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Destry Rides Again (1939) Directed by George Marshall

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 7:04 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,

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(Review originally written at 1 September 2008)

The movie has some really colorful characters, which really makes the movie. Not just the two main characters, played by Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart but more in particular the secondary characters. The characters feel fresh and original, despite being very stereotyped and they provide the movie with most of its fun.
Basically the movie is one great and effective western-comedy, without really ridiculing the western genre. There aren't really that many western-comedies around and of course "Blazing Saddles" is the only movie that first springs to mind. The movie is foremost a comedy, that just happens to be set in America during the 19th century. It also features all of the usual typical western genre elements, such as bar fight, card games, lethal ladies and gunslingers.
It's a real skillfully directed genre movie. Director George Marsall handled the comedy really well and there is a great balance between the more physical humor and the written comedy with its great dialog.

The movie of course also gets made very lively due to its acting performances. James Stewart surely was one fine actor and he is great in his role in this movie. Marlene Dietrich plays a type of character she always played best.
It also on top of that features a great written story that all times remain interesting, despite not having too much action or anything like that in it. It's the type of story that simply amuses without being really too (needlessly) complicated written. It keeps the movie simple but always effective. In it all there also is of course room for some romance between the Dietrich and Stewart character but it's (luckily) not the key element of the movie though. There also is a small amount of drama, so there basically is something for everybody to enjoy in this movie.
This movie in return is a remake of the 1932 movie with the same title, starring genre veteran Tom Nix in the James Stewart role. This movie still remains mostly unknown and also isn't widely available. One more remake of the movie got made in 1954 under the simple title "Destry", which also got directed by George Marshall, who is also the director of this movie version. In 1964 there also was a short lived TV series, with the son of Tom Destry as its central character.
A good movie to watch!
8/10


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Towed in a Hole (1932) Directed by George Marshall

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 5:03 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , ,




(Review originally written at 21 December 2006)

 This movie is really a piece of comedy excellence.

 This movie shows what Laurel & Hardy comedies are all about. A simple premise, slapstick moments, that all provides non-stop laughs.
The premise is incredibly simple. Laurel & Hardy have just bought a fishing boat, which they decide to fix- and clean-up. Of course they end up demolishing more than actually fixing or improving things. Stanley cleans the anchor, by scrubbing and wringing it out and Oliver is trying to close down some holes, by doing so he only creates new and more ones. There are of course dozens of jokes you can come up with, with having the concept of the boys fixing an old boat. But they actually managed to come up with some incredibly original and well executed slapstick moments. At one point Stanley even manges to get his head stuck between the mast and a wall, while his leg is sticking out of the porthole. Of course Oliver also manges to get his clothes and face dirty again due to Stanley's stupidity. Some of the sequences and gags go on for a long time but they in this case do never bore or loose any of its comical power.

The humor is perhaps a tad bit more crueler than normally in Laurel & Hardy movies is the case. The movie features a couple of good old fashioned tit for tat routines. The boys looked like they really got hurt at times and things seemed to got to rough in the heat of the moment. Its cruelness does make the movie a bit different from other Laurel & Hardy movies, which also does make it an original one at the same time.

But its moments are really what makes this movie such a great and hilarious one. It's a great example of how a slapstick movie should be like. It's all perfectly thought out, timed and executed in this movie. It makes the movie fun and hilarious to watch from start till finish and it makes this movie definitely one of the better Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts.

9/10

Their First Mistake (1932) Directed by George Marshall

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 12:54 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 7 October 2006)

Seems like I am one of the few but I think that this movie is one of the best Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts.

For some reason I find the mishaps of Laurel & Hardy with a little baby very amusing. The boys get themselves into some hilarious silly situations when they decide to adopt a baby to save Oliver's marriage. That way Mrs. Hardy (Mae Busch) would be occupied all day and Mr. Hardy will have more time to spend with his good pal Stanley.

The situations with the little baby are all very original and hilarious as well. There luckily also is room for some good slapstick humor in the movie, which I love so very much about Laurel & Hardy movies. Most of the comical situations in the movie are rather stretched out, especially the ones with Stan Laurel but in this particular case even the stretched out moments in the movie remain funny throughout.

The dialog is well written and forms one of the most funniest aspects of the movie. The movie as a whole is filled with some good and typical Laurel & Hardy situations. Everything combined makes "Their First Mistake" one of the most pleasant and enjoyable Laurel & Hardy shorts.

8/10

Pack Up Your Troubles (1932) Directed by George Marshall, Ray McCarey, Harry Black & Lloyd French

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 8:19 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 12 September 2006)

Amazing how they did it. This movie features war sequences, the lost of a friend who leaves a young daughter behind. All some serious heavy dramatic stuff but yet the boys manages to make this movie a perfectly entertaining one with some good slapstick humor and comical situations.

The movie at times is a sappy one that goes definitely over-the-top but yet for most part the story and its drama works effective. Stan and Ollie taking care of the young daughter of Eddie and their quest for her grandparents is quite heartwarming. Especially since the boys in this movie have an amazingly good chemistry Jackie Lyn Dufton, who plays the young girl. Especially Stan Laurel has a good chemistry with her. Dufton refers to Stan and Ollie as her uncle's in this movie and that special feeling is brought amazingly effective and believable to the screen.

Yet the movie is also one of their most fun ones, despite the dramatic undertone. The slapstick humor is especially top-class and the boys manage once more to get themselves into some silly and hilarious situations.

The movie its supporting cast is also good. The movie features lots of different actors in a variety of roles. Of course this movie also has the regular Laurel & Hardy actors in it, such as James Finlayson, Charlie Hall and Paulette Goddard. But it's the supporting cast as a whole that delivers a good and impressive performance.

A delightful and well made comedy that also works effective with its more dramatic moments.

8/10

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