A CHUMP AT OXFORD (Released to Theaters USA 1939)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì  A Chump at Oxford—not funny—does not have a quality portrayal for its storyline.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline  Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel are tired of working as street sweepers, decide to go  college, and the story is on.  Additional Thanks  Thank you to Director Alfred J. Goulding for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Hal Roach and Hal Roach Jr. for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Wilfred Lucas, Forrester Harvey, Peter Cushing, and Charlie Hall.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe. This film fills-in-some-time. It is what it is: not bad but not good either. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

BLOCK-HEADS (Released to Theaters USA 1938)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì  Block-Heads—57-minute short film—serves up a little better entertainment fare than many Laurel and Hardy comedies. This movie is funny, original, and well written.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline  A man continues to patrol an assigned area long after the war is over. When he returns to America, an old friend extends hospitality to him. Additional Thanks  Thank you to Director John G. Blystone for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Hal Roach and Hal Roach Jr. for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Patricia Ellis,  Minna Gombell, Billy Gilbert, and James Finlayson.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Yes. This is a good film, tells a good story, and is very well written. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

WAY OUT WEST (Released to Theaters USA 1937)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì  Way Out West—classic Laurel and Hardy—is the kind of film that made Laurel and Hardy famous. It is a very good, comical, applaud worthy watch. WOW! This is a simple, easy-on-the-mind, family share movie.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline  Laurel and Hardy have a deed to a gold mine and are obligated to give the deed to Mary Roberts, the daughter of a old friend who just passed away, but they have no idea who she is. Additional Thanks  Thank you to Director James W. Horne for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Stan Laurel and Hal Roach for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.   Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Yes. A wonderful, quality step back in time that serves the whole family's entertainment needs and deserves its addition to the family home video library. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

LIBERTY (Released to Theaters USA 1929)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

Liberty—Laurel and Hardy short film—lacks comedic appeal. It may be used by academia as a study of antics that were used and continue to be used in a variety of Hollywood short and long movie productions.

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? Maybe. The high-above-street-level comedic effects have been repeatably used in animated cartoons and other theatrical features. In this comedy, too much film time is devoted to escaping the predicament and moving on to either the conclusion or added storyline. The story lacks real comedy due to this misuse of film time. This is one of Laurel and Hardy's less desirable watches.  Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

Storyline

Laurel and Hardy make a prison break and flee to the big city for refuge.  

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Hal Roach, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy.

THE SERVANT GIRL'S LEGACY (Released to Theaters USA 1914)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì The Servant Girl’s Legacy needs an IMDb plotline read before watching as the subtitling dialogue is sparse. It is a silent era production with shallow character development that requires attention to body language as a means of interpreting the movie. This film is hard to decipher and the connectivity between scenes is often unclear about what happens next. To be fair, it is a short film and does not have a lot of room to flesh out its storyline, but that also places it in the suitable to okay watch range. This has Oliver ‘Babe’ Hardy (Oliver Hardy) in some of his early works that did not yet feature Stan Laurel. Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline A servant girl receives an inheritance and wealthier people become more interested in her because of her new wealth.   Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Arthur Hotaling for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Lubin Manufacturing Company for making the film possible. Cast includes Mabel Paige, Oliver Hardy, Ed Lawrence, Eloise Willard, Marguerite  Ne Moyer, Raymond McKee, and Bert Tracy.   Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe. Read a plotline before going because it is a silent film with limited explanatory subtitles. This is a suitable to okay watch. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

THE CHIMP (Released to Theaters USA 1932)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì  The Chimp—suitable short story—works in the 'okay' range. Overall, it works as an afternoon watch.   Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images Storyline  Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy work for the circus. When they accidentally destroy an act and make the circus go out of business, they have to find a place to live.  Additional Thanks Thank you to Director James Parrott for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Hal Roach for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Yes. This is a suitable afternoon watch and is better than some Oliver and Hardy films. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

ME AND MY PAL (Released to Theaters USA 1933)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì  Me and My Pal—cute, suitable to okay short film—was probably better on paper than it actually is on screen. It fails the comedy test. Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images  Storyline Stan Laurel starts a puzzle and Oliver has to get to a wedding to be married but starts helping Laurel and the story is on.   Additional Thanks Thank you to Directors Charley Rogers and Lloyd French for directing efforts. Thank you to Producer Hal Roach for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, and Marion Bardell.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? Maybe. It's a cute, simple story that most audiences will forget, but it holds some interest while watching.  Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

UTOPIA * (Released World-Wide 1951)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì  Utopia—Laurel and Hardy's last film—attempts to place more weight for the story's comedy by adding additional cast members and layering stories to increase interest. The comedy team is struggling to keep their act in the public eye and this work effort does not help them accomplish that aim. Their type of comedy has passed. While this attempt endeavors to enter the new age, it fails.  Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images  Storyline  Laurel gets an inheritance and goes to claim it with Oliver Hardy.   Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Leo Joannon for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Raymond Eger for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Suzy Delair.   Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe. It is not one of  Laurel and Hardy's best works. *Also known as Atoll "K" in France and Robinson Crusoeland in the United Kingdom Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

SWISS MISS (Released to Theaters USA 1938)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì  Swiss Miss—low grade, average watch—starts well and then begins a downhill slide to nothing. Despite attempts to layer its story by intertwining several stories, it cannot accomplish its general aim. Film Poster Courtesy of IMDb  Storyline Laurel and Hardy are mouse trap sellers and trap mice. So, they head to Switzerland.       Additional Thanks Thank you to Director John G. Blystone for directing effort. Thank you to Producer S. S. Van Keuren for making the film possible. Cast includes Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Della Lind, Walter Woolf King, and Eric Blore. Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe.  Hardcore Laurel and Hardy fans will find this film cute with its suitable to okay story. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

THE SERENADE (Released to Theaters USA 1916)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

The Serenade—an earlier, silent Oliver Hardy work—is an interesting film with a disjointed storyline that lacks the comedic value expected from Hardy. This film could be skipped.

Film Poster Courtesy of IMDb

Storyline

A man with a tuba is trying to play with his friends in a street band.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Will Louis for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Louis Burstein for making the film possible. Cast includes Oliver Hardy.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It is kind of interesting but is not as funny as intended and the story is disjointed.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

STICK AROUND (Released to Theaters USA 1925)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì  Stick Around—comical—shows Oliver Hardy in a domineering, commanding role and does not offset him with Stan Laurel but with Bobby Ray instead. This short film has a good presentation and is worth an afternoon watch. Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images  Storyline A man and his friend are hired to put wallpaper in a Sanitarium.    Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Ward Hayes for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Billy West for making the film possible. Cast includes Oliver Hardy.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Yes. Comical and backed with a good story. Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers