They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way

Gosh, & Conway even wrote this one himself. It's fun being able to predict what is gonna be happening. I was laughing hysterically throughout this thing. It was also fun seeing so many old comedians jammed into one flick from over 30 years ago. People who read my IMDb comments know that errors in plot-logic usually annoy me but, no, this is simply funny. I'd say it ran out of steam near the very end but, heck, I'd already laughed a gazillion times by then. The only sad thing is that I have actually worked with guys like Dewey (but I'm not as humorous as McCann). Just think how wonderful a world we would live in if prison farms were really like this. 'Certainly not as depressing as those "realistic" crime dramas I usually watch, eh? I wonder if this would make a good date movie.

A riotous laugh out loud comedy written by and starring Tim Conway as a bumbling police officer who goes undercover in a Georgia prison with his partner with strict orders by the governor that only the three know about the whole deal. Comedy ensues when the current governor, the only man who knows the two policemen's true identity dies. Richard Kiel co-stars as another inmate at the prison and he towers over Conway and dwarfs him in every scene they share.

While the policemen are undercover, the warden needs emergency dentistry and that just happens to be the specialty of Conway's undercover counterpart. That whole scene is a replica of a scene Conway did with Harvey Korman on the Carol Burnett Show. Conway's character even manages to stick himself with the needle multiple times just like he had with Korman. However, it wasn't as funny here as it was when he and Korman did the bit together. Dub Taylor plays the warden, and he's nowhere as amusing.

But for some slapstick fun and a few funny scenes with Tim Conway that are reminiscent of his role in the Apple Dumpling movies, you might also like this one.

Stories of incompatible duos are a common sight, but "They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way" is still really funny. It's basically what would happen if Gilligan and the Skipper or Laurel and Hardy were cops. Chuck McCann is the competent but grouchy one while Tim Conway is the friendly but stupid one. Posing as cons in a prison to get info out of an inmate, they cause all sorts of silliness. It gets particularly goofy towards the end when they try to contact the new governor. Not any kind of special movie, but just some plain old fun laughs, mainly since Conway's character always tries too hard to be sociable to the hardened criminals.

Also starring Richard Kiel, Dub Taylor (Michael J. Pollard's father in "Bonnie and Clyde"), Reni Santoni, Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi in "The Godfather") and Grace Zabriskie.

This has got to be one of the funniest movies starring the great Tim Conway. It is full of slapstick comedy, and crazy bantering between Tim and Chuck. If you like old movies and lots of humor, check this one out

Still another DVD from Wal-Mart's bargain bin, it's a two-for-the-price-of-one deal, featuring THE LONGSHOT on side one. THEY WENT THAT-A-WAY was the better of the two. Several scenes stand out-among them: Tim Conway is forced to perform dentistry on Warden "Gunner" Warden; Conway and Chuck McCann trying to convince the Warden that they don't really belong in prison and would he lend them his vehicle so they can get to the Governer's mansion; and the scene where they hijack a hearse to take them there.

Catch this one if you can.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****