbed, they force him to work on a ranch until he has paid his debt.
| Way Out West | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Fred Niblo |
| Screenplay by | Joseph Farnham Byron Morgan Ralph Spence |
| Story by | Byron Morgan |
| Starring | William Haines Leila Hyams Polly Moran Ralph Bushman |
| Cinematography | Henry Sharp |
| Edited by | Jerome Thoms William S. Gray |
| Music by | Joseph Meyer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $413,000 |
| Box office | $497,000 |
Plot
editWindy, a sideshow barker, cheats a group of cowboys out of their pay, but is then robbed himself. When the cowboys discover they have been cheated, they initially decide to hang him, then decide to make him work off his debt. He falls in love with ranch owner Molly, and when he saves her life after she is bitten by a rattlesnake, he wins her heart.[2]
Cast
edit- William Haines as Windy
- Leila Hyams as Molly Rankin
- Polly Moran as Pansy
- Cliff Edwards as Trilby
- Ralph Bushman as Steve (as Francis X. Bushman Jr.)
- Vera Marshe as La Belle Rosa
- Charles Middleton as Buck Rankin
- Jack Pennick as Pete
- Buddy Roosevelt as Tex
- Jay Wilsey as Hank
- Catherine Moylan as Carnival Show Girl
Production
editWay Out West was made on a budget of $413,000, one of the more expensive William Haines vehicles.[3]
Response
editThe New York Times deemed Way Out West "an impertinent, moderately comic affair tinctured with slapstick and romance".[2] The film made a profit of $84,000, making it one of the less profitable of Haines's films of the period.[3]
Gay film historians, noting the homosexuality of William Haines, suggest that Way Out West is "one of the gayest films ever made".[4] Haines biographer William J. Mann cites latent homoeroticism and inside gay humor throughout the film. In one particular example, viewed in light of the Pansy Craze that was beginning to reach Hollywood, Windy is mistaken for the cook Pansy. When called by her name, he replies "I'm the wildest pansy you ever picked!"[5] Richard Barrios, author of Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall, concurs: "For anyone seeking gay text or subtext in any of Haines's movies, this is the one to study."[6]
References
edit- ^ Way Out West (1930)
- ^ a b THE SCREEN; Triumphant Impudence.
- ^ a b Mann (1998), p. 169
- ^ Mann, William J. (2004). Gay Pride: A Celebration of All Things Gay and Lesbian. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-2563-0. p. 161
- ^ Mann, William J. (1998). Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star. New York, Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-670-87155-9. pp. 167—168
- ^ Barrios, Richard (2003). Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall. Psychology Press. ISBN 0-415-92328-X, pp. 47—48
External links
edit- Way Out West at the Internet Movie Database
- Way Out West at Turner Classic Movies
- Way Out West at AllMovie
- Way Out West at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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