The Outlaws Is Coming (1964) User Reviews

Possibly the best Stooges feature film

[morrisonhimself · 7/10 · 4 January 2015]

Some grown-up dialog -- "Look at all those fighting Indians" (and if you don't get the joke, then you never heard the original story about the Custer memorial) -- far-above-average acting and just generally good production values elevate this Stooges movie.

Of course there is the usual Stooges schtick, without which we would feel terribly bereft, and Joe DeRita shows he is a superb Stooge.

Emil Sitka played three parts! As is mentioned elsewhere, he had been a "Fourth Stooge" for so many pictures, he was slated to become a Third Stooge, to replace the ill Larry Fine, but no movie ever got produced.

That is a shame for him and for us, for us who loved the Stooges, and especially for us who loved him.

Most of the cast members, except for Adam West, were not very well known, but they showed some understated acting ability that proved their talent and demonstrated how good a Stooges movie could be.

The guys were lucky. So many other comics and comedy groups or teams declined, but their last picture might well be their best.

I hope everyone will get a chance to see this, for the sheer fun of it, and for the chance to evaluate the Three Stooges and their work.

Good satire

[crmfghtr · 7/10 · 1 February 2017]

This not only has some great Stooge schtick but lots of funny satire on old west films, modern life, even spoofing the Stooges themselves. Some bits are like a forerunner to Saturday Night Live "A Japanese Beetle?" Not my favorite Stooge feature film that goes to Hercules for its wonderful story, and great fun. However it is the funniest and most clever in delivery of humor.

I like the Stooge 2 reelers a lot, seen them all. However lets face it, how many times can you laugh at Moe slapping or doing an eye poke? The feature films matured them, pun intended, into good story, cast and broader humor. The stooges morphed into whatever era situation was required to keep going. They should be proud of this, well done boys.

So if you want non stop eye pokes and slaps, watch a Jules White directed 2 reeler, if you are in the mood for something different, this is for you.

"Goodbye crime, hello law and order!"

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 31 August 2022]

Beginning with a portentous opening narration by Paul Frees, The Three Stooges' big screen swansong plays like a cross between a slapstick silent, 'F-Troop' and 'The Monkees', gleefully dropping the names of the likes of Billy the Kid and Bat Masterson, with a curiously ecologically concerned plot involved the endangered buffalo.

An interesting supporting cast includes Mort ('Psycho') Mills as a menacing heavy with the delightful name Trigger Mortis and Henry ('Laugh-In') Gibson as an injun brave, Sally Starr as Belle Starr, while straight men don't come straighter than Adam West (soon be reunited with feisty Annie Oakley Nancy Kovack on the set of 'Batman'). But the best performance is probably given by Moe's pet skunk Elvis.

"Geronimo and All That Jazz"

[slymusic · 5 November 2005]

Produced and directed by Moe Howard's son-in-law Norman Maurer, "The Outlaws Is Coming" is by no means the Three Stooges' greatest Western; that honor is reserved for some of their earlier shorts such as "Goofs and Saddles" (1937) and "Punchy Cowpunchers" (1950). Yet, "Outlaws" is still quite an entertaining comedy Western. The Stooges apparently wanted to make this final feature film as a tribute to the TV kid show hosts around the country who aired the Three Stooges shorts on their programs. So these hosts appear in this picture as special guests who portray all the assorted famous bandits from Bat Masterson (Ed T. McDonnell) to Billy the Kid (Johnny Ginger). Even Larry Fine's son-in-law Don Lamond, who portrays a prominent villain named Rance Roden, was a sportscaster who at one time hosted his own television show that aired the Stooge shorts. (Wait until after you see "The Outlaws Is Coming" before you read the next few paragraphs.)

One of the funniest aspects of this Western is that it is rife with sixties jokes. Some examples are: 1.) a skunk named Elvis and an Indian maiden named Zsa Zsa; 2.) Larry's "Cleveland Indians" reference; 3.) Rance Roden selling a gigantic tank wagon to the Indians, guaranteed for 12,000 soldiers or 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first; 4.) sixties twist music coming from Curly-Joe's hunting horn; and 5.) the sign indicating parking hours for horses (8 to 6 except Sundays, Holidays & Hangings).

Here are some other highlights from "The Outlaws Is Coming." The Stooges' Indian disguises (especially Curly-Joe's) fall apart as they attempt to dance. On two occasions the Stooges attempt to take a picture with their accordion camera, but they use too much flash powder and blow up everything in sight. Larry and Curly-Joe discover they're in the wrong hotel room while they are searching for the outlaws' guns. When Moe lectures the outlaws, he does an amusing take-off of the "Ya Got Trouble" number from "The Music Man" (1962). When Larry chats with the bartender (Harold "Tiny" Brauer), some of their words are cuckooed out. Moe accidentally sits in a puddle of glue, forcing Larry and Curly-Joe to engage in some hilarious ways of setting him free. And finally, Charlie Horse (Henry Gibson), an Indian with a southern drawl, expresses his disgust with the stereotypical Hollywood pidgin of Indians.

To close, here are a couple of interesting tidbits about "The Outlaws Is Coming." First, I have never heard Moe shout any louder than he does at various junctures in this film. And second, when the Cavalry arrives at the end, Moe says, "Here they come, late as usual," which is an inside joke referring to the earlier Three Stooges short "Out West" (1947), in which the Cavalry also arrives late.

The Outlaws Is Coming is a nice way for The Three Stooges to say goodbye to theatrical movies

[tavm · 7/10 · 10 February 2018]

Just watched this again on YouTube, several years after originally seeing this late at night on TNT. This was the last theatrical movie for The Three Stooges and it's quite a good one to go out on even though they had one more film to go (that would be Kook's Tour which was another of their TV pilots and which I'll review next). Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe are photographers in Boston when the movie starts. Adam West runs their newspaper department and is passionate about the possible extinction of the buffalo. When their boss (regular Stooge supporting player Emil Sitka) tells of how low that speices seems to be in number, they go west to try to prevent it. I'll stop there and just say the Stooges are as funny as ever with their physical comedy and there are also some anachronistic gags about modern times that were nice surprises especially a couple of ones about The Beatles! The producer/director was Norman Maurer-Moe's son-in-law. Also Maurer's son Jeffrey Scott appears as the only underage kid here. And Don Lamond-who's the main villain here-is Larry's son-in-law. The famous gunslingers whose names get printed on screen as they are introed are all played by TV kid show hosts who showed Stooges shorts on their stations. Among them was Joe Bolton who previously appeared in the Stooges-with-Curly compilation film Stop! Look! And Laugh! Interesting sidelight: After this movie, Adam West would become a big star in the "Batman" series and Henry Gibson-the college-educated young adult Indian who criticizes the Pidgin English Lamond communicates to his father-would be a regular on "Laugh-In". So on that note, I recommend The Outlaws Is Coming.

Not quite a must-see, but duly entertaining

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 12 March 2022]

The Three Stooges were known for nothing if not wild farces and slapstick, and 'The outlaws is coming' is full of both. The physical comedy and sight gags, accompanied by choice practical effects and sound cues, are amplified to such a heightened level of absurdity that the picture is outright cartoonish at times. It's arguably a little too over the top to wholly appeal to all audiences, and in some other ways it very distinctly hasn't aged well - which is to say, chiefly, strains of racism (especially where Native Americans are concerned), and making the wanton destruction of wildlife into a passing plot point for a comedy. Still, after all, this is built from the ground up only for fun, and with further situational comedy and anachronisms to cement the humor, it's a reliable good time from start to finish.

The cast is a joy, giving wildly exaggerated performances to match the chaotic energy of their characters. Of course Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita take the spotlight, but it's a pleasure to see Adam West here as well, lending his relatively straight-laced poise as a counterbalance. Reduced to only a supporting part, Nancy Kovack is similarly capable as Annie Oakley - a solid part as written that I'd rather like to have seen given greater prominence. And the large supporting cast, portraying embellished interpretations of famous figures from the Wild West, do just as much as the Three Stooges to maintain the ridiculousness throughout. Norman Maurer illustrates capable skills as director, and Aaron Nibley as film editor, and smaller details like costume design, hair and makeup, stunts, and set design and decoration are all marked with fine contributions.

Honestly, in most every regard this is rather well made. I think the sticking points rather just come down to personal preference. I think 'The outlaws is coming' is consistently amusing, but it's never robustly funny in the way one would ideally hope for in a comedy. The humor has more in common with the silliness of 'Merrie Melodies' or 'Looney Tunes' than the sharp wit of Carole Lombard or Buster Keaton - which, true, is exactly what we expect of the Stooges, but I favor a more refined flavor. And again, the blase attitude toward the near annihilation of buffalo is off-putting - and much more so the pervasive depictions of indigenous peoples, here crossing a line that just doesn't hold up to even minimal scrutiny. These are elements that I feel could have been handled much better, even in 1965, without significantly altering the story the movie is telling.

The faults need to be acknowledged; I think it's a mistake to overlook them. All the same, there's only earnest intent to entertain, and in that aim the picture succeeds. If too nonsensical for its own good, this is a feature defined with strong gags, an able cast, and sturdy technical craft and rounding details. It's not essential, and it's not going to be best suited for all viewers, but is broadly enjoyable if one has the chance to watch it. 'The outlaws is coming' is a classic sample of the jazzed-up foolishness that the Three Stooges were so well known for - and one way or another, that description pretty well speaks for itself.

Oh well, they tried.

[maxcellus46 · 1/10 · 8 December 2005]

To paraphrase the previous reviewer's comments, if you're a Stooges fan, avoid this one at all costs! My basic question is, being the experienced troopers of comedy that Moe and Larry were, why did they insist on attempting to continue the act when it was so obvious that their home studio, Columbia, was so clearly not interested in giving them serious writers and veteran comedy directors? This movie plays like someone who's giving a pale imitation of the trio and you can see how very hard Moe and Larry are working to make every little bit of slapstick relevant. Joe De Rita, despite his background in vaudeville is just not up to the job as a replacement for Curly, Shemp, or even Joe Besser. If that's who Moe and Larry had left to pick from, they should have just closed up shop and enjoy their retirement years. Leaving us fans with better memories of far better films they had done earlier. Always leave them laughing is the motto for comedy and always quit while you're on top. Hence Seinfeld's leaving the sitcom while right up there, instead of sticking around for the inevitable decline.

Whether or not you like it depends much on which TYPE of Stooges films you enjoy.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 3 September 2023]

The Three Stooges were an act for several decades and over time, the act changed quite a bit depending on who the third Stooge was as well as popular opinions. In the early days, the Stooges were nutty and ultra-violent, as folks in the 1930s-40s loved it and Curly Howard was perfect as the dopiest of the Stooges. However, after his retirement following a stroke, the team changed several times. Curly's older brother, Shemp, took his place and the films the group made were pretty similar to the earlier ones. However, with Shemp's death, the Stooges changed radically. First, Joe Besser came into the group and the shorts they made with him were pretty awful, as Besser managed to be MUCH more annoying than any previous Stooge. After he left the group because he was obviously NOT a good fit, they brought in Joe De Rita, who objected to much of the eye poking and violence of the earlier films. This, combined with parental concerns about their kids imitating the Stooges lead to the group making far less violent films...and, at least for me, far, far less interesting and bland ones as well. So, whether or not you like "The Outlaws is Coming" is highly dependent on what you think of these latter day Stooges.

A reporter (Adam West) is sent from his Boston newspaper to investigate the disappearance of the bison in the west. Well, it turns out some local scumbag and his henchmen are trying to wipe them out in order to foment unrest with the natives...in the hope that the unrest will result in their taking control of these western territories. The Stooges go along for comic relief and Annie Oakley arrives in time to save the reporter from instant death!

The story is only okay. The laughs are few. Overall, it's really a story that seems tailored towards children and not adults...which probably explains why I felt so bored. Now understand,...it's NOT terrible...but it is also only a shallow version of what I and so many others liked about the Stooges. A bit of Curly's nuttiness could have helped this film immensely.

By the way, you might notice that the plot is VERY similar to the Don Knotts film, "The Shakiest Gun in the West", though the Knotts film is far funnier and well worth seeing.

A really modern Stooge film

[tforbes-2 · 9/10 · 8 June 2008]

I am not disappointed by this film. For a Stooge movie, it seems very much a product of its time, very modern in its tone. For one, you have Sixties icons Adam West and Henry Gibson, the latter playing a Native American educated at the University of Alabama, complete with Southern drawl! And Mr. Gibson is smarter than the dumb outlaws he is dealing with, to boot! Oh, and Curly Joe is funny in this scene, too! Watch also for at least two Beatles references, as well as references to the environment. Maybe the Stooges were slowing down by 1965, but they are still a joy to watch. And there are certainly many funny sequences as well. Definitely fun to watch!

A beautiful mockery of traditional westerns

[courtad6 · 9/10 · 25 March 2000]

This is one of my favorite Three Stooges movies. Plus, Adam West is great in his non-Batman role.

There really isn't much to analyze here. It's just meant to be a fun romp through the old west. And fun it is. Pretty much every gunslinger and bandit from historical westerns makes an appearance, and the climatic gun fight at the end is classic comedy. And of course, there's a great pie fight.

The last good Stooge effort

[jcaraway3 · 9/10 · 20 December 2011]

This 1965 film was the last film the Stooges made for Columbia Pictures, and in my opinion, it is the last good film they ever made. They have a 1970 film called Kook's Tour that just wasn't very funny, or even complete. Here's the plot: The Three Stooges are magazine photographers who, along with their boss, (Adam West) ride out into the west to save herds of buffalo that are being killed off by Rance Roden (Don Lamond), who plans to take over the entire West.

While the picture follows the same formula of earlier Stooge movies with Curly Joe where The Stooges are older men helping a young guy save the day and fall in love with some girl, this time the guy is Adam West! It also features real stooge mayhem similar to their older work, not just toned down family entertainment like many of their later movies. This movie also has superior jokes and gags than their other Curly Joe films as well.

I've seen all of the Curly Joe movies except "Have Rocket, Will Travel", and this is certainly the best of the bunch.

The Outlaws Is Coming is The Three Stooges Last film & Their Funniest!

[stanbabe143 · 23 December 2001]

In Their last feature film.The Three Stooges:Moe,Larry & Curly Joe De Rita are sent to Casper ,Wy. to stop The American Buffalo from being killed off and also to halt a Native American Uprising.Aided by A pre "Batman:Adam West and Nancy Kovacs.The boys,Mr.West and Ms.Kovacs stumble into a barrage

of sight gags,topical references,pies,and brawling.As they try to foil the evil scheame of western gandleader:"Rance Rodin"(Don Lamond)and his henchmen:"Trigger Mortis"(Played by former Perry Mason Show Cop:Mort Mills)and "The Sunstroke Kid"(Rex Holman)from killing off the Buffalo and aiding the indians in a war that could destroy the White American and Native American Races.The film also features some wonderful performances from former "Stooge Foils"Harold(Tiny)Brauer as a wisecracking bartender,Murray Alper as a gruff old Indian Chief and Emil Sitka.Who totally surpasses' himself by playing three Roles"Mr.Abernathy"The boys and Mr.West's not too understanding Boss,A Indian Medicine Man and a pompus US Calvery Officer.There is also a brief but memorable cameo from Henry Gibson(Yes! That zany poet.Who three years later would go onto tv fame as the hip bard on NBC TV's:Rowan & Martin's Laugh In!)as a hip Young Brave.And Nine of The USA's Most popular Kids tv hosts/performers Sally Starr,Paul Shannon,Wayne Mack,Hal Fryer,Bruce Seadley,Ed T.McDonnell,Johnny Ginger,Bill Camfield,and "Officer Joe"Bolton play The film's Nine Outlaws.Putting all of these element together.This is The Three Stooges Best Feature Film.

The Stooges in a sort of Western Spoof. "Go West you (not so) young Stooges; Go West!"

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 31 December 2008]

WITH Columbia Pictures' release of most of their backlog of Comedy Shorts from their now defunct and then closing down Short Subjects Department in 1959, a whole new generation of fans, kids that is, was introduced to the work of people like former Silent Screen Mack Sennett Player, Andy Clyde, latter day sound shorts cone by "the Great Stone Face", Buster Keaton and lastly, some guys named Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp, who were four of the six guys who at one time or another were members of the act called THE 3 STOOGES. (Luckily, they didn't show us any of those latter day ones that ran right about up to the time when they made that Television Release Package that featured Joe Besser.)

NAMES like Jules White, Clyde Bruckman, Felix Adler, Charley Chase (Writer/Directors) and Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison, Benny Rubin, Christine McIntyre, Simona Boniface, Edward Brends, Emil Sitka Jack "Tiny" Lipson, Casey Colombo, Al Hill and Dorothy Appleby; supporting players parr excellance all!

BUT the greatest beneficiaries (other than us Baby Boomer Generation kids) were the Stooges themselves.

NOT more than a couple of years had elapsed between the time that the last STOOGES Comedy featuring Joe Besser as the third guy had been put in the can (completed) to that day when all of those stations around the country began playing the comedies. In our fair town of Chicago, Illinois, it was the Chicago Tribune's own station of WGN TV, Channel 9 that played the shorts hosted by Bob Bell as old Andy Starr, caretaker of the old Odeon Theatre.

BEFORE the year was out, the 3 Stooges ) now with Joe DeRita as the third numbskull, rechristened "Curly Joe". They had a very successful personal appearance tour and were able to ink a new picture deal with their old home studio, Columbia Pictures Corporation.

INASMUCH as the old Short Subjects Department/Division was now gone; the deal called for the Stooges to now make some starring, kiddie oriented Feature Films. In order to handle the business end of the deal, Moe's Son-in-Law, Norman Maurer became their producer. They formed their own company, Norman Maurer Productions (Later called Normandy Productions).

THEIR first movie, HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL (Norman Maurer Productions/Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1959) hit the neighborhood shows in the Autumn of that year and was highly successful. Others followed: THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, THE THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE, SNOW WHITE AND THE 3 STOOGES, THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT, THE THREE STOOGES SCRAPBOOK as well as guest starring appearances in 4 FOR Texas and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD.

AND if you can believe it, the humor was just about the same in these. They consistently borrowed from what seemed to be the best source, their old films. But even steak can get boring if eaten too often. So they set out to make a Stooges feature for the youngster that was a little better and different.

THE resulting movie, THE OUTLAWS IS COMING (Norman Maurer/Columbia, 1965) was not only an excellent outlet for the 3 Stooges own brand of outrageous comedy; but also was original, lampooned the Westerns (that were all over the TV Tube in those Days) and gave an opportunity to have a relatively large guest cast. At the same time it managed to kid the old Horatio Alger/Horace Greeley train of American thoroughly and philosophy.

COSTARRING with the boys was our old friend, Adam West (who the following year would be the hit of the tear on the twice weekly BATMAN TV Series.) Also in the Female Lead, we have Miss Nancy Kovack as Annie Oakley. Miss Nancy would also be featured on the BATMAN Show as the Joker's Gun Mall, Queenie in the first 2 part Joker escapade: "BATMAN IS RILED"/"THE JOKER IS WILD". (We think she may also have had a small, part in the premiere 2 parter, "HI RIDDLE DIDDLE" "SMACK IN THE MIDDLE" as a patron of the new Discothèque.

ALTHOUGH the picture would have figured to change the Stooges Movie format somewhat for the better, the steam was starting to run out on the theatrical releases after about six or so good years. Television still beckoned; but not as the none paid in residuals for the old shorts. They were still in demand as guests and the old careers got a boost with the hybrid of part animated, part live action TV Series of THE NEW 3 STOOGES (Normandy Productions/Cambria Animation, 1965).

BUT that my dear Schultz, is another story! (P.S. See our really neato review, elsewhere in IMDb.com.)

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

Pretty good for a western, but not the best stooge movie

[bozotheripper · 19 June 2001]

I thought it was a good stooge movie with Curly Joe, but their westerns have always been my least favorite of their shorts or movies. This movies funnier than any Besser short at least. This is still the best western comedy I've ever seen. I think the movie would be more entertaining and make less sense if Adam West was Batman in this movie. If you are a stooges fan then you'll love this movie.

Hilarious Comedy Hijinks

[jlthornb51 · 9/10 · 20 May 2015]

Perhaps the Stooges' finest work, this is a superb example of the trio at their very best. They outdo all bast efforts and enhance their legend with this, their last released film With a bit more sophistication and in many ways much more cerebral in its concept, this is comedy that will simply delight everyone. Obviously, this Stooges film had a particular influence upon Mel Brooks when he produced his own classic Western comedy, Blazing Saddles. However, no one has nor will succeeded in bringing a funnier and entertaining Western spoof to the screen than the Stooges did with their 1965 effort, The Outlaws is Coming.

Six Shooters

[arfdawg-1 · 8/10 · 1 October 2022]

THis was the 6th and final Stooge feature film since they dropped shorts back in the late 50's.

It's surprisingly good even tho they are getting pretty old by now.

The movie is flanked by a bunch of actors like Adam West who will soon become household namemes a few years later.

Also the film was directed by Moe's son in law.

Some of the bad guys were actually hosts of the 3 stooges shows that appeared on TV across the country. Latty's son in w was one, and for me in the NYC market Joe Bolton who always had Moe on his show!

The movie is leagues better than the cartoon show they voiced with live action in between stories.

As I said, it's actually pretty good. Better also than some of their earlier features where they were really just second fiddles.