Was stunned to hear of the passing of Adam West (that's he in eclipse behind Joe DeRita). West was a fine actor, but always the first one to poke fun at himself. It struck me today that West is essentially America's Roger Moore. Adam was always a bright spot whenever he turned up, and was one of those stars who oozed average Joe likability. Rest In Peace, Mr. West, and thanks for all the good times. Upon thinking of Adam, my mind went first to THE OUTLAWS IS COMING, a wild, cartoony horse opera spoof starring The Three Stooges. The last starring feature for the Stooges, in fact. West plays a crusading reporter desperate to save the buffalo from being exterminated (that happening due to a plot to turn the Indians against the white man and jumpstart a war). Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe are his assistants, and do what they can to acclimate tenderfoot Adam to the wild and woolly Western territories. When West gets into a gun duel, sharp-shooter Nancy Kovack saves his life and gives the town the impression that he's the best shot in the territory. To counter this, the bad guys call in every notorious gunman (and future television star) they can find, including the likes of Bat Masterson, Johnny Ringo, Belle Starr, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and so forth. Lot's a gags in this one, which is practically a Tex Avery cartoon! The self-referencing showbiz gags are truly my kind of humor, and this one has them in spades.
This was one of the first things I remembered when I heard Mister West had died. Pity they were never able to get the boys (such as they were by then) to show up on his 'Batman' show.
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