DVD Reviews

The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll May 5, 2011, 15:36 GMT

“I ain’t votin’ for Taft!”

American International Pictures attempts to out ballyhoo Cat Ballou with some success, but certainly not rising to that level.  However, what you do get is a fun picture, but politically incorrect, featuring some great actors. 

Sam Longwood (Lee Marvin) was once a great scout in the Civil War, but hard times has him and his partner Billy (Strother Martin) running cons in bars.  They barely escape the clutches of the boxer Vishniac (Howard Platt) who they con, but sticks around to see his sponsor Jack Colby (Robert Culp) collect him. 

The two recognize Colby from their past and meet up with their other partner, the clap ridden Indian Joe Knox (Oliver Reed) who has stolen a police wagon full of prostitutes.  He plans on having one each day of the week thereby spreading his infection to the white population as part of his master plan. 

Fortunately for the ladies, his plan doesn’t come to fruition and they make their way back to their madam Mike (Sylvia Miles).  However, one dubbed Thursday (Kay Lenz) hides out in their wagon and hooks up with Sam, Billy and Joe.  The three try to get their money out of Colby but he proves a wily operator. 

The defeated men decide to kidnap Colby’s wife Nancy Sue (Elizabeth Ashley), who was an old flame of Sam’s, and hold her for ransom but she turns out to not be worth it to Colby.  So the new crew has to figure out how to get revenge and their money out of the slippery Colby. 

Lee Marvin won an Oscar for Cat Ballou (1965) and The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday seems to attempt to replicate the formula… well without any musical interludes by Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye or Marvin in a dual role. 

The results do have some funny moments, but you also have the potential oddity of Oliver Reed playing an Indian.  That probably doesn’t sit well with today’s politically correct audiences.  Not to mention that Reed goes way over the top in his buffoonery.  Strother Martin adds some of his odd charm to the picture though. 

We really focus more on the men folks and Thursday’s second billing still makes her more of a foil to the plans that the boys are trying to pull on Culp, who is a delight with his broad-grinning villainy.  There’s a bit of melancholy as Sam realizes his glory days are long gone (ala Monte Walsh (1970)) but we quickly pick up with the comedy chases and gags. 

There’s enough funny stuff and respect for our cast of great actors to earn the film a recommendation.  It’s a pleasure to see Marvin and company again. 

The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday is presented in widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  There are no special features being this is a burn-on-demand title. 

The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday may not be the best western comedy, but it has enough laughs and a fine cast to have you shoot your six guns in the air. 

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