During the 1920's, Laurel and Hardy starred in silent films up until 1929 when they began doing talkies. The 1920's was very much a forming in their partnership. The 1940's saw them join various companies mostly 'Twentieth Century Fox' and in truth, there films in the 1940's and their final film in 1950 (Utopia which is arguably the worst film ever made) saw the duo in decline starring in some poor films. The 1930's saw Stan and Ollie in their prime starring in excellent shorts and excellent feature films. It is their 1930's work which gives them legendary status which has lived on for generations.
Their 1930's opener was 'Night Owls' a decent film yet much better was to follow. In 'Night Owls' Police Officer Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) is under great pressure from the Police Chief (Anders Randolf). There have been over forty burglaries on his patch in the last week and Kennedy has failed to make an arrest. The chief tells him, sort it out or you're sacked. That night, Kennedy sees vagrants Stan and Ollie on the street and threatens to arrest them for vagrancy. Yet he'll let them get away with it if they break into the chief of police house, he'll arrest them and then he'll fix it for them. They reluctantly agree to go through with it. Yet Stan and Ollie are as good as burglars as they are at everything else, totally useless. Making high amounts of noise during the robbery, will they be able to not get the attentions of the chief and his butler Meadows (James Finlayson). And where is Kennedy to arrest them...
This was a good film, with a decent beginning and middle, yet the ending is a bit disappointing, what happens to Kennedy? and who has been doing all the house breaking? Yet this aside, Stan and Ollie put in a great performance, being wonderfully noisy house-breakers. Also a good performance from the great James Finlayson as the Butler Meadows.
So Stan and Ollie's 1930's career had began with this good effort, better would definitely soon come.
My favourite part in this film is when Stan and Ollie try to climb on the wall and a cat runs past them at full speed making them fall off the high wall. Unfortunately, my DVD of this film has somehow cut this bit out. A shame.
Their 1930's opener was 'Night Owls' a decent film yet much better was to follow. In 'Night Owls' Police Officer Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) is under great pressure from the Police Chief (Anders Randolf). There have been over forty burglaries on his patch in the last week and Kennedy has failed to make an arrest. The chief tells him, sort it out or you're sacked. That night, Kennedy sees vagrants Stan and Ollie on the street and threatens to arrest them for vagrancy. Yet he'll let them get away with it if they break into the chief of police house, he'll arrest them and then he'll fix it for them. They reluctantly agree to go through with it. Yet Stan and Ollie are as good as burglars as they are at everything else, totally useless. Making high amounts of noise during the robbery, will they be able to not get the attentions of the chief and his butler Meadows (James Finlayson). And where is Kennedy to arrest them...
This was a good film, with a decent beginning and middle, yet the ending is a bit disappointing, what happens to Kennedy? and who has been doing all the house breaking? Yet this aside, Stan and Ollie put in a great performance, being wonderfully noisy house-breakers. Also a good performance from the great James Finlayson as the Butler Meadows.
So Stan and Ollie's 1930's career had began with this good effort, better would definitely soon come.
My favourite part in this film is when Stan and Ollie try to climb on the wall and a cat runs past them at full speed making them fall off the high wall. Unfortunately, my DVD of this film has somehow cut this bit out. A shame.