It's not a great comedy, but THE GREAT SCOUT AND CATHOUSE THURSDAY is a spoof western that plays around with such themes as settling long standing scores and recapturing a lost love from youth. In the proper hands mighty great tragedies of loss of innocence or happiness have been built on such themes like THE SEARCHERS. Here it is sent up - with a heavenly nuttiness.

Lee Marvin, Strother Martin, and Oliver Reed (as a truly vengeful Native American - more below) all worked a gold site with Robert Culp when they were all younger and (these three) more innocent. Culp ran off with the money, and used it to become a powerful gold mine owner. Marvin accidentally tracks him down, and gathers the other two to confront him and demand their share. And he laughs in their face, and uses his goon squad to chase them away. But they come up with a plan to kidnap Culp's wife (Elizabeth Ashley) to force him to give them their money. Marvin, now an old saddle bum, recalls how Ashley and he were once quite hot for each other. He figures that there should be little real problem.

A touch of O'Henry comes here - "The Ransom of Red Chief". It seems that marriage and prosperity brought out the worst in both Culp and Ashley. Both are used to their comforts, and neither are particularly nice people, nor do they care for each other (Culp has been promoting a prize fighter for the heavyweight championship - the gentleman has been sleeping with Ashley!). So after having the "pleasure" of kidnapping Ashley, Marvin discovers Culp couldn't care less.

The film has some wonderful touches in it. Reed's "Joe Knox" is the most interesting vengeful Indian in American movies. Forget slow torments over roasting fires, or flaying alive, or "running the gauntlet" or scalping. Seems Joe has venereal disease, and plans to spread it all over the west. Martin, when he learns this, is frightened ("Damn it Joe, we drank out of the same cup!", he squeals). Reed foresees that his one-man assault on the U.S will reach the White House (he sees Teddy Roosevelt screaming about it). Lee Marvin does convince him to see a doctor, but Reed is aware (apparently) of the current treatment with mercury and a needle. Marvin tries to reassure him ("It's all done with a little pill now!"). Reed believes him, until he sees the doctor, and runs out.

Culp and his relationship with Marvin is also interesting. When they were younger and working together, Culp was a member of the Democratic Party like Marvin (and Martin, presumably). But now he's a man of property and position. He is not only a good taxpayer and a Republican (as Brian Keith would have said in THE HALLALUJAH TRAIL) but he is pushing the election of Republican Candidate William Howard Taft over William Jennings Bryan. Marvin can't believe this apostasy, and Culp is obviously annoyed by Marvin's confronting him on such an important matter. When they finally confront each other in a fight, Culp says he is not only going to beat up Marvin for trying to get his money back, but he's going to force him to vote for the better man for President. Whenever he punches Marvin, Culp says, "You will vote for Taft!". Seldom has political principle gone to such a length.

It was a good comedy, and is worth watching. It also (in it's conclusion) gave Marvin an opportunity to sing in a movie again, as he had done in PAINT YOUR WAGON. But this time the song is livelier, and there are others singing it with him.

Lee Marvin dusted off the rapscallion character he played in both Cat Ballou and Paint Your Wagon to star in The Great Scout&Cathouse Thursday. Marvin is the great scout at least by his lights and Cathouse Thursday is Kay Lenz.

It's 1908 and the scout's seen his best days gone by. But the sight of his old prospecting partner Robert Culp who is now running for governor of the state on a fortune that was started with the money that they prospected and Culp stole sends Marvin into action. Marvin contacts Oliver Reed and Strother Martin the other two partners and they formulate several plans for revenge.

The plan they eventually settle on is to kidnap Culp's wife Elizabeth Ashley who used to be with Marvin and hold her for ransom. Along in all of this is Lenz who is left over from a raid on a bordello she works at when Oliver Reed decides to keep her after he rescues the others. Lenz isn't crazy to go back there and be the special favorite of lesbian madam Sylvia Miles. In fact she comes in quite handy in dealing with Culp.

The Great Scout&Cathouse Thursday is a rollicking western with Marvin, Reed, and Martin all competing to see who can ham it up the most. I think Reed's scene in which he gets cured of the clap after being led down a garden path by Marvin is the best. Let's just say that Marvin was years ahead of his time in predicting the treatment.

The final fight scene between Marvin and Culp was borrowed from the John Wayne classic, McLintock. It still works in this film and provides a fitting climax.

Advertising tagline: "It's heap funny!" In Old West Colorado during election time, a crooked politician has to deal with the ex-partners whom he double-crossed out of their gold. Screenwriter Richard Shapiro possibly managed to sell his threadbare script on the basis of its bawdy humor...but "Blazing Saddles" this ain't! Shabby-looking enterprise with cheap sets and over-lit interiors does get a small boost from Lee Marvin as a cowboy con-artist. Marvin's rubbery face, exaggerated expressions and double-takes are both surprising and surprisingly funny. Oliver Reed (cast wildly against type as a half-breed Indian with VD) and Strother Martin as a wily old coot do some overplaying of their own, yet the film's energy doesn't make up for its lack of taste and general sloppiness. *1/2 from ****