The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947)

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

D.D. Beauchamp (story)
William Bowers (story)

Release Date:

8 October 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

It's 'Ma (EGG AND I) KETTLE' as the wild and willing widow!

Plot Keywords:

Abbott And Costello | Marriage | Widow | Sheriff

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Duke Egan
Lou Costello	...	Chester Wooley
Marjorie Main	...	Widow Hawkins
Audrey Young	...	Juanita Hawkins
George Cleveland	...	Judge Benbow
Gordon Jones	...	Jake Frame
William Ching	...	Jim Simpson
Peter M. Thompson	...	Phil (as Peter Thompson)
Bill Clauson	...	Matt Hawkins
Olin Howland	...	Undertaker (scenes deleted) (as Olin Howlin)
Bill O'Leary	...	Billy Hawkins (as Billy O'Leary)
Pamela Wells	...	Sarah Hawkins
Jimmy Bates	...	Jefferson Hawkins
Paul Dunn	...	Lincoln Hawkins
Diane Florentine	...	Sally Hawkins

Also Known As:

The Wistful Widow (UK)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | USA:Approved (PCA #12600)

Filming Locations:

Iverson's Flats, Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

This was the only feature film to be adapted into the Abbott and Costello comic book.

Quotes:

Chester Wooley: We stop the stage, the bandits are waiting for the stage, and then you show up instead of the stage.
Duke Egan: That's pretty well-staged.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The World of Abbott and Costello (1965)

One of their best

This is one of my favorite Abbott and Costello movies and one of their best. There really isn't that much interplay between Abbott and Costello, despite the basics, as Marjorie Main consumes (or inhales) a lot of the attention. The classic and time consuming routines are also few and far between. The script is one of the tightest in the team's movies and there aren't really any dead spots. The supporting characters are very strong and Abbott and Costello don't have to scene steal to be effective. The plot is thus: Abbott and Costello come to Wagon Gap and shoot off a gun to make a statement. A man falls dead and, faster then you can say "railroad", Costello is made the sole supporter of the dead man's family. Marjorie Main plays the less then weeping widow. She's actually a very talented comedian, her gruff, manly demeanor aside. The townsfolk are seedy vigilantes and provide a hostile setting. The humor is great, with some great, subtle lines and a very funny routine where Costello gets smacked with paint while painting a fence. The best plot twist is Costello being named sheriff because no one will touch him (much less shoot him) as they would have to provide for the gruff and nagging Main. The typical hurricane ending is less chaotic and more pleasing then the regular. A lot of fun and one of my favorite Abbott and Costello movies.