The Grass Is Always Greener (1950) User Reviews

Nice story short with a moral in the title

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 1 July 2019]

Who hasn't heard the expression that the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill? This Warner Brothers short uses a Western motif to uncover the moral implied in the saying. Some cowpokes are sitting around the bunkhouse commiserating about the poor conditions, lousy food, window crack that lets the cold wind in, and any number of other things

Then comes a stranger, Windy (played by Chill Wills) who starts telling them about his ranch in a far off exotic land. They invite him in and offer some coffee and vittles. Windy is all smiles and raves about the good coffee. He says the food is the best he's had and how lucky these cowpokes are to have such a fine bunkhouse.

One thing leads to another, and with a surprise ending the cowpokes get the message. My favorite line in this short comes from Granny, played by Paul E. Burns. He says, "Well, I don't care if a man lies. Just so he's sincere." It doesn't fit with the plot or the moral of the story, but it adds a touch of humor that keeps one thinking about the moral of the story.

What was the point?

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 6 March 2014]

This short film is included as an extra on the disc for the Warner Brothers film "My Dream is Yours". However, after watching it, I really have no idea what the film was even about...it just confused me and left me flat.

The film begins on a crappy ranch. The cook makes barely edible food and the cow hands all sit around complaining about the terrible grub and their terrible jobs. Suddenly, a stranger (Chill Wills) shows up and talks about their jobs and their foods like they are wonderful. He then goes on to talk and talk--and the guys all seem captivated by him. Later, it turns out he is kind of crazy--nice, but crazy.

While I enjoyed Chill Wills' performance, I just don't see what they were trying to do here. And, I can only assume, the filmmakers were also unaware. Rather pointless.

Delightful performance by Chill Wills highlights this rather charming short which turns on the title

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 21 May 2015]

This short was nominated for the Academy Award for Short Subject, two-reel, losing to Van Gogh. There will be spoilers ahead:

This is a charming, if lightweight, short which features an enchanting performance by Chill Wills as Windy, a cowboy with a rather jovial view of life and an inclination to stretch reality a bit to make it more entertaining.

The short opens with the cook at a ranch fighting a dog for a steak and complaining that none of the cowboys had anything nice to say about his cooking. He calls them to dinner and what follows is one endless series of complaints about everything-the poor lighting from the lamp, the food, the coldness and disrepair of the ranch and so on.

The complaints take on heat and broaden to include one cowboy playing a guitar and singing (both with more enthusiasm and skill). These men have grown tired of their lives, their routines, with the company and the perceived lack of anything interesting in their lives, everything becoming stale and flat. One of them decides to quit and starts to leave, only to open the door on Windy.

As an indication of changes to come, as Windy enters, the light from the lamp brightens noticeably. As Windy begins to talk, he exclaims with glee how wonderful everything is-the food, the room, the guitar playing, the company, everything the other men had complained about earlier.

The men are all drawn into Windy's view of the world, which is clearly fanciful. His view of their cramped, boring little world is totally different from theirs and much more agreeable. This comes crashing down with the arrival of the sheriff, who is returning Windy and a horse he's with to the ranch where he is employed. The horse belongs to Windy's employer, though the horse prefers to be with Windy.

The sheriff takes Windy away, but the cowboys decide they want Windy staying at their ranch and concoct a plan. They also begin cleaning the ranch house as their boss comes in and he's as crabby as they once were. Windy comes back, but there's a problem with Windy staying, which is ultimately resolved and the short ends in a most enjoyable way.

This short can be found as an extra on the My Dream Is Yours DVD and is well worth watching. Recommended.