User reviews

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.

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 ****

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 *****

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

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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

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

Haven't seen SAPS AT SEA for many years, and still a gem. No question, Laurel and Hardy were enjoying every moment. Ollie generally left all the script changes to Stan, and just rolled with the punches. There's truth to the old saying that a good joke never goes out of style, and the same said for Laurel and Hardy.

Ace writer Charley Rogers came up with the horn factory as the starting point. Ollie suffers a nervous breakdown and Dr. Finlayson (played by mugging James Finlayson) recommends an ocean voyage, far away from the LOUD horns. The rest of the story takes place on a boat where the boys are menaced by stowaway criminal Richard Cramer. Cramer was the perfect foil for Laurel and Hardy through the years. He appeared in many westerns as a bandit and also acted with WC Fields. Behind the scenes, he was an instructor at the famed Pasadena Playhouse.

Cramer (as Nick, with his gun called "Nick Junior") makes the boys' life miserable with constant threats and, of all things, demands they cook him dinner! Best gag finds Stan and Ollie putting together a "synthetic" meal, consisting of material they find on the boat; rope for speghetti, sponge for meatballs, a belt substituted for a long strip of bacon? Cramer turns the tables and makes them eat it and ENJOY every single bite. Listen to the munching and crunching sound effects.

Hardy's shocked expressions are priceless. This film moves rapidly, so there was more time to squeeze in additional gags and dialogue, and knowing Laurel and Hardy, there were changes (all for the best) right up until the last minute.

Legendary silent screen comedian Ben Turpin makes a cameo appearance in what would be his final film. He plays the cuckoo building janitor, and in real life owned an apartment building and served as honorary janitor.

Applause for character actor Eddie Conrad as Professor O'Brien, Stan's music teacher? Of all things, Stan is learning to play the LOUD trumpet. Ollie goes nuts and throws the professor out the front door. Eddie, who appeared in many classic films, passed about a year after this movie.

Note, the scene with Ollie hanging out the apartment building window, holding onto the telephone wire! -- was a semi remake of the famous window scene from COUNTY HOSPITAL, only with Billy Gilbert. Fans will pick that up right away.

The last scene is NUTS; Ollie being chased around the boat by Nick, and realistically filmed on the water. Stan plays "There's No Place Like Home" on the trumpet, which he learned from the professor.

The very last movie Laurel and Hardy made for producer Hal Roach. Next stop, Fox and MGM. Gordon Douglas directed, who began his career with the Our Gang (Little Rascals) series.

Historically, SAPS AT SEA was seen by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when he was visting President Roosevelt and he enjoyed the comedy.

Always on remastered dvd, however, beware of some Region 2 European releases. They will not play on American made dvd players. Best to check with the seller.

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.

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.

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?

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.