Viewed last night, January 24 2009: Way Out West, directed by James W. Horne, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

A very funny old Laurel and Hardy film, this was not the first time I’ve seen it and I doubt it’ll be the last. Laurel and Hardy are couriers on a mission to a small western town to deliver a mining deed bequeathed by a man to his daughter Mary Roberts who, inexplicably (but who cares), is in thrall to saloon owner Mickey Finn (wonderfully played by James Finlayson). Finn hatches a plan to steal the deed by having his wife impersonate Mary. Much hilarity follows.

Highlights are a soft-shoe song-and-dance number by Laurel and Hardy (which never fails to crack me up) against a western-sounding tune featuring yodelling by Chill Wills, and attempts – involving a donkey – to gain access to the second story of Finn’s saloon residence.

Great stuff.