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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Rarin' to Go remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have five minutes and a weird obsession with 1920s sound experiments, sure. Otherwise, you’ll probably find it pretty boring.
People who love history might get a kick out of how clunky it is. If you want a real Western, you’re better off watching The Girl of the Golden West.
So, the movie starts with Jack. He’s a 'cowboy' who just arrived in the West.
I put cowboy in quotes because he doesn't really do anything cowboy-ish. He just has a lariat.
He spends a good chunk of the time just fiddling with the rope. It’s not even impressive rope work.
It’s like watching your cousin try to show you a magic trick he hasn't practiced yet. 🤠
The whole thing feels like a comedy skit that was filmed on a lunch break. It’s very stagey.
You can tell they were still figuring out how to record sound. There’s this constant hiss in the background.
Jack eventually meets Elsie. She’s a cowgirl, I guess, because she’s wearing the hat.
He asks her to dance. That’s the whole plot. That is literally it.
I noticed that Elsie’s dress looks way too heavy for the kind of dancing she’s doing. She looks like she’s fighting the fabric the whole time.
The floorboards also make this incredibly loud thudding sound every time they move. It’s kind of distracting.
Bryan Foy is the main name here. He was part of the 'Seven Little Foys,' so he knew how to perform for a crowd.
But here, he feels a bit stiff. Maybe the cameras were too loud and it made everyone nervous.
If you’ve seen Billy Jim, you know how these early western comedies can be. They rely a lot on 'personality' because the scripts are paper-thin.
There’s a moment where Jack almost trips over the lariat. I can't tell if it was a joke or a mistake they just kept in.
Early sound films are full of stuff like that. They couldn't really edit things out easily back then.
The 'Golden West' setting looks like it’s about ten feet wide. You can almost see where the painted backdrop ends.
It lacks the scale of something like Land o' Lizards. It’s very much a studio creation.
"The rope tricks are... well, they are tricks. I guess."
Elsie’s dance is okay. It’s very of its time. Lots of hopping around and kicking.
I wonder what they were thinking when they filmed this. Was this supposed to be a big deal?
Probably not. It was likely just a 'filler' piece for theaters. Like a 1929 version of a TikTok video.
The ending is abrupt. It just sort of... stops. No real resolution, just the end of the skit.
I’ve seen a few of these shorts lately, like Fangs of Justice. They all have this weird, hurried energy.
It’s not a bad five minutes, but it’s definitely not a masterpiece. It’s just a weird little artifact.
The best part is honestly the shadow the lariat makes on the wall. It’s clearer than the actual rope.
Anyway, don't go in expecting a story. It’s just Jack, Elsie, and a very confused rope. 🌵
If you're bored, give it a look. If not, maybe skip it and find something with a bit more meat on its bones.
IMDb —
1918
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