Go West (1940)

The Marx Brothers come to the rescue in the Wild West when a young man, trying to settle an old family feud so he can marry the girl he loves, runs afoul of crooks.

Director:

Edward Buzzell

Writer:

Irving Brecher (original screenplay)

Stars:

Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Groucho Marx	...	S. Quentin Quale
Chico Marx	...	Joe Panello
Harpo Marx	...	'Rusty' Panello
John Carroll	...	Terry Turner
Diana Lewis	...	Eve Wilson
Walter Woolf King	...	Beecher
Robert Barrat	...	'Red' Baxter
June MacCloy	...	Lulubelle
George Lessey	...	Railroad President

Storyline

Embezzler, shill, all around confidence man S. Quentin Quale is heading west to find his fortune. He meets the crafty but simple brothers Joseph and Rusty Panello in a train station, where they steal all his money. They're heading west too because they've heard you can just pick the gold off the ground. Once there, they befriend an old miner named Dan Wilson whose property, Dead Man's Gulch, has no gold. They loan him their last ten dollars so he can go start life anew, and, for collateral, he gives them the deed to the Gulch. Unbeknownst to Wilson, the son of his longtime rival, Terry Turner (who's also in love with his daughter, Eva), has contacted the railroad to arrange for them to build through the land, making the old man rich and hopefully resolving the feud. However, the evil Red Baxter, owner of a saloon, tricks the boys out of the deed, and it's up to them - as well as Quale, who naturally finds his way out west anyway - to save the day.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy comedy | cowboy | stagecoach | two brothers | granddaughter | 

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Taglines:

The Looniest, Tuniest Musical Gag-And-Gal Show Since "A Night At The Opera"

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The elaborate chase climax was going to be deleted before filming because MGM execs thought it was too expensive.

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Goofs

The train that Quentin, Joe, and Rusty are driving is a locomotive of a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement. However, when the train runs off the track, the locomotive is portrayed by a 2 truck Climax type engine of a 0-4-4-0 arrangement. Then, the train reverts to the 2-8-0 once it returns to the tracks.

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Quotes

S. Quentin Quale: I'm not drunk, but, what's the ceiling doing on the floor?

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Crazy Credits

Opening card: Foreword: In 1851, Horace Greeley uttered a phrase that did much to change the history of these United States. He said: Go West, young man, go west. This is the story of three men who made Horace Greeley sorry he said it.

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Connections

Featured in Reel Injun (2009)

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Soundtracks

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung a cappella by Groucho Marx

User Reviews

Going' West with the craziest brothers ever...

The movies from the Marx Bros. are just like my old Bowie's vinyls, or my Oscar Wilde's books: they're always there, and always will be. They're just like those old friends that will never let you down.

"Go West" has each and everyone of the essential ingredients of the movies from Groucho and co. : hilarious dialogs, crazy situations, Harpo's hooliganism, the music... everything goes as quick as a flash. So, if some youngster thinks that this movie hasn't anything to offer because it was made 65 years ago, thats belongs to the Pleistocenic... OK, I won't waste my time explaining why the Marx Brothers are bigger than life. I'd rather watch "Duck Soup" or "A Night At The Opera" one more time, and let the party begin once again...

*My rate: 8/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Go West

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1