Abbott & Costello make a rather unusual western with "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap." In this 1947 comedy Bud is Duke Egan and Lou is Chester Wooley, a pair of traveling salesmen who stop in the wild town of Wagon Gap, Montana on their way to California. When Fred Hawkins is shot and killed the boys get charged with the murder. This is where this film comes up with the unusual twist. Someone finds a Montana law that says the winner of a gun duel has to assume the debts and dependents of the dead man. This means that the Widow Hawkins (Marjorie Main) and her seven children are now the responsibility of Chester (it would not be as funny if it were Duke, trust me). So while the Wistful Widow works Chester from sunrise to sunset to take care of the dependents, the saloonkeeper works Chester at night to pay off the dead man's debts. Then Chester makes a remarkable discovery: no one dares to shoot him because that would mean they would inherit the Hawkins clan. Suddenly Chester is the Sheriff of Wagon Gap and starts cleaning up the town!

Marjorie Main who steals a lot of scenes as the title character had just played Ma Kettle for the first time in "The Egg and I" and was about to start the popular "Ma and Pa Kettle" series with Percy Kilbridge. Costello's best comedic moment comes with the "Frog in the Soup" routine, but I have to admit my favorite is when Chester starts ordering Duke around. It had taken a long time for the worm to turn, but "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" comes up with the perfect situation for Lou to finally get the upper hand. For that reason alone I have to put this film in the upper echelon of Abbott & Costello comedies. A short but brisk film at only 78 minutes, this 1947 film was directed by Charles Barton.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS

Classic western spoof with Bud and Lou. The film was inspired by a real-life law. The film opens with the title: "MONTANA-IN THE DAYS WHEN MEN WHERE MEN. WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS". The two exceptions of course are Abbott and Costello playing travelling salesmen 'DUKE EGAN & CHESTER WHOOLEY". When the duo arrive in the town of Wagon Gap, Lou is accused of killing the town drunk and gambler "HAWKINS". Put on trial the team is sentenced to take care and provide NOT ONLY the "WIDOW HAWKINS" (Marjorie Main - of the 'MA & PA KETTLE' series of movies), but for his brood of SEVEN children. Later, Costello is commissioned to the job of the town sheriff, since NO ONE wants to kill him for fear of inheriting the 'HAWKINS' clan. Look carefully at one of the co-stars. He is Gordon Jones who later co-starred with the team once again on their 1950s TV series - 'THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW'.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Brilliant Western staire.

Barton ties up film in a small but enjoyable package, Main is hilarious as is Lou. Another Bud and Lou winner.