Something of a dis-appointment for me...though I have seen this one before in years gone by...it was not one of my favorites, and is probably most memorable for the scene where the guys are going to end it all in Paris under the bridge. At this stage of the game, the novelty of Laurel and Hardy was beginning to wear thin. Newer stars, fresher stories, newer techniques and, obviously, a new mind-set for audiences of that period had begun to make their efforts somewhat passé in the passing parade of comedy in particular, and film in general. Of course, the legendary status of Laurel and Hardy commanded a certain respect from Hollywood and the audiences, but it is clear from this film that their star was beginning to fade. Their real heyday was already behind them, even here in 1939. The RKO effort truly seems to be out of the typical element of L and H as opposed to their Hal Roach efforts...maybe that was intended...but the effect is that of a somewhat watered down effort that does not come up to par with some of the madcap/screwball comedies that had become part of the cinematic diet of the 1930s, and L and H are scrambling to keep from being left in the dust. Ultimately it fails, and though L and H continued to be something of a salable commodity in their 20th Century Fox efforts to come...the magic was fast dis-appearing. This film, "Flying Deuces" and the up-coming "A Chump at Oxford" would be, perhaps, their last hurrah at cornering the creative market for cinema. Afterwards ( pardon the pun) , they would rest and rely on their "Laurels". Incidentally, Stanley was a Rhodes scholar, and was the "brains" of the outfit, despite his impish, submissive character which played second fiddle to the more robust My Hardy. Though this is NOT one of their better efforts, I can recommend it as a nod of respect to a great duo who were probably becoming passé through no real fault of their own...physical comedy and gags of that sort had run their course, and were simply becoming passé as audiences became more sophisticated.
Review of The Flying Deuces
