The Outlaws Is Coming


The Outlaws Is Coming is the sixth and final theatrical comedy film starring The Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita. Like its predecessor, The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, the film was co-written, produced and directed by Moe's son-in-law, Norman Maurer. The supporting cast features Adam West, Nancy Kovack, and Emil Sitka, the latter in three roles.

Plot

In 1871, Rance Roden plans to kill off all the buffalo and thus cause the Indians to riot. After they destroy the U.S. Cavalry, Rance and his gang will take over the West. Meanwhile, a Boston magazine gets wind of the buffalo slaughter and sends editor Kenneth Cabot and his associates to Casper, Wyoming to investigate. Once there, Ken's shooting skills earn him the job of town sheriff. Rance has his band of bad guys called in to have the lawmen wiped out, but the Stooges sneak into the gang's hideout while the gang is asleep and glue their firearms to their holsters. When Ken confronts the bad guys, the bad guys decide that a life of justice is better than crime. Meanwhile, Rance and Trigger attempt to sell firearms to the Indians, including an armored wagon containing a Gatling Gun and cannon in a turret, but the Stooges foil this plan by snapping a picture of them making the sale.

Production notes

Upon release of The Outlaws IS Coming, a number of English teachers expressed displeasure over the movie's grammatically incorrect title. The title itself was a satire of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds, which featured the tagline "The Birds is Coming". The film satirises many 1960's fads, films and television commercials as well as the Western.
In a nod to television's key role in the resurgence of the Stooges' popularity, the outlaw characters featured in the film were played by local TV hosts from across the U.S. whose shows featured the trio's old Columbia shorts.
On A&E's Biography, Adam West spoke about his involvement with the film and with the Stooges:

Primary cast

The Outlaws