Busy Bodies (1933)

The other reviewers have pretty much summarized the plot line and gags in this outstanding L&H short. For me it contains the most eloquent of all Ollie's looks at the camera in his films.Ollie is bending over, and Stanley manages to plane a large strip of fabric off of Ollie's backside. This results in Ollie's incredulous look at the camera. Then in classic L&H fashion, he continues to stay bent over, waiting to see what Stanley will do. Stanley gets some glue, slathers it on the strip of fabric, and then smooths it down nicely on Ollie's rump, and pats it, signaling to Ollie that all is well. During this sequence Ollie continues to stare at the camera, and the sequence of his expressions is priceless. It's a distillation of all the takes Ollie has ever made toward the camera.This is a delightfully funny short.

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. Stan and Ollie are happy to be driving to work with a record player under their car bonnet. They work at the wood works factory, and as soon as they arrive passing planks of wood are going in their faces, and a water pipe bursts when Stan puts a nail in for a coat hook. Ollie starts by fixing a stuck wooden window frame, and when Stan gets it open, Ollie's fingers get stuck. Stan tries all angles, looking at some blue prints (of the boulder dam) and turning the frame, till eventually he stands on the table, pulling too hard, and they both topple over breaking the frame. A co-worker (Charlie Hall) is annoyed that he is knocked over again (like near the beginning), and after a little punch up Stan offers him a cigar when he's being nice, but gets him in trouble for smoking. So the boys continue work, with Stan's wood shaving plane going over Ollie's backside, and of course after Ollie hits back, Stan puts the glue brush on Ollie's face and pushes him, causing a crash and falling objects on his head. Stan of course tries to help Ollie get the brush off his chin, well, he manages the handle (looks like he has a Jewish beard), so he practically shaves the rest off. Stan turns the hose back on, and Ollie pulls it and the sink off the wall, falling backwards and going up a conveyor belt strap, through the floor, down a chute, through the tunnels, smacked by a paddle, and stuck at the end. He and Stan both fall off the ladder at the tunnel's end, crashing on top of their boss. forcing them to get their car and drive away. The end of the film sees them drive the car through a horizontal working saw, splitting the car in half, and all that still works is the record player. Filled with wonderful slapstick and all classic comedy you could want from a black and white film, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Good!

One of Laurel and Hardy's best short films,BUSY BODIES is remarkable for having very little plot (even for a short) and almost even less dialogue.But the incident on show has enough variety and is so beautifully executed that any minor quibbles are irrelevant.It starts charmingly with the boys driving to work on a lovely morning,accompanied by the welcome and familiar sound of LeRoy Shield's background music on their 'radio'.The revealing of this 'radio' is very clever,which leads on to their job at a sawmill.This arguably leads on to the most spectacular slapstick ever seen in a Laurel and Hardy film,with the unfortunate Ollie always on the receiving end.In other less skilled hands,this action may have come across as crude,but here with these two comedic masters,it is technically superb,always funny if sometimes (especially with the shaving scene) a trifle shocking!The stunningly conceived sequences,virtually all performed in mime (but with effective sound effects),are pleasantly counter-balanced by Stan and Ollie's subtle facial expressions and reactions,plus some amusing support performances by familiar foils Charlie Hall and Tiny Sandford.A magnificent closing gag involving their car ends the film on a gloriously high note;it is only marginally below the standards of their most celebrated efforts like THE MUSIC BOX and WAY OUT WEST,but only very marginally,and certainly deserves to be in the top 10 or 20 films they ever made.Over seven decades on,this peerless pair of laughter-makers are as funny as ever.Great!RATING:9 and a half out of 10.

Have you ever wondered why the government formed OSHA to help promote and protect worker safety on the job? This short demonstrates why OSHA was needed. No. It had nothing to do with unions or workers organizing. It all had to do with Busy Bodies as Laurel and Hardy turn the carpentry shop upside down, backwards and inside out.Safety violation 1. No smoking in the work place.Safety violation 2. Improper use of glue and adhesives.Safety violation 3. Tools used for purposes other than what they were made for.Safety Violation 4. Opening and closing windows improperly.Safety violation 5. Just being Laurel and Hardy.Did I mention that Laurel and Hardy were innovative and on the cutting edge of technology. They were the first to put a disc player in their car. The only problem is: Where's the motor? Their on board phonograph is durable though.Busy Bodies is a laugh fest and along with Help Mates and The Music Box is one of the best L&H shorts. For any L&H fan or for any fan of comedy, this is a must see.