The last (I believe) of the movies The Boys made with Hal Roach, this is also the last truly funny film they made, before going to 20th century fox, which so famously misued their talents. Although there are weak moments - the business with the "lung tester", for instance, is a bit, ah ... overblown (but worth having, just to see "Dr." Jimmy Finlayson) - but on the whole this flick is a good summary of what the boys brought to the screen. Richard Cramer (uncredited) appeared in other L&H flicks, and he is delightfully threatening here as the convict Nick Granger. The scene where The Boys have to eat their own synthetic meal ("Looks good, smells good, and it probably tastes good. Eat it.") is one of my favorite moments in the oeuvre. Stan & Ollie will always be pleasant companions in the lives of their millions of devoted fans.
40 Reviews
Horns To The Right Of Me!! Horns To The Left Of Me!!! Worthy Hal Roach Swan Song For The Boys!!!!
yelsnebynot22 August 2011
I've always enjoyed this film very much! The first time I saw it was on the Global Television Network in Canada when I was 12 years old back in 1976. They showed Laurel and Hardy features on Thursday nights that summer, and I got to see quite a few of their Hal Roach features, though sadly, I managed to miss "Sons Of The Desert" and would not get to see that wonderful film until about 1983.
Anyway, "Saps At Sea" is a Laurel & Hardy film that I have come to appreciate more as the years go by. I think that it really nicely sums up the friendship that the characters Stan & Ollie had with one another. They always stuck together through thick and thin (no pun intended!), and that dynamic is definitely evident here.
Sadly, this film was to be the swan song for both Ben Turpin (who appears briefly in a hilarious cameo as a cross-eyed plumber); and Harry Bernard, who does a memorable turn as a Harbor Patrolman. Harry would succumb to lung cancer in November, 1940 at age 62; and Ben Turpin would die on July 1st of that same year from heart disease at age 70.
Rychard Cramer as the antagonist Nick Grainger manages to be both menacing and hilarious at the same time! I was surprised to find out that five years earlier, he had appeared in a short titled "Dizzy & Daffy" (obviously about the famous Dean Brothers!). Kind of funny, considering he dubbed Stan & Ollie as Dizzy & Dopey!
I definitely agree with other reviewers who have stated that one's first Laurel and Hardy experience probably shouldn't be one of their latter day 20th Century Fox/MGM films, though some of those aren't all that bad for passing the time. Definitely avoid Utopia/Atoll K/Robinson Crusoeland (Yes, this movie has three titles!). Just the fact that Stan Laurel was so obviously appallingly ill, alone should be enough incentive to avoid this as your first Laurel and Hardy encounter. It will likely be your last!
Sorry I'm getting so off topic here. "Saps At Sea," in my opinion, is in many ways, the last true Laurel and Hardy film, and is certainly a worthy introduction for would be L&H fans!! (Mine was "Blockheads," another fine film).
Anyway, "Saps At Sea" is a Laurel & Hardy film that I have come to appreciate more as the years go by. I think that it really nicely sums up the friendship that the characters Stan & Ollie had with one another. They always stuck together through thick and thin (no pun intended!), and that dynamic is definitely evident here.
Sadly, this film was to be the swan song for both Ben Turpin (who appears briefly in a hilarious cameo as a cross-eyed plumber); and Harry Bernard, who does a memorable turn as a Harbor Patrolman. Harry would succumb to lung cancer in November, 1940 at age 62; and Ben Turpin would die on July 1st of that same year from heart disease at age 70.
Rychard Cramer as the antagonist Nick Grainger manages to be both menacing and hilarious at the same time! I was surprised to find out that five years earlier, he had appeared in a short titled "Dizzy & Daffy" (obviously about the famous Dean Brothers!). Kind of funny, considering he dubbed Stan & Ollie as Dizzy & Dopey!
I definitely agree with other reviewers who have stated that one's first Laurel and Hardy experience probably shouldn't be one of their latter day 20th Century Fox/MGM films, though some of those aren't all that bad for passing the time. Definitely avoid Utopia/Atoll K/Robinson Crusoeland (Yes, this movie has three titles!). Just the fact that Stan Laurel was so obviously appallingly ill, alone should be enough incentive to avoid this as your first Laurel and Hardy encounter. It will likely be your last!
Sorry I'm getting so off topic here. "Saps At Sea," in my opinion, is in many ways, the last true Laurel and Hardy film, and is certainly a worthy introduction for would be L&H fans!! (Mine was "Blockheads," another fine film).
Saps at Sea (1940) ***
JoeKarlosi19 January 2013
Laurel and Hardy's last film during their best golden era where they worked for Hal Roach Studios. It's not their best Roach movie, but it's still quite funny with a good dose of laughs and is completely worth seeing. (After this one they would move over to Fox and MGM Studios where they'd make what most fans agree are the least films of their career). The boys work in a horn manufacturing company where they have to test out all sorts of loud and honking horns... and Ollie eventually freaks out and goes berserk with a nervous breakdown! (this scene was so funny to me the first time I ever saw it that I had one of the most robust laughs I've ever had while watching a comedy). It is advised that Stan take Ollie home for some peace and quiet, but with Stan to nurse Ollie, you know THAT will never happen! Stan calls funnyman Dr. Finlayson who examines Hardy and diagnoses him with "Hornophobia" and a prescription to go on a sea voyage for some peace and quiet. Not long after they get onto the boat, an escaped convict sneaks aboard and terrorizes them. Like some other L&H comedies, this one feels like it's two or three different shorts rolled into one feature and the best stuff is the first half. But don't let this deter you from checking it out if you have the chance. This is still some of the best comedy around. *** out of ****
"Hornophobia"?!?!
planktonrules15 January 2007
While the premise of the film is pretty lame (Ollie is diagnosed with "hornophobia"), the film is an amiable and enjoyable little flick. It's also a darn bit better than the films they went on to make after this one--probably since this was the last Hal Roach-produced Laurel and Hardy film. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea not to see ANY of their latter films, as the entire chemistry is lost in these films and the boys play their parts purely for pathos--something true Laurel and Hardy films NEVER would do. They had a bit of an edge that all the later films lack.
Stan and Ollie work at a horn factory. This sounds pretty funny, but it isn't. Not surprisingly with all the racket, Ollie is about to have a nervous breakdown and must take some time off work. The doctor (James Finlayson--in his last film with the team) recommends an ocean voyage. However, they don't like sailing and Stan has an idea of just renting a boat tied to the dock--then they can get all the sea air they want without all the bother! Once they are on the boat, a dangerous escaped criminal boards the boat and they all accidentally set out to sea. Fortunately, this portion of the film actually was well-paced and the very end worked out very well.
While not a great full-length Laurel and Hardy film, it was much better than many of them since it had no annoying and distracting musical numbers (like in THE DEVIL'S BROTHER or BABES IN TOYLAND). Additionally, there is still a decent amount of physical comedy--something you would see almost none of after this film. Part of this was due to the boys' declining health (and Ollie's increasing girth) and part of it was due to the overall insipidness of these later films.
Stan and Ollie work at a horn factory. This sounds pretty funny, but it isn't. Not surprisingly with all the racket, Ollie is about to have a nervous breakdown and must take some time off work. The doctor (James Finlayson--in his last film with the team) recommends an ocean voyage. However, they don't like sailing and Stan has an idea of just renting a boat tied to the dock--then they can get all the sea air they want without all the bother! Once they are on the boat, a dangerous escaped criminal boards the boat and they all accidentally set out to sea. Fortunately, this portion of the film actually was well-paced and the very end worked out very well.
While not a great full-length Laurel and Hardy film, it was much better than many of them since it had no annoying and distracting musical numbers (like in THE DEVIL'S BROTHER or BABES IN TOYLAND). Additionally, there is still a decent amount of physical comedy--something you would see almost none of after this film. Part of this was due to the boys' declining health (and Ollie's increasing girth) and part of it was due to the overall insipidness of these later films.
HORNS!HOORNS!!HOOORNS!!!
Petey-1023 May 2000
Stanley and Oliver are working in a noisy horn factory, which drives Oliver crazy.He doesn't even want to hear the sound of a horn after that.Jimmy Finlayson plays the doctor, who says the boys should go on a sea trip to get Ollie well. So the boys get a boat and do what Dr. Finlayson tells them to do.But a dangerous killer comes to the boat with them. Saps at Sea offers you many funny scenes, as the Laurel and Hardy films always do.No matter what the boys are doing in their movies, they're always hilarious.This movie has many scenes to remember, like when the crook makes Stanley and Ollie to eat "the food" they made.Saps at Sea is totally worth watching, if you want to get a few good laughs.I guarantee you will get some laughs when you watch this movie.Laurel and Hardy won't disappoint you.
The noise of laughter
Prismark1016 September 2017
Saps at Sea is the last film produced by Hal Roach. It is three shorts rolled into one in effect.
Laurel & Hardy work in a horn manufacturing company where they test horns, the noise has a detrimental effect in the workers and pretty soon Hardy succumbs to the noise.
When Laurel takes him home Dr Finlayson diagnoses a severe case of hornophobia and prescribes a voyage to the sea. Laurel instead rents a boat for a few days but an escaped convict takes refuge and hold them hostage.
The noise induced beginning is bound to make the audience suffer with hornophobia, Laurel taking Hardy home in the car just shows his ineptness compounded further when the doctor calls around and the plumbing in their apartment is all wonky.
The best bit is when they cook a synthetic meal for the escaped convict who then makes them eat it meanwhile all the time on the boat Chekhov's trumpet is there to be seen.
Laurel & Hardy work in a horn manufacturing company where they test horns, the noise has a detrimental effect in the workers and pretty soon Hardy succumbs to the noise.
When Laurel takes him home Dr Finlayson diagnoses a severe case of hornophobia and prescribes a voyage to the sea. Laurel instead rents a boat for a few days but an escaped convict takes refuge and hold them hostage.
The noise induced beginning is bound to make the audience suffer with hornophobia, Laurel taking Hardy home in the car just shows his ineptness compounded further when the doctor calls around and the plumbing in their apartment is all wonky.
The best bit is when they cook a synthetic meal for the escaped convict who then makes them eat it meanwhile all the time on the boat Chekhov's trumpet is there to be seen.
"Well here's another nice bucket of suds you've gotten me into!"
classicsoncall6 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
With Oliver Hardy bedeviled by the sound of horns, bells, phones and trombones, his doctor Finlayson advises peace and quiet and a diet of goat milk. Partner Stan Laurel comes up with a great solution, living on a docked boat so the salt sea air can help Ollie get all the rest he needs. It's a great premise for all the mad cap hijinks to ensue, as the boat is set adrift by the hungry goat, and an escaped convict (Richard Cramer) stows along for the ride.
I got a kick out of all the gags in the film, starting with that sign in the horn testing factory - 'Silence While Men Are Working'. The early story at the boys' apartment features a number of mixed up plumbing and appliance mishaps, with Stan doing a banana within a banana bit. Laurel has a couple of great lines in the picture, like "We must have been dis-unconnected", but the one that had me rolling was his response to the criminal on board ship - "Self preservation is the last law of averages" - precisely!
I'm not as great a student of Laurel and Hardy's films as many on this board, all I know is I enjoyed them as a kid and find them to be as entertaining today as they were back in my youth. On that count, "Saps At Sea" provides a decent hour of hornophobic fun, well on it's way to hornomania.
I got a kick out of all the gags in the film, starting with that sign in the horn testing factory - 'Silence While Men Are Working'. The early story at the boys' apartment features a number of mixed up plumbing and appliance mishaps, with Stan doing a banana within a banana bit. Laurel has a couple of great lines in the picture, like "We must have been dis-unconnected", but the one that had me rolling was his response to the criminal on board ship - "Self preservation is the last law of averages" - precisely!
I'm not as great a student of Laurel and Hardy's films as many on this board, all I know is I enjoyed them as a kid and find them to be as entertaining today as they were back in my youth. On that count, "Saps At Sea" provides a decent hour of hornophobic fun, well on it's way to hornomania.
Mister Laurel & Mister Hardy Invite You On A Most Memorable Boat Ride
Ron Oliver27 November 2000
Stan & Ollie become SAPS AT SEA when their wayward little boat is commandeered by a vicious murderer.
The Boys are wonderful in this feature, which starts out with one of their most hilarious set pieces, the horn factory. Always a few steps out of sync with the rest of Creation, Laurel & Hardy inhabit a world where icy radios & bedded billy goats are the rule, not the exception. With its brief length, the film is more in style with their classic short subjects, which explains its episodic nature.
Only the Boys get screen credit, but movie mavens will recognize other familiar faces: James Finlayson appears as a loony doctor, Richard Cramer does full justice to his bad guy role, sweet Mary Gordon plays the Boys' perplexed neighbor. That's Charlie Hall as the apartment house desk clerk and silent screen comic Ben Turpin portrays a most peculiar plumber.
One of the film's script writers was silent comedian Harry Langdon.
Stan & Ollie are the main focus, however. Watching Hardy go berserk at the sound of a horn, or Laurel's antics with bananas, for instance, reminds the viewer why these fellows remain absolute cinematic giants.
The Boys are wonderful in this feature, which starts out with one of their most hilarious set pieces, the horn factory. Always a few steps out of sync with the rest of Creation, Laurel & Hardy inhabit a world where icy radios & bedded billy goats are the rule, not the exception. With its brief length, the film is more in style with their classic short subjects, which explains its episodic nature.
Only the Boys get screen credit, but movie mavens will recognize other familiar faces: James Finlayson appears as a loony doctor, Richard Cramer does full justice to his bad guy role, sweet Mary Gordon plays the Boys' perplexed neighbor. That's Charlie Hall as the apartment house desk clerk and silent screen comic Ben Turpin portrays a most peculiar plumber.
One of the film's script writers was silent comedian Harry Langdon.
Stan & Ollie are the main focus, however. Watching Hardy go berserk at the sound of a horn, or Laurel's antics with bananas, for instance, reminds the viewer why these fellows remain absolute cinematic giants.
Ollie Goes Bonkers!
Hitchcoc15 January 2017
I believe that next to "County Hospital" this is my most often viewed L & H movie. Ollie has a nervous breakdown from a case of Hornophobia caused by working in a horn factory. The sound of the musical instruments sets him off, giving him nearly superhuman strength and violent behavior. The doctor, Jimmy Finlayson, says they need to take a sea cruise. They have little money, so instead, they rent a houseboat moored to the dock. Sea ear but no complicated sailing. Who should come along but another one of those head shaved convicts, a public enemy, who decides to hide out on the boat. His name is Nick Granger and he calls his gun "Little Nick." The boys find themselves with no other option but to do him in before it does them in. Several efforts to do so are quashed. There is much physical humor and desperation. I found the conclusion satisfying in the best Laurel and Hardy tradition. The films that followed were not met with much acclaim. Maybe they were just tired, or their audiences had changed.
Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy...with that, anything can happen.
maxcellus466 April 2006
Yes, as the other reviewers have already stated, this may not be vintage L&H but it's far from being their worst work as at 20th Century Stupid...I mean Fox. This film certainly has all of the basic ingredients for things to go wrong for the boys. But it's their serious approach and determination that makes them funny. They don't play it for laughs as other comedians might but they take their work and situation quite seriously and that is the essence of their eternal humor. In this film, they are faced with some basic issues that really might be encountered by any one of us today, namely job related stress. First, we would get checked out by a doctor and he would prescribe some much needed rest and perhaps staying by the sea. That's where the surrealness comes in to all of this. L&H always take a most plausible set of circumstances and exaggerate it but never to the point of being incredible, except maybe once in awhile. This makes us laugh because we can relate to their self caused predicaments and attempts at extrication. That's what makes Stan and Ollie universal in their appeal. In this film all those ingredients are presented in a delightfully artful and gracefully slapstick way. Not their best in comparison to their earlier work probably because this was the actual last film they did for Roach because he wanted to mirror the "big" studios and go into making features exclusively and also wanted to hurry up and finish their contractual obligation. BIG MISTAKE! They should have all stayed together and continued for maybe five more years. What the world may have missed in their not considering this as an option. Watch, laugh, and enjoy this as their last great performance.
Goodbut not always Laurel and Hardy
Vincentb34122 November 2005
Saps At Sea was the last film Laurel and Hardy made for Hal Roach, and is considered by many fans the last real L & H film. Working as horn testers, Ollie can't stand all the noise and has a nervous breakdown. He and Stan are sent home, and Dr. James Finlayson comes to examine him. He tests his lungs with a balloon; by pressing down on Ollie's chest, the balloon fills with air. When Stan helps the doctor, the balloon gets bigger and bigger, finally exploding and breaking the bed.
Meanwhile, the plumbing in the building is all mixed-up. Turn on one faucet, and water comes out of the other one. Turn on the bathroom faucet, and water comes out of the shower, and vice-versa. The woman next door has a refrigerator that plays music and a frozen radio. When Ollie phones the plumber, who should it be but cross-eyed silent star Ben Turpin.
All of this is good comedy, but it's not really Laurel and Hardy comedy. The mixed-up plumbing is more like a Three Stooges short than anything we would expect from Stan and Ollie. This is a truly bizarre world. When Professor O'Brian arrives to give Stan his trombone lesson, he enters with "Buon giorno, signore." He's obviously Italian.
In another scene, Stan starts to eat a banana. He peels back the skin, only to reveal a second skin. Underneath that is another one, so that there's actually no fruit at all. What are we to make of this? We might call it the comedy of the absurd, but it's not Laurel and Hardy, and gags like this appear in no other film, with the possible exception of their disaster Utopia.
Getting back to Dr. Finlayson, he tells Ollie he has "hornophobia," on the verge of "hornomania." In other words, he goes berserk whenever he hears a horn. The good doctor prescribes plenty of rest and a diet of goat's milk. An ocean voyage would be perfect. But Ollie refuses to go.
After he leaves, they decide to rent a boat in the harbor and sleep on it. They also somehow manage to get a goat. During the night escaped convict Nick Granger (Richard Cramer), running from the cops, hides out on the boat. The goat, tied to the dock, chews through the rope and the boat drifts out to sea. (Stan: "Somebody moved the dock.") Now there are three of them on board, or rather four: Stan, Ollie, Nick, and Nick Jr. (his gun). He demands that they cook him some food, but they have nothing to eat themselves, so they make him a "synthetic" meal. They use string for spaghetti, sponges for meatballs, red paint for tomato sauce, a kerosene wick for bacon, and soap for cheese. Coffee is a sack of tobacco. Once again, this may be funny, but it's Charlie Chaplin's comedy (The Gold Rush), not Laurel and Hardy! Is it really a good idea, at the end of their career, to start imitating other comedians?
Since Nick has spied on the boys and knows what they did, we have the following dialog:
Ollie: It's just like mother used to make.
Stan: Oh, she never made any as good as this.
Nick: Well, if it's that good, you eat it. In a scene that's more painful than funny, he forces them to eat their meal.
The funniest scene in the film is when Stan decides to practice his horn, and Ollie starts to beat up Nick. Ollie is terrific as long as Stan keeps blowing, but as soon as the music stops, he can only run away, with Nick in hot pursuit. ("Blow the horn, Stan.") Stan blows so hard that smoke comes out of the bell. And when the trombone falls apart, he struggles to re-assemble it, not an easy thing to do when you're in a hurry.
All things considered, as their last watchable film this is a good effort, but it would have been better had they been true to themselves.
Meanwhile, the plumbing in the building is all mixed-up. Turn on one faucet, and water comes out of the other one. Turn on the bathroom faucet, and water comes out of the shower, and vice-versa. The woman next door has a refrigerator that plays music and a frozen radio. When Ollie phones the plumber, who should it be but cross-eyed silent star Ben Turpin.
All of this is good comedy, but it's not really Laurel and Hardy comedy. The mixed-up plumbing is more like a Three Stooges short than anything we would expect from Stan and Ollie. This is a truly bizarre world. When Professor O'Brian arrives to give Stan his trombone lesson, he enters with "Buon giorno, signore." He's obviously Italian.
In another scene, Stan starts to eat a banana. He peels back the skin, only to reveal a second skin. Underneath that is another one, so that there's actually no fruit at all. What are we to make of this? We might call it the comedy of the absurd, but it's not Laurel and Hardy, and gags like this appear in no other film, with the possible exception of their disaster Utopia.
Getting back to Dr. Finlayson, he tells Ollie he has "hornophobia," on the verge of "hornomania." In other words, he goes berserk whenever he hears a horn. The good doctor prescribes plenty of rest and a diet of goat's milk. An ocean voyage would be perfect. But Ollie refuses to go.
After he leaves, they decide to rent a boat in the harbor and sleep on it. They also somehow manage to get a goat. During the night escaped convict Nick Granger (Richard Cramer), running from the cops, hides out on the boat. The goat, tied to the dock, chews through the rope and the boat drifts out to sea. (Stan: "Somebody moved the dock.") Now there are three of them on board, or rather four: Stan, Ollie, Nick, and Nick Jr. (his gun). He demands that they cook him some food, but they have nothing to eat themselves, so they make him a "synthetic" meal. They use string for spaghetti, sponges for meatballs, red paint for tomato sauce, a kerosene wick for bacon, and soap for cheese. Coffee is a sack of tobacco. Once again, this may be funny, but it's Charlie Chaplin's comedy (The Gold Rush), not Laurel and Hardy! Is it really a good idea, at the end of their career, to start imitating other comedians?
Since Nick has spied on the boys and knows what they did, we have the following dialog:
Ollie: It's just like mother used to make.
Stan: Oh, she never made any as good as this.
Nick: Well, if it's that good, you eat it. In a scene that's more painful than funny, he forces them to eat their meal.
The funniest scene in the film is when Stan decides to practice his horn, and Ollie starts to beat up Nick. Ollie is terrific as long as Stan keeps blowing, but as soon as the music stops, he can only run away, with Nick in hot pursuit. ("Blow the horn, Stan.") Stan blows so hard that smoke comes out of the bell. And when the trombone falls apart, he struggles to re-assemble it, not an easy thing to do when you're in a hurry.
All things considered, as their last watchable film this is a good effort, but it would have been better had they been true to themselves.
The End of the Road With Roach
theowinthrop14 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It follows BLOCK-HEADS and A CHUMP AT OXFORD, two films that are hard to top. Not that SAPS AT SEA is a bad film - it is the last good comedy (unless one insists on JITTERBUGS or another of the later films) that Laurel & Hardy made. It's just that it is a toss-off little film, without the crazy destructive crescendo of BLOCK-HEADS or the astounding sight of Stan's "real" personality in A CHUMP AT OXFORD to revel in. At 57 minutes it is shorter than the other two films a bit, but that actually is not a bad point for it. It has just enough time to it to hit the right notes. It's just not as special as the other two.
Stan and Ollie work in a factory that manufactures horns. I suspect that there was a bit of Chaplin influence in this sequence (one recalls a similar assembly-line incident in MODERN TIMES only four years earlier). Ollie's nerves finally snap, and he goes on a rampage. He goes home and (naturally) his roommate Stan does not help - Stan has a music lesson with an eccentric professor on his instrument (you've got it - a trombone). After beating up the poor professor, Ollie has problems with the incompetent janitor/engineer (Ben Turpin in a nice brief appearance), and then faces his doctor (Jimmy Finleyson) and his nerve tester (a balloon that inflates as you push air out of Ollie's stomach). Finleyson announces that it is a bad case of "horniphobia", and Ollie needs a vacation with plenty of quiet and goat's milk. They end up going to a ship but Ollie and Stan know nothing about seamanship - so they plan to sleep on the ship. Unfortunately the goat gnaws the rope until it breaks and the ship sails off. Also unfortunately, on board is Richard Cramer, an escaped dangerous criminal. This is not going to be a peaceful vacation.
SAPS AT SEA (like A CHUMP) could have been three shorts, one at the factory, one at the apartment, and one on the boat. Each would have been a successful short, and they all make a funny film - but the stitching of the parts together shows. There are some very amusing moments in the film - the discoveries of how Turpin's ineptitude causes various mishaps with water taps and stoves in the apartment; the accidental remarks of building manager Charlie Hall when Stan or Ollie runs by him and asks for directions ("Can you help me find the basement?" asks Stan - "Certainly,you can't miss it - it's downstairs!", says Hall, who realizes what a stupid comment he just made); and Cramer's mistreatment of his two hostage slaves. He calls Ollie "Dizzy" and Stan "Daffy" (an allusion to the Dean Brothers of the St. Louis Cardinal teams of the 1930s - see Dan Dailey's THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS). Cramer has the boys cook him up some food - and they make a synthetic meal (boot laces for spaghetti, for instance) to get him sick to be overpowered. When he realizes what they have done, he forces them to eat the meal themselves. Their reactions are brilliant.
SAPS AT SEA is not on par with the top line of Laurel & Hardy films, but it is a good film on the whole, and a good conclusion to the best years of their film career (1927 - 1940) when they were with Hal Roach. In the immediate couple of years before it appeared the boys and Roach had serious problems involving production costs (OUR RELATIONS, where Stan was producer on the film), artistic problems (scenes from SWISS MISS were cut meaninglessly), and contractual arguments (leading to Ollie appearing with Harry Langdon in ZENOBIA). Stan and Ollie hit back with THE FLYING DEUCES, wherein the production was not Roach's but Boris Morros'. At last a two picture deal of A CHUMP AT OXFORD and SAPS AT SEA concluded the arguments and problems - and on a high note the boys left Roach. Unfortunately they never found any subsequent film relationship with a producer as satisfactory as this had been.
Stan and Ollie work in a factory that manufactures horns. I suspect that there was a bit of Chaplin influence in this sequence (one recalls a similar assembly-line incident in MODERN TIMES only four years earlier). Ollie's nerves finally snap, and he goes on a rampage. He goes home and (naturally) his roommate Stan does not help - Stan has a music lesson with an eccentric professor on his instrument (you've got it - a trombone). After beating up the poor professor, Ollie has problems with the incompetent janitor/engineer (Ben Turpin in a nice brief appearance), and then faces his doctor (Jimmy Finleyson) and his nerve tester (a balloon that inflates as you push air out of Ollie's stomach). Finleyson announces that it is a bad case of "horniphobia", and Ollie needs a vacation with plenty of quiet and goat's milk. They end up going to a ship but Ollie and Stan know nothing about seamanship - so they plan to sleep on the ship. Unfortunately the goat gnaws the rope until it breaks and the ship sails off. Also unfortunately, on board is Richard Cramer, an escaped dangerous criminal. This is not going to be a peaceful vacation.
SAPS AT SEA (like A CHUMP) could have been three shorts, one at the factory, one at the apartment, and one on the boat. Each would have been a successful short, and they all make a funny film - but the stitching of the parts together shows. There are some very amusing moments in the film - the discoveries of how Turpin's ineptitude causes various mishaps with water taps and stoves in the apartment; the accidental remarks of building manager Charlie Hall when Stan or Ollie runs by him and asks for directions ("Can you help me find the basement?" asks Stan - "Certainly,you can't miss it - it's downstairs!", says Hall, who realizes what a stupid comment he just made); and Cramer's mistreatment of his two hostage slaves. He calls Ollie "Dizzy" and Stan "Daffy" (an allusion to the Dean Brothers of the St. Louis Cardinal teams of the 1930s - see Dan Dailey's THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS). Cramer has the boys cook him up some food - and they make a synthetic meal (boot laces for spaghetti, for instance) to get him sick to be overpowered. When he realizes what they have done, he forces them to eat the meal themselves. Their reactions are brilliant.
SAPS AT SEA is not on par with the top line of Laurel & Hardy films, but it is a good film on the whole, and a good conclusion to the best years of their film career (1927 - 1940) when they were with Hal Roach. In the immediate couple of years before it appeared the boys and Roach had serious problems involving production costs (OUR RELATIONS, where Stan was producer on the film), artistic problems (scenes from SWISS MISS were cut meaninglessly), and contractual arguments (leading to Ollie appearing with Harry Langdon in ZENOBIA). Stan and Ollie hit back with THE FLYING DEUCES, wherein the production was not Roach's but Boris Morros'. At last a two picture deal of A CHUMP AT OXFORD and SAPS AT SEA concluded the arguments and problems - and on a high note the boys left Roach. Unfortunately they never found any subsequent film relationship with a producer as satisfactory as this had been.
Make it 7.5!
JohnHowardReid31 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The team's last film for Hal Roach – and a farewell to many of their constant support-cast collaborators, including Finlayson (33 films), Charlie Bell (47), Jack Hill (34), Harry Bernard (26) and Sam Lufkin (40). The opening scene of this one ranks among their most inventive and amusing work. In fact, I've rarely laughed more hysterically. Unfortunately, after this engagingly witty start, the comedy slowly but steadily loses its grace, exploding first into frantic slapstick – laugh-provoking to be sure, but rather elemental – then into amiable but venerable vaudeville wheezes, and finally limping to port with a rather long, weak and distasteful "jest" about eating shoe-laces dipped in paint and lamp-wicks fried in kerosene! Nevertheless, on the whole, Gordon Douglas has directed Saps with a smoothly polished professionalism and he also has an occasional eye for pictorial effects. In this one, Babe has plenty of chances to show off his famous slow burns and double takes (as well as his inane tie-twiddling, of course).
Not one of their best...
JoeytheBrit11 August 2009
For me, this film marked the beginning of Laurel & Hardy's decline. It was, I believe, the last film the boys made for Hal Roach before moving to 20th Century Fox - a move which many point to as the misguided decision that spelled the end of their career as a top ranking comedy act. But, on the evidence on this film, it's questionable whether they would have lasted much longer than they did had they remained with Roach.
There are still some very funny moments - Hardy asking for directions to the basement, the musical fridge and frozen radio for example - but some of the gags are overplayed or simply stale. While the duo's timing is still spot on, the material is noticeably weaker than it was only a couple of years earlier. I don't know why, but the fact that the stripes on Ollie's blazer were wider than those on Stan's struck me as disproportionately amusing...
There are still some very funny moments - Hardy asking for directions to the basement, the musical fridge and frozen radio for example - but some of the gags are overplayed or simply stale. While the duo's timing is still spot on, the material is noticeably weaker than it was only a couple of years earlier. I don't know why, but the fact that the stripes on Ollie's blazer were wider than those on Stan's struck me as disproportionately amusing...
Inimitable Laurel and Hardy from top to tail...
superbarnsley5 November 2001
There would be those that argue by 1940, the boys are past their best. This is a reminder of the prowess of these two comedic, cinematic giants. Ollie is diagnosed with hornaphobia (in fact, you're on the verge of hornamania!) by James Finlayson and advised to get some calm ocean air to relieve his jangled nerves. With Stan acting as nurse, the boys hire a boat, intending to stay moored to the dock until their goat (the doctor advises plenty of ghost's milk) gnaws through the mooring and they are left to drift out to sea accompanied by escaped prisoner Nick Grainger (and Nick jr.). Some scenes had me rolling in laughter - Ollie blowing up the lungtester, the banana, the synthetic meal, the dodgy plumbing and the fight scene at the end. If you've seen this film you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't then I recommend you find out. **** out of *****
Laurel & Hardy and the big story about nothing.
Boba_Fett113821 September 2006
Out of all the Laurel & Hardy movies this is perhaps the one with the least flow and continuity.
"Saps at Sea" is the last Laurel & Hardy picture made for the Hal Roach studio's/MGM. It also was their last movie with regulars such as James Finlayson, Charlie Hall and Jack Hill. I wish I could say it was a worthy last one for all of them.
The movie is just a big pile up of comical situations without an obvious connection. It makes the movie feel very disjointed and therefor not always so fun to watch. You can say that the story of this movie is really about nothing.
Still of course the movie has got some great comical sequences. The movie might not always be constantly funny and dragging at points with its humor, but there are some memorable moments nevertheless, such as with the cross-eyed plumber played by Ben Turpin, in his last movie role before his death. The sequence with him really made me laugh out loud.
Not really a worthy last 'real' Laurel & Hardy movie but fun enough for a couple of laughs nevertheless.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
"Saps at Sea" is the last Laurel & Hardy picture made for the Hal Roach studio's/MGM. It also was their last movie with regulars such as James Finlayson, Charlie Hall and Jack Hill. I wish I could say it was a worthy last one for all of them.
The movie is just a big pile up of comical situations without an obvious connection. It makes the movie feel very disjointed and therefor not always so fun to watch. You can say that the story of this movie is really about nothing.
Still of course the movie has got some great comical sequences. The movie might not always be constantly funny and dragging at points with its humor, but there are some memorable moments nevertheless, such as with the cross-eyed plumber played by Ben Turpin, in his last movie role before his death. The sequence with him really made me laugh out loud.
Not really a worthy last 'real' Laurel & Hardy movie but fun enough for a couple of laughs nevertheless.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Hornaphobia does not mean one gets horny
bkoganbing13 July 2013
The partnership of Laurel&Hardy and producer Hal Roach came to an end with Saps At Sea. The boys moved on to major studios like 20th Century Fox and MGM for the next five years. Bigger budgets, but they lost a lot of creative control.
Not so in Saps At Sea where poor Oliver Hardy has a nervous breakdown as a result of listening to a cacophony of horn instruments at the factory where he and Stanley work. In fact the film opens with another employee falling in the line of duty. Living with Stan hasn't made Ollie crack, but the din of those horns being tested does. The owner of the factory must have Worker's Compensation premiums that go through the roof.
In his last appearance as L&H's favorite foil, Dr. James Finlayson diagnoses Hornaphobia. That does not mean that Ollie is horny though. Finlayson prescribes the peace and quiet of a sea voyage with plenty of fresh sea air.
They get their sea voyage not quite the way they wanted it when a boat is cast adrift to sea with them and public enemy Richard Cramer on it. A bad situation, but those horns get them out of it. Let's just say that the sound of brass or woodwind instrument send Ollie off on the equivalent of what some feel when they hear the words 'Niagara Falls' or 'Susquehanna Hat Company'.
Although Saps At Sea is far from the best work that Stan and Ollie did with Hal Roach it still is a nice film with some good moments and fond memories.
a
Not so in Saps At Sea where poor Oliver Hardy has a nervous breakdown as a result of listening to a cacophony of horn instruments at the factory where he and Stanley work. In fact the film opens with another employee falling in the line of duty. Living with Stan hasn't made Ollie crack, but the din of those horns being tested does. The owner of the factory must have Worker's Compensation premiums that go through the roof.
In his last appearance as L&H's favorite foil, Dr. James Finlayson diagnoses Hornaphobia. That does not mean that Ollie is horny though. Finlayson prescribes the peace and quiet of a sea voyage with plenty of fresh sea air.
They get their sea voyage not quite the way they wanted it when a boat is cast adrift to sea with them and public enemy Richard Cramer on it. A bad situation, but those horns get them out of it. Let's just say that the sound of brass or woodwind instrument send Ollie off on the equivalent of what some feel when they hear the words 'Niagara Falls' or 'Susquehanna Hat Company'.
Although Saps At Sea is far from the best work that Stan and Ollie did with Hal Roach it still is a nice film with some good moments and fond memories.
a
Slowly I horned...
mark.waltz13 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Step by step.....
Just like that comedy sketch from Abbott and Costello's "Lost in a Harem" and a popular "I Love Lucy" episode, Oliver Hardy goes nutty every time he hears a horn blow, having worked in a car horn factory and going "horn happy". The "hornophobia" plot device ties together the hour long Hal Roach comedy, the last one he produced with his most popular stars.
There are many funny scenes in this farcial comedy, but it's not as good as the previous one they did, "A Chump at Oxford". The best scenes are neighbor Mary Gordon showing off a refrigerator that plays the radio and a radio covered in ice, Oliver's hanging on by a phone wire as Laurel tries to get a mattress filled car underneath him, and a few cute dealings with their pet goat. I cringed during the whole eating sequence of Laurel and Hardy's attempt to feed escaped convict Richard Cramer a bunch of sea equipment disguised as spaghetti, but laughed at many others. James Finlayson and Ben Turpin provide some amusing moments, but unfortunately, it's not as good as I remembered it to be.
Just like that comedy sketch from Abbott and Costello's "Lost in a Harem" and a popular "I Love Lucy" episode, Oliver Hardy goes nutty every time he hears a horn blow, having worked in a car horn factory and going "horn happy". The "hornophobia" plot device ties together the hour long Hal Roach comedy, the last one he produced with his most popular stars.
There are many funny scenes in this farcial comedy, but it's not as good as the previous one they did, "A Chump at Oxford". The best scenes are neighbor Mary Gordon showing off a refrigerator that plays the radio and a radio covered in ice, Oliver's hanging on by a phone wire as Laurel tries to get a mattress filled car underneath him, and a few cute dealings with their pet goat. I cringed during the whole eating sequence of Laurel and Hardy's attempt to feed escaped convict Richard Cramer a bunch of sea equipment disguised as spaghetti, but laughed at many others. James Finlayson and Ben Turpin provide some amusing moments, but unfortunately, it's not as good as I remembered it to be.
Last of the Classic Laurel & Hardy Films
julianwest7421 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a lot of fun, from the opening scenes in the incredibly noisy horn factory to the unforgettable meal aboard the boat. Oliver Hardy (understandably) has a nervous breakdown from working in a horn factory, where all the horns seem to be blowing simultaneously. (For some reason, this doesn't seem to faze Stan Laurel in the slightest.) To recuperate, Ollie & Stan rent a boat, which is supposed to remain in port. However, a criminal on the run sets them adrift and then orders Stan & Ollie to make him something to eat, but they don't have any food aboard. They use their imaginations to come up with something, but it doesn't work out the way they wanted...
I love this movie!
I love this movie!
Just what the doctor ordered...or is it?
TheLittleSongbird10 December 2018
Have always been very fond of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, they were extremely funny (comedy geniuses) and impossible to dislike. Their partnership didn't settle straight away and took time to evolve, but when fully formed they gelled so well and their partnership is deservedly iconic. Their best work is classic, but that doesn't mean that everything they did was comedy gold, there were disappointments such as '45 Minutes from Hollywood', 'Swiss Miss', 'The Bohemian Girl' and the worst of the post-Hal Roach period.
'Saps at Sea' is not one of Laurel and Hardy's best by a long shot. While an uneven effort, it is also not bad at all, at its best actually it's very good. As said, it is the last made during their Hal Roach period, their most prolific period and where some of their best work came from. Do agree with those saying it is generally one of their better later films and one of the last ones that were above average. Personally don't consider any film, short and feature, of theirs is unwatchable though.
There are issues here. Story-wise, it is rather disjointed with some disconnected moments and feeling like a film of two halves or two short films in one.
Of which the second half is the inferior one. The comedy in the first half is fresher, very funny and there is a lot more energy, whereas some of the material in the second half is on the fatigued side and others go too over the top. The pace is uneven, with lots of energy in the first half and some draggy stretches in the second.
However, both Laurel and Hardy are terrific fun and they work and gel beautifully together. In his last Laurel and Hardy outing, regular James Finlayson shines and has lost none of his appeal and entertainment value. As do creepy Richard Cramer and very funny Ben Turpin as the plumber.
Much of the classic Laurel and Hardy humour is here, with the sly verbal wit (some wickedly funny lines here) and nimble physical comedy. Have hardly anything to fault the first half, if it were a short film with just the first half 'Saps at Sea' may have been up there among their better overall films. Although the second half is disappointing especially there are still moments, especially one of the funniest endings for any Laurel and Hardy film. It looks good and the direction is competent.
Overall, uneven but above average. Worth a look, just not quintessential Laurel and Hardy. 7/10 Bethany Cox
'Saps at Sea' is not one of Laurel and Hardy's best by a long shot. While an uneven effort, it is also not bad at all, at its best actually it's very good. As said, it is the last made during their Hal Roach period, their most prolific period and where some of their best work came from. Do agree with those saying it is generally one of their better later films and one of the last ones that were above average. Personally don't consider any film, short and feature, of theirs is unwatchable though.
There are issues here. Story-wise, it is rather disjointed with some disconnected moments and feeling like a film of two halves or two short films in one.
Of which the second half is the inferior one. The comedy in the first half is fresher, very funny and there is a lot more energy, whereas some of the material in the second half is on the fatigued side and others go too over the top. The pace is uneven, with lots of energy in the first half and some draggy stretches in the second.
However, both Laurel and Hardy are terrific fun and they work and gel beautifully together. In his last Laurel and Hardy outing, regular James Finlayson shines and has lost none of his appeal and entertainment value. As do creepy Richard Cramer and very funny Ben Turpin as the plumber.
Much of the classic Laurel and Hardy humour is here, with the sly verbal wit (some wickedly funny lines here) and nimble physical comedy. Have hardly anything to fault the first half, if it were a short film with just the first half 'Saps at Sea' may have been up there among their better overall films. Although the second half is disappointing especially there are still moments, especially one of the funniest endings for any Laurel and Hardy film. It looks good and the direction is competent.
Overall, uneven but above average. Worth a look, just not quintessential Laurel and Hardy. 7/10 Bethany Cox
What plot?
horsegoggles22 April 2008
I can't believe people are looking for a plot in this film. This is Laural and Hardy. Lighten up already. These two were a riot. Their comic genius is as funny today as it was 70 years ago. Not a filthy word out of either mouth and they were able to keep audiences in stitches. Their comedy wasn't sophisticated by any stretch. If a whoopee cushion can't make you grin, there's no reason to watch any of the stuff these guys did. It was a simpler time, and people laughed at stuff that was funny without a plot. I guess it takes a simple mind to enjoy this stuff, so I qualify. Two man comedy teams don't compute, We're just too sophisticated... Aren't we fortunate?
The Cuckoos Prepare To Leave The Nest
boblipton29 December 2020
Laurel and Hardy have been partners since 1926, but Ollie doesn't have a nervous breakdown until working in a horn-testing plant drives him mad. Doctor James Finlayson recommends goat milk and an ocean voyage. Ollie refuses to go to sea. Stan suggests they rent a boat and keep it tied up at the dock. Ollie agrees, and things go along well until escaped murderer Richard Cramer casts them all adrift and threatens them with his gun.
The Boys continued in top form, but it was all about to end. They refused to sign another contract with Hal Roach, or perhaps it was the other way around, or they simply couldn't come to terms. Instead, about a year later, they signed with 20th Century-Fox. I know there are those who like the movies they made at Fox. I am not one of them. They lost cameraman Art Lloyd to the army, and suddenly they were old. Gone were the practiced relationships at Roach, where Stan could come up with something and they knew how to give it to him. Instead, they were dealing with big studios where they thought they knew how to make Laurel and Hardy comedies better than Stan and Ollie.
Well, you don't judge artists by their worst stuff, but by their best. No one made people laugh like Laurel & Hardy. Enjoy this movie and the others, features and shorts, they made for Hal Roach. We shall never look on their like again. Unless HATS OFF turns up.
The Boys continued in top form, but it was all about to end. They refused to sign another contract with Hal Roach, or perhaps it was the other way around, or they simply couldn't come to terms. Instead, about a year later, they signed with 20th Century-Fox. I know there are those who like the movies they made at Fox. I am not one of them. They lost cameraman Art Lloyd to the army, and suddenly they were old. Gone were the practiced relationships at Roach, where Stan could come up with something and they knew how to give it to him. Instead, they were dealing with big studios where they thought they knew how to make Laurel and Hardy comedies better than Stan and Ollie.
Well, you don't judge artists by their worst stuff, but by their best. No one made people laugh like Laurel & Hardy. Enjoy this movie and the others, features and shorts, they made for Hal Roach. We shall never look on their like again. Unless HATS OFF turns up.
Blow the horn!
AAdaSC24 August 2014
Stan and Ollie work in a factory testing horns. This involves blowing them all day long. When Ollie is handed the dreaded G flat horn, he has a breakdown. Four of his predecessors have already cracked once given the G flat horn! Dr James Finlayson diagnoses a case of hornophobia and recommends an ocean trip and lots of goat's milk. Well, Ollie doesn't much care for an ocean trip so Stan suggests they hire a boat but just keep it docked to get a bit of authenticity to the cure. Of course, they also bring a goat along. However, events transpire so that killer Richard Cramer (Nick) escapes from prison and hides out in their boat at the same time as the goat chews threw the rope casting all 3 to sea. Uh-oh – it's Stan, Ollie and a killer
They are always interesting to watch but I found that things just get a bit tedious at times. Actually, a bit annoying. Set pieces seem to drag on. Still, Stan laurel throws in a couple of classic lines of dialogue and I find his general attitude to situations quite funny, eg, the scene where he shows Dr Finlayson out of the flat. On arriving, Stan had closed the door in Finlayson's face as Finlayson arrived in the flat to treat Ollie. This prompted a noise of disapproval (although not the customary "Doh!") and then the reveal of Finlayson on the floor as Stan opens the door to investigate the sound. Well, on exiting, he closes the door after Finlayson and hears the same sound, but this time, he doesn't open the door to see what has happened. He locks it with a key. Ha ha. He pulls off a nice, sneaky move and we are there to see it.
The film is okay – I don't like slapstick but I can take it in small doses from these guys. The scene at the end where Stan has to put together a trombone in order to blow a sound frustrated me as he took forever and a day to get his act together.
They are always interesting to watch but I found that things just get a bit tedious at times. Actually, a bit annoying. Set pieces seem to drag on. Still, Stan laurel throws in a couple of classic lines of dialogue and I find his general attitude to situations quite funny, eg, the scene where he shows Dr Finlayson out of the flat. On arriving, Stan had closed the door in Finlayson's face as Finlayson arrived in the flat to treat Ollie. This prompted a noise of disapproval (although not the customary "Doh!") and then the reveal of Finlayson on the floor as Stan opens the door to investigate the sound. Well, on exiting, he closes the door after Finlayson and hears the same sound, but this time, he doesn't open the door to see what has happened. He locks it with a key. Ha ha. He pulls off a nice, sneaky move and we are there to see it.
The film is okay – I don't like slapstick but I can take it in small doses from these guys. The scene at the end where Stan has to put together a trombone in order to blow a sound frustrated me as he took forever and a day to get his act together.
On a Sweet, Simple Note, the Boys End their Association with Hal Roach
RJV23 December 2004
SAPS AT SEA is evidently a pun on a Gary Cooper film, SOULS AT SEA. The title aptly describes the starring team, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. who go on an ocean voyage to soothe Ollie's nerves only to run into escaped killer Nick Grainger. As played by Rychard Cramer, this criminal is both amusing and chilling, making him a fine foil for the Boys' comedic characters. Despite his powerful presence, Cramer never upstages the Boys, a tribute to Stan and Ollie's beguiling charisma. That is as it should be, since the Boys are supposed to be the protagonists in this film.
Such is the charm of Laurel and Hardy's personas that they elevate average material. For SAPS AT SEA has its slow spots. For instance, as a previous commentator has noted, a bit where a doctor (the delightfully flustered James Finlayson) tries a balloon called "lung tester" on Ollie, lacks punch. The scenario is very episodic, with the first part, taking place in the Boys' apartment, almost completely unrelated to the second part where they go off to sea. But on the whole, the film is highly pleasant entertainment with a sufficiently brief running time so that it doesn't wear out it's welcome.
There's a certain poignancy viewing the final collaboration between Laurel and Hardy and producer Hal Roach. I haven't seen all of Laurel and Hardy's post-1940 films but those that I have seen don't measure up to even the weakest Hal Roach products. In these later movies, Laurel and Hardy seem to be in an alien environment, deprived of such colorful supporting players like Finlayson and Charlie Hall and Marvin Hately and LeRoy Shield's sprightly musical scores. They also aren't the well-meaning and optimistic bumblers we know and love but in the later films, are either exasperating blockheads or pathetic misfits.
It is a pity that many Hal Roach Laurel and Hardy films are now generally unavailable to the public. Even in a minor entry like SAPS AT SEA, one can see that Laurel and Hardy were great comedians. This was because Hal Roach, for the most part, allowed Stan Laurel, the guiding force behind the team, complete artistic freedom. Once Laurel lost his autonomy at other studios, the team lost much of its uniqueness.
Such is the charm of Laurel and Hardy's personas that they elevate average material. For SAPS AT SEA has its slow spots. For instance, as a previous commentator has noted, a bit where a doctor (the delightfully flustered James Finlayson) tries a balloon called "lung tester" on Ollie, lacks punch. The scenario is very episodic, with the first part, taking place in the Boys' apartment, almost completely unrelated to the second part where they go off to sea. But on the whole, the film is highly pleasant entertainment with a sufficiently brief running time so that it doesn't wear out it's welcome.
There's a certain poignancy viewing the final collaboration between Laurel and Hardy and producer Hal Roach. I haven't seen all of Laurel and Hardy's post-1940 films but those that I have seen don't measure up to even the weakest Hal Roach products. In these later movies, Laurel and Hardy seem to be in an alien environment, deprived of such colorful supporting players like Finlayson and Charlie Hall and Marvin Hately and LeRoy Shield's sprightly musical scores. They also aren't the well-meaning and optimistic bumblers we know and love but in the later films, are either exasperating blockheads or pathetic misfits.
It is a pity that many Hal Roach Laurel and Hardy films are now generally unavailable to the public. Even in a minor entry like SAPS AT SEA, one can see that Laurel and Hardy were great comedians. This was because Hal Roach, for the most part, allowed Stan Laurel, the guiding force behind the team, complete artistic freedom. Once Laurel lost his autonomy at other studios, the team lost much of its uniqueness.
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