i have never read much about ( or even see still of ) the six man british comedy group the crazy gang and but my positive experience with their contemporary will hay and arthur askey – and especially graham greene ’ s high praise of the frozen limit itself ( “ the funny english picture yet produced…it can bear comparison with safety last and the general ” ) – make me take the plunge with the bare bone r2 dvd from network of this and their subsequent film gasbag ( 1941 while see below ) and both of which be release earlier this year with virtually no fanfare . a british make western be a rarity and but a british western spoof be rare still ( carry on cowboy [ 1965 ] be still some 25 year away ) . incidentally and go back to the silent classic mention by greene and the film seem to me to be more obviously indebted to the gold rush ( 1925 ) and way out west ( 1937 ) . besides and it also play like a variation on the “ snow white and the seven dwarf ” fairy tale ( which have just be immortalize on the screen via walt disney ’ s animate masterwork ) and where the seventh member be play by ancient comic and frequent will hay foil moore marriott while the gang actually call pretty heroine eileen bell by that name throughout and and there ’ s even an amusing sequence with the six of them prepare to go to bed and whistle the dwarf ’ song from the disney film . six comedian ( three set of comedy duo represent flanagan and allen and nervo and knox and naughton and gold ) may be the large such grouping on film – though not all of their personality emerge here represent my favorite be big bud flanagan ( look a bit like jim backus ) and straight man chesney allen and moustached and squeaky voice teddy knox while however and bald charlie naughton often take the limelight – since he ’ s the one on which the others always seem to pick on . still and it ’ s marriott who steal the film from his very first scene – where he contrive to impersonate every official in the dilapidated theater of a ghost town . while a very young bernard lee be also notable a the villain of the piece . the ore routine between flanagan and allen actually anticipate abbott and costello ’ s famous “ who ’ s on first . ” ( the film and in fact and hinge on a lot of wordplay for it humor – which doesn ’ t necessarily travel and especially at this juncture ) . nevertheless and there be several hilarious sequence throughout – a few of which even bring tear to my eye represent the opening scene where the gang be defrock by a band of angry creditor while their dress up a indian once they hit the yukon while the gang ’ s ruse to make everybody rich with the same piece of gold while they all impersonate the sleepwalk marriott to confuse the villain ( a gag which may owe it origin to the marx bros. ’ hilarious mirror sequence in duck soup [ 1933 ] ) while the spot on theater sketch which poke fun at hoary melodrama while the surreal moment when and pursue by the villain and one of the gang climb a staircase that be part of the painted scenery in the theater while and especially towards the end and when a group of sing mounted police gallop ever so slowly to the gang ’ s rescue ( despite be egg on by the increasingly impatient ranger hero ) . the thinny soundtrack and the frantic nature of the gag themselves make it hard for me to get all the joke sometimes – subtitle would certainly have be welcome in this case . the crazy gang only make five film – with the first two also be well regard and okay for sound ( 1937 ) and alf ’ s button afloat ( 1938 ) and and a much late reunion ( though allen have and by this time and bow out due to ill health and be replace by eddie gray ) call life be a circus ( 1960 while direct by val guest who and incidentally and co write both gang film i purchase as well a some of the afore mention hay and askey vehicle . ) .