(Review originally written at 22 December 2006)
Not sure if you can actually regard this movie as being a 'Laurel & Hardy' movie. Yes, sure they are both in the movie and act together in most of the sequences but they don't really act together as a comedy duo yet in this one. Guess its also fair to say that the real main character of the movie is James Finlayson.
But even though they're not really a comedy duo in this movie yet the quality of the movie itself is great and makes this movie rank among their best of the '20's.
The movie has a great variety of comical moments and slapstick comedy. The movie begins at the Finlayson residence. When he wakes up he is informed by his butler (Oliver Hardy) that he got married to a woman, in a drunk mood, no doubt. After this, his lawyer (Stan Laurel) is called to straighten things. Unfortunately for them, the brides brother, who steals and kills for pleasure only wants his sister to divorce if Finlayson pays her $50.000, as a financial settlement. Finlayson refuses and hides in a hotel with Laurel & Hardy, until they are of course are found by the brother and the rest of the family. What follows is an hilarious chase on a carnival, that was later redone again in the movie "On the Loose", also starring Laurel & Hardy in a small cameo appearance.
In between the movie has some great comical moments, that are original and brought well to the screen. Some of the camera-work is quite experimental at times. It works different and in a way also makes this movie distinct itself from other Laurel & Hardy movies. For most part of the movie Finlayson is hidden under Stan's dress, who is piggyback riding him and is dressed as Olie's wife to fool the in-laws. It's not the last time they used this simple comical premise in a movie and it works just as hilarious as always. It guarantees some great comical moments and big laughs.
The pace is very high. The movie never takes a rest, with as a result that the movie is an almost non-stop laugh-fest, that you don't want to end.
Even though they don't act together as a comedy duo yet, the performances from the boys is outstanding. It shows that they were great actors and could be funny, even when they were acting independently from each other. James Finlayson was great as always and so was Noah Young as the brother in-law, who also acted in several other Laurel & Hardy shorts, in similar like roles.
A surprisingly good and creative early silent Laurel & Hardy comedy short.
8/10
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