Lemonade Joe

Lemonade Joe, or the Horse Opera (Czech: Limonádový Joe aneb Koňská opera) is a 1964 Czech film. It's a ruthless, hilarious musical parody of The Western and a veritable landmine of deliberately planted tropes.

To provide context for the tropes below, a plot summary will appear here as soon as possible. If you've already seen the film, plow ahead and enjoy the analysis.


 * Action Hero: Joe.
 * The All-American Boy: Joe.
 * The Bartender: Very typical. (This one even has a Kid Sidekick who seems to be a Nice Jewish Boy!)
 * Betty and Veronica: At first, Joe can't choose between Winnifred and Lou.
 * Card-Carrying Villain: Horace Badman, alias Hogofogo.
 * Celibate Hero: Joe, much to the distress of Tornado Lou.
 * The Chanteuse: Tornado Lou.
 * The Chick: Tornado Lou, when conspiring with Pistol and his minions, plays this role with Tomboy gusto.
 * Cowboy: Joe, naturally - and of the "Singing" variety, no less.
 * Damsel in Distress: Winnifred Goodman.
 * Femme Fatale: Tornado Lou, and how.
 * The Gunslinger: Too many examples to name, really.
 * Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Yep, Tornado Lou again.
 * Ideal Hero: Joe.
 * Knight Errant: Thanks to Joe, a Double Subversion. At first we think Joe's a defender of the law; then we think he works in private business; then we realize that private businesses practically MAKE the laws!
 * Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Winnifred and Lou, of course.
 * Meaningful Name: Winnifred and Ezra Goodman, Doug and Horace Badman.
 * The Piano Player: Anonymous and indifferent as usual.
 * Preacher Man: Ezra Goodman.
 * Those Two Guys: Old Pistol's henchmen, Pancho the Kid and the Coyote Kid. Sure, they look vaguely different, but they're both obvious banditos, and the only real way to tell them apart is that one of them sings The Song Before the Storm.
 * Undertaker: exactly as expected.