Chickens Come Home (1931)

This is a remake of the silent comedy short Love 'em and Weep, with Ollie promoted from the role of judge to that of the prospective mayor who finds himself the target of blackmailing former girlfriend Mae Busch, while James Finlayson, who played Hardy's role in the first film, is relegated to that of butler. The original was a reasonably decent comedy with a few laughs, but this version is a much more polished effort. It's not the greatest Laurel & Hardy short, but it's still pretty good even though the duo don't share that much screen time.My favourite gag from this film is one that doesn't actually receive any attention from the cast. Check out Stan as he pays a visit on the blackmailing femme fatale's apartment - you'll see the hooked top of a clothes hanger poking out from the back of his coat. Priceless.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Basically Ollie is running for mayor, when old flame (Mae Busch) shows up with a photo of him and her together, blackmailing him to give her money to keep quiet. Stan is the one who has to keep her from getting to Mrs. Hardy (Thelma Todd), who is busy at a dinner party. Of course, the old flame and Stan squabble for a while, but she gets away eventually, and reaches Ollie's house, where the photo is brought by Stan, and there is a situation to hide it, but in the end, Ollie and Stan run away, including from Mrs. Laurel (Norma Drew) with a small axe. Also starring James Finlayson as the suspicious Butler who will only keep quiet when paid by Ollie. There were the tiniest moments of comedy, but it isn't a great black and white film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Okay!

The great thing about Laurel and Hardy's movies is that they were so simple, but so damn hilarious! In "Chickens Come Home", Oliver is running for mayor, when a woman (Mae Busch) from his past shows up to blackmail him. She threatens to interrupt a party at his house. When Oliver gets Stanley to stop her...well, let's just say that it's not that easy! You can just imagine how the people behind the camera must have been cracking up watching L&H do these things right in front of them, especially the scene where they carry her (you'll see what I mean; it must have been a risqué scene for that time). A comedy classic.

"Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W) A Review by Jonathan Fain[7/10]This 30 minutes shorty is remake of their silent film from 1927 "Love 'Em and Weep". It is awkward, yet, has its moments. The editing was terrible, many cuts were out of their place, and made the movie look like a mix of unrelated shots. One scene for example, Laurel is on the phone and his response to the dialog comes 20 seconds late. The acting is so theatrical. Some respond shots are extremely overacted and don't match the scene. At the end when Laurel and Hardy try to get out of the house, the amazed faces of the servant and Laurel's wife are just embarrassing. Maybe the comedy doesn't hold the times. Maybe the audience has developed a different sense of humor. However, the social issues in this film are ahead of its time, and the women in this film are powerful (Though they still faint at a point of a gun).Highlights:* Hardy's wife picking up an Axe to find him. Great.* The ending scene where Laurel carries the blackmailer to hide from his wife is silly and amusing."Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W) | Genre: Short, Comedy, Slapstick, Farce | Director: James W. Horne | Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy | Rating: 7/10