Une Nuit Extravagante

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.

Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess), 'Two Tars' for me was their first truly classic one with close to flawless execution. Didn't find 'Blotto' as one of their best and a bit disappointing compared to their late 1928 and the best of their 1929 efforts, which were among their best and funniest early work. It is still very good and has much of what makes Laurel and Hardy's work as appealing as it is.

The story is extremely slight to the point of non-existence and the first part takes a little bit too time to get going and is a little formulaic.

When 'Blotto' does get going, which it does do quite quickly, it is great fun, not always hilarious but never less than very amusing, the best being classic hilarity. It is never too silly, there is a wackiness that never loses its energy and the sly wit is here, some of the material may not be new but how it's executed actually doesn't feel too familiar and it doesn't get repetitive.

Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Blotto' and on the most part from 'Two Tars' onwards we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable.

'Blotto' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. The supporting players are solid with a scene stealing Anita Garvin.

Overall, very good. Not essential or classic Laurel and Hardy, but a very good representation of them. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The boys find themselves in mischief again as Stan tries to sneak out of his house and out of the clutches of his wife to meet with Ollie. The Mrs. is smart to their plans as she then creates a wild concoction for the boys as they try to get their hands on a bottle of liquor. The boys get out safely and head for a club where the bottle would be unleashed. Even though the bottle is filled with tea and other non-alcoholic substances, that still doesn't stop the boys from causing a little mayhem. Constant laughter all the way, as only these two fellows can provide.

A very refined work by Stan Laurel and Oliver hardy in early thirties (the peak time of this comedy team). Stan and Ollie are planning to go to Rainbow Club (which is opening same night) but Anita Garvin (Mrs. Laurel) listen the conversation of both of them on telephone. Stan is telling Ollie that he cant come because he cant find some genuine excuse to go out. Ollie suggest him to send him self a telegram '' important business'' , then Ollie asks from where they can get bottle, Stan says don't worry my wife has got one , he will be blaming it on the iceman. Anita Garvin listen all their plans and change the liquor with cold tea. Wonderful expression by Stan when he wants to talk to Oliver but cant due to the presence of his wife who is sitting close to him. In the end , famous weeping and specially laughing ( that they drank her liquor) by them reflects that they were really master of humour and their records will keep on alive in generations to come. And simultaneously when Anita Garvin tells them that it was cold tea not the liquor, at that very point the transition of them from ''Laughing guys'' to the serious ones reflects that how natural they were while acting. Anita Garvin, performed her role very well, and would be remembered specially , because of her work with these comedy legends.

Laurel and Hardy want to go out for a night at a bar, some sneaky drinking and an all round fun time. However, Laurel is unable to get out of the house as his wife has forbidden him. He manages to wrangle his way out of the house with the use of a faked telegram.

Having half the film with Laurel and Hardy separated was a bit of a risk, but one that the duo just about carry off. The plot sees Laurel trapped in his house by his wife while Hardy tries to contact him by phone. Laurel trying to play his wife is pretty amusing but, once the short moves out of the house it becomes less funny as the routines in the bar are less funny. It is still amusing but not quite as much.

As often happens, a Laurel and Hardy short that lacks one strong central sequence needs to achieve a consistent level of humour. This film neither has a peak or a high consistent level, meaning that it isn't as good as others in my opinion. Laurel does good work early on with his wife, and laughs convincingly towards the end. Hardy is less well used and his looks are used for reasons which are too slight and thus undervalue them slightly. Garvin is strong as Mrs Laurel though.

Overall this short needed to be consistently funny but it didn't manage to deliver it. Still funny but it lacks any parts which rise above the rest and lift the short as a whole.

Ollie hatches a plan to sneak henpecked Stan out for a night on the town with Mrs. Laurel's hidden bottle of liquor. Unfortunately, Mrs. Laurel, played by the always reliable Anita Garvin, overhears the plot and substitutes the liquor for a distasteful combination of her making.

Fans and critics tend to be dismissive of film, but I have always found this film to be one of my favorites of their early talkie shorts. There isn't much of a plot, but the sequences are very well-constructed and funny. The interplay between Stan and Anita is very funny. (I like her much better than Linda Loredo, who plays the same role in the Spanish language version.) I also really enjoy Ollie's solo bits on the telephone. Those people who dismiss him as being Stan's straight man should watch that scene. His mannerisms and expressions are priceless.

The nightclub sequence is very funny as the boys proceed to get "drunk" on the illicit "alcohol." The best moment is when Stan is reduced to tears by a melancholy song. The boys would go on laughing jags later in the other films, but nowhere is it funnier than in this film, which also ends effectively with a big car gag -- as so many Laurel and Hardy films do!

Others may disagree, but I consider this a classic Laurel & Hardy short.