THIS IS YET another entry into those which are fine examples of the nearly fully developed Hal Roach style of comedy. This short, produced and released during the last year of the Silents reign, seems so vaguely familiar to us, yet quite different.
THERE ARE SO many who would argue that this was a story that was intended to be another Laurel & Hardy; but was a sort of leftover, being that the required number of their films were already done. The solution was to do a little superficial and non-evasive surgery and make the two lovely ladies the central characters.
AND LOVELY they were; with the "team" of Anita Garvin and Marion Byron being cast as the two minor sort of gold-diggers. They were tough and predatory, looking for some likely chumps to provide them with dinner and an evening on the town. Enter Stuart Erwin & Edgar Kennedy, who did a commendable job of pinch-hitting.
AS IS THE "plot" is threadbare and is most basic. Two girls want to hustle a couple of guys for some steaks and maybe a stop at the local speakeasy. Stu Erwin is Marion's boyfriend and Edgar Kennedy is Stu's boss. Anita has no interest in him, but they do go out and decide to get some ice cream cones. Being double parked, the foursome gets at odds with beat cop, Edgar Dearing.
THIS ALL ENDS up with yet another variation on Roach Supervising Director, Leo McCarey's principle of "Reciprocal Destrution". In this one, the chain reaction tripping replaces the pie-fight in BATTLE OF THE CENTURY, the shin-kicking in YOU'RE DAEN TOOTIN' and the pants ripping in (title escapes me).
AS FOR A PERSONAL example of how this Hal Roach style is, both Schultz and myself always confuse this with TWO TARS (1928), which is a L & H silent involving a traffic jam, two gold diggers and some of that destructive mayhem. Coincidentally, it also co-stars Edgar Kennedy and features Edgar Dearing as a cop. Those "girlfriend" comedies were also produced by Hal Roach.
WE HAVE OUR own theory about this one and its importance. We theorize that it was A PAIR OF TIGHTS that inspired the creation of those shorts that paired Thelma Todd/Patsy Kelly/Zasu Pitts in a feminine counterpart to teams like Laurel & Hardy.
AS FOR OUR rating, Schultz & I agree it's ****+.
THERE ARE SO many who would argue that this was a story that was intended to be another Laurel & Hardy; but was a sort of leftover, being that the required number of their films were already done. The solution was to do a little superficial and non-evasive surgery and make the two lovely ladies the central characters.
AND LOVELY they were; with the "team" of Anita Garvin and Marion Byron being cast as the two minor sort of gold-diggers. They were tough and predatory, looking for some likely chumps to provide them with dinner and an evening on the town. Enter Stuart Erwin & Edgar Kennedy, who did a commendable job of pinch-hitting.
AS IS THE "plot" is threadbare and is most basic. Two girls want to hustle a couple of guys for some steaks and maybe a stop at the local speakeasy. Stu Erwin is Marion's boyfriend and Edgar Kennedy is Stu's boss. Anita has no interest in him, but they do go out and decide to get some ice cream cones. Being double parked, the foursome gets at odds with beat cop, Edgar Dearing.
THIS ALL ENDS up with yet another variation on Roach Supervising Director, Leo McCarey's principle of "Reciprocal Destrution". In this one, the chain reaction tripping replaces the pie-fight in BATTLE OF THE CENTURY, the shin-kicking in YOU'RE DAEN TOOTIN' and the pants ripping in (title escapes me).
AS FOR A PERSONAL example of how this Hal Roach style is, both Schultz and myself always confuse this with TWO TARS (1928), which is a L & H silent involving a traffic jam, two gold diggers and some of that destructive mayhem. Coincidentally, it also co-stars Edgar Kennedy and features Edgar Dearing as a cop. Those "girlfriend" comedies were also produced by Hal Roach.
WE HAVE OUR own theory about this one and its importance. We theorize that it was A PAIR OF TIGHTS that inspired the creation of those shorts that paired Thelma Todd/Patsy Kelly/Zasu Pitts in a feminine counterpart to teams like Laurel & Hardy.
AS FOR OUR rating, Schultz & I agree it's ****+.