Headin' East: When Cowboy Logic Meets NYC Lettuce Politics

If you've ever wondered what would happen if a cowboy wandered into a New York produce market and decided to fix the local labor relations with his bare fists, Headin' East is your answer. It is worth watching for the pure, unadulterated absurdity of watching Buck Jones act like he's still in a dusty Western while standing in front of a truck full of vegetables. If you have no patience for low-budget 1930s fluff or plots that move faster than they make sense, skip this one.

The whole premise is just wild. Buck Benson is essentially a lettuce-based vigilante. When he starts roughing up guys for knocking over hand-trucks, I honestly couldn't tell if he was a hero or just a guy having a really bad Tuesday. The chemistry between him and Shemp Howard is the only thing grounding this thing, and even then, Shemp feels like he wandered in from a completely different movie. Wait, is that really Shemp? Yes, and he’s the best part of the whole operation.

The villains are exactly who you expect. Donald Douglas, playing the lawyer Eric Ward, is so obviously evil he might as well be twirling a mustache. The moment Buck catches that "significant glance" between the lawyer and his goon, I laughed. It’s that kind of movie. You don't watch this for the nuance of the labor dispute; you watch it to see how many times Buck can jump onto a moving car.

There is a scene involving a gymnasium for boys that feels like it’s there just to pad the runtime, but it actually turns into the highlight. Watching Shemp rally a bunch of East Side kids to save the day is peak cinema in a weird, messy way. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in After the Bawl, though with significantly more lettuce and fewer actual gags.

The final rooftop chase is classic, though you can clearly see the stunt doubles doing all the heavy lifting. The pacing is relentless, which is good because if you stop to think about why a lettuce association needs a private investigator from the West, you'll start to lose your mind. Just don't think about it.

• The hat-swap with Shemp is a top-tier comedy beat.
• The lettuce-related dialogue is unintentionally hilarious.
• The plot resolves itself with a speed that borders on magical.
• Shemp Howard really does carry the scenes where Buck is being too serious.

It’s not trying to be The Wizard of Oz, and honestly, it's better for it. It’s just a scrappy little film that knows exactly what it is. A little bit of punching, a little bit of produce, and a whole lot of 1930s bravado. 🥬🥊