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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Wide Open Spaces remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, The Wide Open Spaces. Is it worth tracking down today? Look, if you’re deep into silent film history or just really, really curious how a Wild West spoof looked back in the 1920s, then yeah, maybe give it a whirl. But for anyone expecting snappy dialogue or even jokes that land every time, you’ll probably find yourself just kinda staring at the screen. It’s a very specific taste, for sure. 🤠
This film comes from The Masquers Comedy Club. That’s a big deal. It means you’re watching a bunch of stage folks, already known for their comedic chops, doing their thing on film. It’s less about a tight narrative and more about seeing these guys play around with cowboy hats and exaggerated villain mustaches.
The plot itself is… well, it’s a spoof. Don’t go in thinking you’ll get some grand epic. It’s more like a series of gags strung together. A bunch of cowboys, a damsel perhaps, some sort of low-stakes trouble. You know the drill, but played for laughs.
What really jumps out is the sheer energy in some scenes. These actors, many of whom were big names in comedic circles, aren't holding back. A Girl's Folly, from a few years earlier, had some wild physical stuff too, but here it feels more like a direct stage transfer. You can almost feel the stage lights on them.
Clyde Cook, for example, he’s got this rubbery face. He’s all over the place. One moment, he's doing a pratfall that looks genuinely painful, the next he’s mugging directly at the camera. It’s broad, sure, but it’s committed broad. That’s what makes it work, sometimes.
Then there are the crowd scenes. They have this interesting feel. Like, you see all these faces, and you know they’re all club members or friends, just having a blast. It adds a certain charm, almost an inside joke vibe. But also, sometimes it feels a bit… messy. Not every extra is doing something coherent.
The humor is very much of its time. You get the exaggerated chases, the overly dramatic reactions, the obvious setups for slapstick. Some of it still lands, because physical comedy can be timeless, right? A good fall is a good fall. But other bits just feel a bit long, like they were hoping the audience would just laugh because it’s supposed to be funny.
There’s a moment where one of the characters, I think it was Walter Hiers, tries to sneak past a sleeping guard. He takes forever. The scene goes on about 20 seconds too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than emotional. It's not bad acting, just pacing choices that feel alien now.
IMDb —
1921
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