Outlaws Is Coming, The (1965)

Outlaws Is Coming, The (1965)

“It’s against our religion; we’re devout cowards!”

Synopsis:
The editor (Adam West) of a wildlife preservation magazine is sent out west with Larry (Larry Fine), Moe (Moe Howard), and Curly Joe (Joe DeRita) to stop the slaughter of buffalo being perpetrated by a villain (Don Lamond) whose goal is to promote an Indian uprising; meanwhile, Annie Oakley (Nancy Kovack) helps West earn a job as sheriff, and is secretly at work behind the scenes at all times, especially when a host of notorious outlaws arrive in town.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Comedy
  • Outlaws
  • Westerns

Review:
The Three Stooges’ final of six films together — made after a brief late-career resurgence in their popularity — was this western spoof directed by Moe Howard’s son-in law (Norman Maurer), and featuring Adam West in a decidedly unheroic role a year before he would go down in history as TV’s best-known Batman.

Everything about this silly flick is predicated on one’s appreciation of the Stooges’ humor:

… and one’s enjoyment at seeing them in an anachronistic western environment.

The biggest highlight of the film is Nancy Kovacks as sharp-shooting Annie Oakley, who comes to the rescue with a grin of delight time and again.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Nancy Kovack’s fun turn as powerhouse Annie Oakley

Must See?
No; skip this one unless you’re a diehard Three Stooges fan.

Links:

One thought on “Outlaws Is Coming, The (1965)

  1. Rewatch 1/31/22.

    Not must-see; only for Three Stooges fans.

    Saw this when I was a kid. The Stooges were still immensely popular in reruns of their short films but their career had started to ebb. Their work largely hinged on the school of “It’s Always Funnier When Somebody Gets Hurt” – but they were such charming idiots most of the time that the low-level humor (often combined with sound effects) didn’t seem as insulting.

    This film is a mildly amusing cap to their career. It’s nothing much but fans will like it.

Leave a Reply