Search - Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1 (Great Guns / Jitterbugs / The Big Noise) on DVD

These films are not that bad!

Anyechka | Rensselaer, NY United States | 10/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems like so many people have said that L&H's post-1940 films are awful for so long that even people who don't have any familiarity with them believe it, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sure they'll never compare to their earlier glories like 'Pack Up Your Troubles' or 'Way Out West,' nor to any of their short subjects, but they really shouldn't be compared because they're in two very different categories. People should see them as what they are, not what they're not. And wouldn't one rather see L&H in a less brilliant vehicle than see the kind of stuff that passes for comedy today?

'Great Guns' (1941) can feel like a big let-down, since this was their first Fox film after so many wonderful years at Hal Roach, and the drop-off in quality is stunning. However, it does manage to deliver enough funny lines and gags to make this picture worthwhile. It may not be as funny or as classic as their earlier glories, but it's still entertaining regardless. Great scenes include Stan and Ollie's attempts to serve themselves lunch at the dining hall, Stan stuffing their pet crow down the back of Ollie's pants when they're in formation, and the neverending plank of wood Stan carries during one of their military exercises. Though this film was made somewhat prior to the U.S. entering WWII, it does seem to be anticipating that possibility, what with the "Isn't the Army great and fun?" theme, kind of making it into a subtle propaganda picture in case the U.S. really did join the war. And it's painful to see how Fox just didn't understand Stan and Ollie's characters, making them aware of their dumbness, servile, not wanting to better themselves and rise above being servants, people who know their place and don't mind it. Stan's stupidity and Ollie's weight are made into cruel needless joke after cruel needless joke as well. Before, part of the joke was that Ollie was quite a big boy, but that he was so graceful in spite of it, and that Stan was in a special childlike world of his own, which Ollie often brought him out of with a choice word or look. They're also kind of pushed into the background in favor of the boring would-be couple, more like supporting characters. There's also a badly dated scene where Sgt. Hippo (whom I thought looked like Bob Hope) has his face blackened by exploding tobacco, and Stan and Ollie pretend to not recognise him, with lines like "Look, they've assigned us a porter." Then their commanding officer comes in and yells at Hippo, asking him, "What are you trying to do, put on a minstrel show?" They never would have used this kind of cheap racial humor at Hal Roach!

'Jitterbugs' (1943) also has secondary characters assuming more importance in the plotline, though Stan and Ollie seem more their old selves in this picture, getting to have more of the main action instead of being pushed to the sideline in favor of some boring young couple and the villains, coupled with superfluous musical numbers (rather like what happened to the Marx Brothers in their MGM films). It's also a lot funnier than 'Great Guns.' Added bonuses are the scene where Ollie has to pretend to be a Southern colonel (he does it so well and convincingly, doubtlessly because he was a Southerner himself) and the scenes where Stan pretends to be Emily Cartwright. It's always a riot to see Stan in drag, and he also gets to use his real British accent, which is an added bonus. Probably one of their best Fox films, even though it might not be quite up to their old snuff.

'The Big Noise' (1944) suffers from being uneven. A lot of the best scenes and gags are remakes of things from earlier shorts and features (such as 'Oliver the Eighth,' 'Berth Marks,' 'Habeas Corpus,' and 'Wrong Again!'), but they never really go anywhere. The plot had a lot of potential, but just wasn't executed very well. It also suffers from, once again, secondary characters assuming too much importance. And the ending just occurs out of nowhere and leaves more questions than answers; additionally, Stan and Ollie would have never dropped a bomb on anyone on purpose, even in wartime, back at Hal Roach. They just weren't that type of people. Of their WWII-themed films, I actually much prefer the also-reviled 'Air Raid Wardens.' However, I don't think this film is as awful as its reputation; it's certainly not what I'd consider their worst feature.

Extras include trailers, audio commentaries, photo galleries and press materials, newsreels about Fox Movietone News, and a short documentary on the Sons of the Desert, the worldwide L&H fan society. Overall, this isn't something I'd recommend to a new or casual fan, but it's a must-have for more seasoned fans. These films are better than their reputation (one should form one's own opinion about them instead of just parroting the popular wisdom; that's like letting other people do your thinking for you), and it's great to see that they've been given the deluxe treatment, restored, and released on DVD. Hopefully people with open minds will be able to make up their own minds about their merit and worth, even to consider a critical re-evaluation of them."