Laurel and Hardy dance in Way Out West

Laurel And Hardy arrive in Brushwood Gulch and make for the saloon. As they approach, we notice The Avalon Boys sitting on the porch singing At The Ball, That's All. Stan and Ollie, after first taking in their new surroundings with approving smiles, dance in the dirt to create one of the most magical scenes in movie history.

It's hard to say exactly why this clip is so beautiful and so moving. It could be the unexpected grace of the duo (Ollie was always surprisingly nimble for a man of his size) or their sheer happiness: how two fellows down on their luck and wearing patched trousers can still see - and be - the goodness in the world. Their cares are almost visibly lifted as they dance to the gentle shuffling rhythm of the song, with its chanted lyrics under Chill Wills' soaring yodel. The Museum Of Brilliant Things curators felt that it was a combination of those factors combined with the sheer moving innocence of the scene that led to its acceptance as an exhibit here.

The Way Out West dance oozes goodness; that even in the toughest of worlds you can always find joyful innocence if it's there inside you.