Silly Billies: A Dentists' Guide to Getting Nowhere Fast

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school, vaudeville-style comedy where people just shout at each other and fall over, maybe. If you actually care about westerns, plot, or coherent storytelling, avoid this like a bad root canal. This is strictly for people who find 1930s slapstick charming even when it’s totally aimless.

Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey are basically trying to bring modern dentistry to a town that definitely does not want it. Or maybe they do? The movie isn't entirely clear on the town's actual needs, other than the fact that everyone is constantly running away from something.

The Vibe

There is a lot of yelling. Like, an exhausting amount of shouting in small rooms. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Malle gevallen, though with fewer surprises. Everything feels like it was improvised on the spot while the set was literally burning down behind them.

The dental chair scenes are clearly the highlight, or the lowlight, depending on how much you enjoy seeing a drill used as a prop for physical comedy. It is deeply silly. Honestly, it is just weird.

• The dialogue sounds like it was written on the back of a napkin.
• The bad guys are so generic they barely register as a threat.
• The pacing is just... chaotic.

One scene drags on for what feels like ten minutes where they’re just fiddling with equipment. It stopped being funny around the thirty-second mark, but they just kept going. It’s that kind of movie. You can almost feel the director hoping the next gag lands, even though the last five didn't.

If you’ve seen Hands Up, you know how good a silent-era comedic western can look. This is not that. It feels dusty, rushed, and oddly desperate. Sometimes, it’s like they forgot they were supposed to be in the desert and started acting like they were in a sketch show in New York.

Also, the extras in the background have this glazed look in their eyes. You can tell half of them are just waiting for lunch. It’s charming in a sad way, I guess? 🦷

I wouldn't go out of your way to find this. It’s a relic of a style of comedy that aged like milk, but it’s interesting as a curiosity if you’re bored on a Tuesday night. Just don't expect a masterpiece.