"Going Bye-Bye!" has one of the more memorable endings in the Laurel and Hardy catalog, and I'm guessing it's for this reason that many people have rated this short so highly. It currently enjoys a rather generous 7.7/10 rating here; clearly a fanboy-favorite.
Plot In a Nutshell: Two friends (Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy) decide to skip town after giving evidence at a trial that convicts a menacing thug (Walter Long), whose sworn vengeance on them now seems possible after his escape from a prison train.
Why I rated it a '6': As usual with Laurel and Hardy films, there are some funny moments here. The opening scene in the courtroom mostly works and Stan's wanted ad in the newspaper is good for a few laughs. Their later attempts to open a locked chest have some solid comedy as well. But, as also seems to be the usual with L&H, they manage to include some rather unfunny bits which can't be overlooked when making an assessment.
At one point Stan calls Ollie to the telephone but, instead of handing him the telephone receiver, Stan hands him an open can of condensed milk. Ollie proceeds to hold the open can up to his ear and....well, you can get the visual. I did not find this funny in the least. I don't see how a person can't tell the feel of a tin can compared to the feel of a telephone, such that you would actually hold the can up to your ear. Sorry, not buying that. And sadly, they did this bit, not once, but twice! Wow guys. Bad call.
There is another scene where Stan is pressing a doorbell multiple times, then the last time, he accidentally presses his finger into Ollie's face instead. What? Exactly how would that happen? I don't think so. This film does have its good moments, but as described, it also has the capacity to elicit from you a number of groans. Beware the reviewers rating this exceptionally high, they seem to be the same people who rate every L&H film at perfect or near-perfect levels. I'm convinced that if Laurel and Hardy made a film where they just stared out the window for 20 minutes, these fanboys would rate it a 10 and call it a 'masterpiece.' Sure.
In William Everson's anthology of L&H films, he described "Going Bye-Bye!" as "a particularly slick, though never really distinguished, welding of violent slapstick and situational humor." I'd agree with that.
6/10. Mildly entertaining, but really nothing more. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: That's a maybe. It's certainly not the first thing I'd pick when I wanted a laugh.
Plot In a Nutshell: Two friends (Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy) decide to skip town after giving evidence at a trial that convicts a menacing thug (Walter Long), whose sworn vengeance on them now seems possible after his escape from a prison train.
Why I rated it a '6': As usual with Laurel and Hardy films, there are some funny moments here. The opening scene in the courtroom mostly works and Stan's wanted ad in the newspaper is good for a few laughs. Their later attempts to open a locked chest have some solid comedy as well. But, as also seems to be the usual with L&H, they manage to include some rather unfunny bits which can't be overlooked when making an assessment.
At one point Stan calls Ollie to the telephone but, instead of handing him the telephone receiver, Stan hands him an open can of condensed milk. Ollie proceeds to hold the open can up to his ear and....well, you can get the visual. I did not find this funny in the least. I don't see how a person can't tell the feel of a tin can compared to the feel of a telephone, such that you would actually hold the can up to your ear. Sorry, not buying that. And sadly, they did this bit, not once, but twice! Wow guys. Bad call.
There is another scene where Stan is pressing a doorbell multiple times, then the last time, he accidentally presses his finger into Ollie's face instead. What? Exactly how would that happen? I don't think so. This film does have its good moments, but as described, it also has the capacity to elicit from you a number of groans. Beware the reviewers rating this exceptionally high, they seem to be the same people who rate every L&H film at perfect or near-perfect levels. I'm convinced that if Laurel and Hardy made a film where they just stared out the window for 20 minutes, these fanboys would rate it a 10 and call it a 'masterpiece.' Sure.
In William Everson's anthology of L&H films, he described "Going Bye-Bye!" as "a particularly slick, though never really distinguished, welding of violent slapstick and situational humor." I'd agree with that.
6/10. Mildly entertaining, but really nothing more. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: That's a maybe. It's certainly not the first thing I'd pick when I wanted a laugh.