Politiquerias (1931)
*** (out of 4)
Spanish version of Laurel and Hardy's CHICKENS COME HOME features pretty much the same plot with an added twenty-minutes worth of vaudeville acts. The plot is the same as Hardy is trying to run for office but his hopes can possibly go up in flames with an old woman he knew shows up to blackmail him. I've always found it amusing that Hal Roach would have his biggest stars film an English, French and Spanish version of their films and while I've yet to see one of the alternate versions be better than the English one, they're still well worth watching if you're a fan of the duo. The main reason for this is simply a curiosity factor because it's interesting to see what the writers and the boys would change. Since they would shoot the English language version first it allowed them to go back and either correct jokes that didn't work or at least try them in a different way. I think most of the jokes done here were much better in CHICKENS COME HOME but the romp around the office at the start of the picture is still very funny here. The part of this that doesn't work at all is the added footage. Most of them is in the home of Hardy as he's having a party and trying to sneak out. To do this he introduces a couple acts to perform for the guests. I really thought both of them took away from the actual plot, although if you were watching these acts on their own they would have been entertaining. POLITIQUERIAS isn't a classic and it's not even worth watching over the original, however, if you're a fan then you'll want to check it out.
*** (out of 4)
Spanish version of Laurel and Hardy's CHICKENS COME HOME features pretty much the same plot with an added twenty-minutes worth of vaudeville acts. The plot is the same as Hardy is trying to run for office but his hopes can possibly go up in flames with an old woman he knew shows up to blackmail him. I've always found it amusing that Hal Roach would have his biggest stars film an English, French and Spanish version of their films and while I've yet to see one of the alternate versions be better than the English one, they're still well worth watching if you're a fan of the duo. The main reason for this is simply a curiosity factor because it's interesting to see what the writers and the boys would change. Since they would shoot the English language version first it allowed them to go back and either correct jokes that didn't work or at least try them in a different way. I think most of the jokes done here were much better in CHICKENS COME HOME but the romp around the office at the start of the picture is still very funny here. The part of this that doesn't work at all is the added footage. Most of them is in the home of Hardy as he's having a party and trying to sneak out. To do this he introduces a couple acts to perform for the guests. I really thought both of them took away from the actual plot, although if you were watching these acts on their own they would have been entertaining. POLITIQUERIAS isn't a classic and it's not even worth watching over the original, however, if you're a fan then you'll want to check it out.