Wide Open Spaces (1924)

Wide Open Spaces Poster

Wide Open Spaces is a 1924 Western silent film starring Stan Laurel.

Film Overview
"Wide Open Spaces" is an American silent brief funny movie originally launched in 1924. This laugh-out-loud funny was directed by Robert F. McGowan and belongs to the popular Our Gang series, produced by Hal Roach. The movie stars numerous skilled kid actors consisting of George "Spanky" McFarland, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, and others. The stories of the Our Gang series were mostly developed to showcase the natural antics and real humor of these young actors.

Plot Summary
The action of "Wide Open Spaces" showcases the team, led by their leader Mickey, leaving from their stressed out environment to a desert island. The movie begins with the boys getting captured up in the consequences of their carried out dog-washing service that ends up producing a buzz of mayhem in their neighborhood. This leads them into a clash with a tyrant truant officer. In order to elude their existing situations and the wrath of the neighborhood, the young boys decide to escape from home and board a ship.

Their leader, Mickey, encourages everyone of the amazing experience that awaits. The boys think of that the island will have lots of wild exotic animals, and they will live there as fearless explorers. They prepare to reach there by sea and for this reason, their journey begins on an out-of-service ship they found at the dock. Naively, the boys believe they are cruising, unaware that the ship is stationary.

Comic Highlights and Conclusion
The comic highlight of "Wide Open Spaces" consists of scenes where each kid copes with the needs of ship life in their methods. The kids attempt to capture fish from what they thought to be the ocean but was in fact a puddle. They experience seasickness, even carrying out a mock funeral service for one of the members who they wrongly believe to be dead.

Another unforgettable portion takes place when they choose that they have lastly gotten to the island, unaware that they are actually back in town. They comically misinterpret their environments with wild creativities based upon their presumption. In reality, they were exploring a deserted location of their town all along. They misinterpreted a goat for a wild monster and were scared off by a 'native' who was really their local police officer.

The film concludes when the truant officer shows up at the island, revealing the reality. The officer brings them back home after exposing that they were no farther from house than when they began, leading to a collectively crestfallen and surprised reaction. However, regardless of all odds, the film ends with the gang intact, all set for their next adventure.

Verdict
"Wide Open Spaces" is a light-hearted movie filled with innocent humor, charming performances from the kid actors, and delightful comical circumstances. The film can be credited for not just providing entertaining narratives but likewise presenting the imaginative world of kids and the comic turmoil they can unconsciously create. Showing a kid's understanding of experience and escapism, the film reveals that even everyday experiences can be become a fascinating journey in the eyes of kids. While it might be restricted in regards to technical finesse, considering its release in the silent era, "Wide Open Spaces" successfully encapsulates the liveliness of childhood, making the movie an ageless comedy classic.

Top Cast

  • Stan Laurel (small)
    Stan Laurel
    Gabriel Goober
  • James Finlayson (small)
    James Finlayson
    Jack McQueen
  • Billy Engle
    Phil Sheridan
  • Charles Dudley (small)
    Charles Dudley
    A. Lincoln
  • Al Forbes
    General Custer
  • Mae Laurel
    Calamity Jane
  • Sammy Brooks
  • Ena Gregory (small)
    Ena Gregory
  • Eddie Baker
  • Harry Bayfield
  • Bill Brokaw