classicsoncall Review of Go West

Go West (1940)

"There's something corrupt going around my pants and I just can't seem to locate it."

[5/10 · 19 September 2004]

Dead Man's Gulch is the locale for this Marx Brothers western spoof, and whoever holds the deed to the town at the end of the show is a rich man. As you can imagine, the deed itself is up for grabs, and changes hands any number of times before the grand finale. Groucho is S. Quentin Quale, in turn hoodwinked and aided by brothers Joe and Rusty Panello (Chico and Harpo). As usual, Groucho woos the ladies - "Lulubelle, it's you, I didn't recognize you standing up"!. Harpo is also in fine form, playing harmonica on horseback, and serenading an Indian camp with a makeshift harp. The frenetic pace is just enough to keep you off kilter and entertained at the same time. It's all silly fun of course, and by the time the film ends, the outcome of the deed doesn't even matter. So head on over to the Crystal Palace, and "Go West".