An Eastern Westerner (1920) starring Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis
Synopsis of An Eastern Westerner
In the silent short film An Eastern Westerner, the father of a spoiled young man ships him out West from New York to his uncle’s ranch. The father hopes that the young man will toughen up and learn responsibility. Once there, he squares off against a town bully and falls for a local belle.
Review of An Eastern Westerner
After a night of “wild carousing” at a dance club – a funny scene – The Boy (Harold Lloyd) comes home at 2:00 in the morning. It’s the final straw; his father sends him to his uncle’s ranch out West.
Out West, a bully (“Tiger Lips” Tompkins) runs the town with fear. A pretty young lady (Mildred Davis) takes her sick father into town, and finds a job working for Tiger Lips. The Boy arrives, and in a funny scene “misses” his coach to the ranch. And runs after it all the way to town. Where Tiger Lips is already trying to force his affection on The Girl.
Trying to impress The Girl
The Boy and The Girl meet, and he tries to impress her with a rope trick. However, in a bit of clown comedy, he’s exposed as a fraud. He next tries to impress her by jumping onto the back of a horse – which also backfires clownishly. The Boy soon goes into Tiger Lip’s saloon, where The Girl’s father is captive. Until The Girl becomes “friendly” with Tiger Lips.
The Boy is corralled into a card game. After a funny bit with rolling cigarettes, Harold impersonates a waiter to cheat at cards. But never cheat a cheater — and The Boy loses everything. However, he meets The Girl, and finds out that her father is locked away upstairs. And the key is in Tiger Lips’ pocket. And in an inspired moment, he gets the key.
He rescues the father, with Tiger Lips and his masked gang hot on his trail. It’s a very funny, acrobatic chase scene, that seems to end with The Boy escaping on a train. But, once the villains leave, he reveals himself, and proposes to The Girl, ending the movie.
An Eastern Westerner is a very funny, enjoyable silent comedy, and highly recommended.
Editorial review of An Eastern Westerner courtesy of Amazon.com
Rural comedy abounds in this romp, as young upstart Harold is shipped to his uncle’s ranch out West. There, he meets Mildred, assists her in staving off the unwanted affections of rogue Young, and after a wild altercation with a gang of bandits, single-handedly saves the town from the Masked Angels.
Funny movie quotes from The Eastern Westerner
- The Boy. He may have started from the Y.M.C.A., but somebody moved the building.
- The little town of Piute Pass. It’s considered bad form to shoot the same man twice in the same day.
- “Tiger Lip” Tompkins, owns half of the county and bullies the rest. Leader of the Masked Angels — men who have broken eight commandments and twisted the other two.
- The Boy arrives. He’s gained five pounds — mostly cinders.