Review of Out West

I'm glad that pratfalls are deemphasized in this Arbuckle/Keaton comedy short from 1918. Hey, this is its 100 year birthday year! Instead of the too frequent pratfalls in some of their films, more emphasis is placed on imaginative gags, and largely ineffective pistol shooting, which seldom kills, and never maims, it's victims. In part, this is supposed to be a parody of William S.. Hart straight westerns. Roscoe begins as an apparent stowaway on a train heading for the Wild West, finding refuge in the water tank for the locomotive, of all places. He is nearly drowned when water is added to the tank. Eventually , he emerges and sees 3 men about to eat, sitting at a table in the caboose, reading the paper. While they are so distracted, he rigs up a string with a hook, and lowers it to their table, where various food items are lifted up to him, and including a tea pot. The men catch on, and shoot him in the rear end, which covers the hole. A chase ensues, and eventually, Roscoe is forced to leave the train, wandering over a seemingly waterless desert. Eventually, he finds a waterhole, and while leaning over to drink, is shot several times in the butt with arrows by several Indians. Poor Butt! But he easily extracts them and runs toward a small settlement where there is the Last Chance Saloon, run by dapper Bill Bullhorn(Buster Keaton, complete with tails and tall hat). .....When Roscoe enters, the saloon has been overtaken by Wild Bill's gang. But, Roscoe goes right to work, stealing 2 pistols, and shooting up the place, as the outlaws were doing. The only casualty is the bartender, who is rolled into a space under a trapdoor. Thus, Roscoe is elected to take his place. When Wild Bill turns his back on the bar counter, Roscoe begins beaning him with full liquor battles, to no avail. He then unloads a 6 shooter into Bill's back, again without effect. Finally, it's discovered that Bill is exquisitely sensitive to tickling, and this is how they subdue him.....An African American(AA) shows up and is made to 'dance' by shooting at his feet. Evidently, it was felt that seeing an AA thus tormented would be funnier to many than seeing a Caucasian so tormented. Of course, such a sentiment is no longer acceptable.......The remainder of the film is mostly devoted to trying to retrieve Alice, who has been kidnapped by Wild Bill. There is an initial gun fight between the Sheriff's posse and the townsmen, that I don't understand. Finally, Roscoe and Keaton get through to chase Bill, with Alice. I'll let you see how she is rescued. Available at YouTube and in several DVD sets.