THE GREAT SCOUT AND CATHOUSE THURSDAY

US, 1976, 92 minutes, Colour.
Lee Marvin, Oliver Reed, Robert Culp, Elizabeth Ashley, Kay Lenz, Sylvia Miles, Strother Martin.
Directed by Don Taylor.

The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday is not pretending to be more than a fairly raucous vulgar footnote to the changing West. This comedy offers quite an amount of unsubtle humour and is good for some rowdy laughter. It's the grizzled old timers (and who more grizzled than Lee Marvin?) up against the newly rich swindlers, especially in a funny robbery sequence whose success depends on a box of wasps. Oliver Reed, of all people, is a half-breed, half-bred Indian helping Marvin mug his way through. It is all done with a naive belief in its own funniness and sentiment that it gets away with its vulgarity fairly humorously and inoffensively.

1. The quality of the film as a comedy? Its values and stances? The nature of its audience appeal?

2. The comic illustrations of the credits? The music and song? The film's use of colour, sets, re-creation of turn of the century western atmosphere? The importance of these for the film's impact and success?

3. The humour of the title? The indication of western types? The two characters as the most important in the film?

4. The importance of creating atmosphere and tone with the con trick of the snake? Billy and Sam and their tricks?

5. The film's focus on Sam, the explanation of his background as an American hero? The ageing American he-roes and their grizzled look? The strengths and weaknesses of his character? How appealing a character? His claim to the money, his way of life, the challenge to Jack Colby and his defeat? His desire to get his money back? The motivation for his actions during the film? His toughness and tenderness? what kind of American hero of the West?

6. Sam's contribution to the kidnapping of Colby's wife, the planning of the robbery, the humour and excitement of its execution, the chase? His love for Thursday and his return to her? The importance as well as the comedy of his fighting Jack Colby?

7. How attractive a western heroine was Thursday? Her background of being a whore, her being a victim of mike and circumstances? The importance of her escape, the pursuit by Mike? Joe Knox's interest in her? Billy's? Her response to Sam" Telling him lies about his heroism (the effect of his burning his scrapbook?), the humour of her plan in tricking Jack Colby out of his money? Her participation in the robbery, her being captured, the importance of her leading on the pursuers, her being rescued? How attractive a naive young heroine for the film? An American character of the West?

8. The satire in the characterisation of Joe Knox? His explanation of his heritage and birth, Indians and whites? His Harvard education and yet his ill-bred style? His exploiting of his venereal disease? The vulgar humour of his cure? His drinking, threat to the world with the V.D., kidnapping the whores? His relationship with Sam, Jack Colby and Billy? His being defeated by Jack Colby? His participation in the robbery? His sticking to Sam and their returning for Thursday? How valid was this kind of satire on the half-breed Indian?

9. The character of Billy as a satire on the old men of the West? The loyal companion to Sam and Joe Knox? The dirty old man with the prostitutes? With Thursday? His ability as a conman? His final support of Sam?

10. How well did the film build up the romantic picture of Nancy Sue? Audience expectations and then the revelation of her character? The satire on romantic heroines? Her filthy mouth and her comment on romanticising? Her participation in the kidnap? Her plans in the robbery? Her wanting to go off with Sam? Her being returned to her husband? Her attitude towards him in the fight and her being punched? Was it right that she should go back to her husband at the end?

11. The picture of Jack as the suave villain of the West? His companionship with Sam and Billy and Joe Knox? The smooth villain who took off with the money, invested in the railways, politics? His paying off people to support him? His arranging the fight? His continual double-crossing of Sam and Joe Knox? The satire on his being tricked out of his money by Thursday? His fight being upset? The chase for the money? His dirty fighting of Sam? Getting his wife back? Did he receive his proper come-uppance?

12. The satire on Mike and the prostitutes? As seen in the West?

13. The importance for the comedy of the chases: Sam, Joe Knox and Thursday and the cart and horse, mike and her henchmen chasing through the hotel, the van and car and horse chase after the robbery?

14. How humorous was the robbery with the ball-bearings and the wasps?

15. The knockabout humour with the fights: with the hose in the hotel, the bout with Jack Colby?

16. The quality of this kind of knockabout and vulgar humour?

17. Is this kind of satire and comedy a healthy picture of satire on the heritage of the West?