This unusual comedy is a hybrid between an Abbott and Costello comedy, and a Ma and Pa Kettle comedy, lacking only Percy Kilbride as Pa. Marjorie Main(Ma) wants to remedy that deficiency by grabbing Costello as her new Pa(What a disaster that would be!). But, he's not willing to make that sacrifice, although thanks to a bogus murder conviction, he's responsible for the welfare of her family(7kids!) and any unpaid debts of the deceased, unless she marries again.Meanwhile, Lou is elected sheriff of Wagon Gap, Montana, mainly because everyone knows that if they should kill him and be convicted, they would be saddled with Lou's responsibilities to Marjorie's family. (Question: Why wouldn't such a person be responsible for Lou's non-existent family rather than Marjorie's? Presumably, because they would be responsible for both, since, at that time, Lou was responsible for both). Whereas, before Lou was being pushed around by everyone, now, as sheriff, he has the courage to be bold and bossy.A&C steal a buckboard and plan to head for California: their initial goal. But Marjorie had read their minds, and chased them on horseback. Eventually, Lou falls off the buckboard ,down a steep slope, landing on top of a gold-carrying stage in the process of being held up. He quickly grabs the reigns and speeds off, with Marjorie still chasing him. She recognizes some of the men as members of the gang led by saloon-owner Jake Frame, who eventually admits guilt for the murder A&C were sentenced for.Abbott tells the judge(George Cleveland) that Marjorie stands to become wealthy soon, as the railroad wants some of her property to run a line. Abbott told this fib to hopefully induce the judge to propose to Marjorie, which he does. But, he's turned down, as Marjorie still prefers the idiotic Lou. Word gets around about this development, and suddenly men are no longer afraid of killing Lou(Why)? Because if they kill him and become responsible for Marjorie's family, she could then take care of herself, and perhaps he could marry her and more fully share her wealth.)There follows a gun battle between A&C plus the honest citizens, vs. the outlaws. Lou and company eventually prevail(I thought Lou previously collected all the guns in town?). The judge again proposes to Marjorie, and she accepts, provided Lou is still not interested in her. He isn't. Abbott tells all that the story that Margaret will soon be rich via the railway is bogus. But... See the film to learn the rather obvious finale.Familiar-looking George Cleveland well played the non-too competent judge. He held the trial for A&C in the town saloon.....William Ching played Jim Simpson, who was the leader of the honest citizens of Wagon Gap, and boyfriend of Juanita(Audrey Young), the oldest of Marjorie's children.... Gordon Jones played Jake Frame, head of the criminal element and saloon owner... Marjorie makes this film special, usually upstaging the others around her. Her style of humor isn't easy to describe, and is quite different from A&C's.A&C engage in a routine based upon a slightly different version shown in "Here Come the Co-eds", which involved a live oyster in Lou's soup. Here, it's a frog, which keeps hopping back and forth between Lou's and Abbott's soup, with Abbott never seeing it, busy reading the paper. Quite funny.I heartily recommend this film for fans of A&C, as well as fans of Marjorie.

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) *** (out of 4) Duke Egan (Bud Abbott) and Chester Wooley (Lou Costello) go to a small Western town that is nothing but non-stop fights and shootings. The two buy some guns even though neither know what they're doing and when a man falls dead out from the sky they're blamed for it. To set a new policy, the judge orders Wooley to take care of the man's widow (Marjorie Main) and her wild children.THE WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP has always been one of my favorite non "Meet" movies from Abbott and Costello because of all the hilarious jokes scattered throughout the picture. The duo did quite a few movies set in the old West but this one here is clearly head and shoulders above the rest due to some very well-written jokes and it also giving Costello a chance to act big and tough.The highlight of the picture happens early on at a dinner sequence where Costello is trying to eat a bowl of soup but the widow's kids have put a frog in it. The back and forth between Costello and the (fake) frog was priceless and the timing was right on the mark. Another hilarious scene is the card playing one where the boys think they've came up with a good way to cheat. Also, a running gag has everyone in town afraid to kill Costello because they'd then have to take over the widow. This allows Costello some great gags where he plays it tough and pushes people around.The performances are a major plus with both Bud and Lou doing a very good job and playing off each other nicely. Main is also extremely good as the loud and obnoxious widow. Audrey Young, Gordon Jones and George Cleveland are also quite good and you can look for Glenn Strange who had just appeared with the boys in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, playing the monster of course.THE WISFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP is without question one of the duo's best and funniest films.

Abbott & Costello play two salesman named Duke Egan & Chester Woolley in the old west who, while visiting the rowdy town of Wagon Gap in Montana become famous after Chester is believed to have shot a notorious outlaw. Unfortunately, this means that Chester inherits his wife widow Hawkins(played by Marjorie Main) and his many children of varying ages. Duke is assigned as his guardian, and at first poor Chester is worked to death, but later realizes that, since no man envies his position, makes him the perfect sheriff, since no one dares oppose him for fear of being the new husband! This will change when it is learned the widow will soon be rich... Clever comedy uses an old obscure law for good comedic effect. Result is a most amusing and appealing film from the team, with Miss Main being their near-equal.

Abbott and Costello managed to wreak havoc in virtually every type of movie genre, and the Western was no exception. They did it the first time in 1942's "Ride 'Em Cowboy", and came back once more in "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap". The boys are traveling salesmen for all of about five minutes in the film's introduction, before Lou's character Chester Wooley fires a gun into the air, claiming a victim by the name of Hawkins. When members of a hastily called jury arrive with nooses to determine his fate, Wooley is saved by a Montana law that requires the victor in a duel to provide for the departed's widow and family. In this case the widow Hawkins is Marjorie Main, not terribly upset by her new unmarried status, but determined to wed once again.Perennial Costello foil Gordon Jones is on hand here as outlaw gang leader Jake Frame, and as usual is largely ineffective in reigning in his nemesis. Eventually Chester is appointed sheriff to clean up Frame and his gang, on the assumption that no one will shoot him because then the wife and child support duties will in turn fall to them. Chester plays it to the hilt with a picture of Mrs. Hawkins and her brood close to his heart, or in his back pocket as it were, lending formidable support to his cause.If you've seen much of Abbott and Costello in other films, you'll sense something missing here. Their early films tended to include a host of musical numbers, and physical comedy punctuated by at least three or four well choreographed routines. The finale usually turned into a frenetic thrill ride on some appropriately misguided missile appropriate to the movie's theme, in "Ride 'Em Cowboy" it was a stampeding bronco. In this movie you find yourself leaning forward for the payoffs, but they're fewer and further between. The frog in the soup routine is the one recognizable bit, and he comes back for a quick cameo later on.Besides Marjorie Main, there's not much of a supporting cast here either. "Ride 'Em Cowboy" featured a pair of legitimate "B" Western movie stars in Johnny Mack Brown and Dick Foran. The best this film can do is give us a glimpse of gang members Glenn Strange and Rex Lease, with George Cleveland as Judge Benbow who by film's end winds up with the widow's hand in a Bud Abbott film flam that turns out to be real.Don't be put off by my lukewarm recommendation here, "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" is an enjoyable vehicle for A&C fans, but they've been better in other vehicles. So was the frog.