Mud and Sand (1922)

"Mud and Sand" is an American black-and-white film from almost 95 years ago that stars Stan Laurel, one of the most famous comedians from the 1920s. It is a silent film that spoofs another silent film and maybe, for me, this is what kills this 22-minute work. I do not know the film that this one here is based on and it seems absolutely essential to understand the action here and it is never good if one movie requires having watched another. Apart from that, Laurel is really not that funny here and it seems he needs Hardy to show his great skill and it is probably true the other way around too. So yeah, this film is not among the most known Laurel films from between the 2 wars and I personally can see why it is not so famous. It is a very forgettable watch and I cannot recommend it.

This is based on the version that is 26 and a half minutes long. This was part of a 3-DVD box-set, and this disc came with Just Ramblin' Along, Oranges and Lemons, The Tree in a Test Tube and the two Three Stooges ones, Brideless Groom and Sing a Song of Six Pants; it also came with Malice in the Palace, and the features Atoll K(or Utopia) and Flying Deuces. I will review them all on their separate pages. Since I haven't watched the original that this is a parody of, I cannot really compare the two. I can, however, tell you that this is very funny. Low on plot(and what there is can best be described as simplistic), this moves to the next bit whenever it's out of the often clever gags that it can derive from the current sequence. If you enjoy slapstick(and I seldom do, but this was so good), wordplay and such, the way Laurel did them, this should entertain you. There are surprises, and it's easy to follow. It is silent and black and white, of course. The quality of the picture(the audio is fine) leads me to believe this hasn't been restored. Still, you can see what's going on, and it's not straining for the eyes. Other than the whole matador, man against bull, life or death, thing, this is inoffensive. I recommend this to anyone who can imagine laughing at it. 7/10

Stan Laurel, it's been noted, first made a real name for himself by appearing in short parodies of popular feature films in the 1920s. He certainly demonstrates himself to be an excellent comic actor and performer here in "Mud and Sand" (a parody of Rudolph Valntino's "Blood and Sand"), but I think a film like this really works not because Laurel was a great satirist but because it allows the audience to jump into the comedy already familiar with the situation and scenes. Laurel can then let loose with his inspired gags without either having to create context or to do without it. I watched this the day after watching "Blood and Sand" itself; it certainly enhanced the experience to know what was being parodied and where.The scene where Laurel's character (Rhubarb Vaseline if you believe the title cards, or Rhubarb Vaselino if you believe how his name gets written on the chalk board) bilks his mother out of money with a two-for-you, two-for-me trick is funny on its own because it's a great gag, but it's extra funny if the viewer is aware how it is taking the air out of Valentino's extravagant and melodramatic promises to give his mother any luxuries she desires.This is the best Stan Laurel solo work I've seen. It's just plain funny -- even more so if you have had a chance to see the source material.

Besides being an entertaining parody of Rudolph Valentino and of his well-known feature "Blood and Sand", this movie also features Stan Laurel in an interesting early role. As a character spoofing Valentino's bullfighter role, Laurel has a lot of material to work with, and although it was not written to accommodate Laurel's particular strengths or style, it is still easy to see his talent coming across.Most of the characters and story of "Mud and Sand" closely parallel the Valentino classic, often with puns on the character names or exaggerated slapstick that spoofs the action in the original. It was clearly made with the expectation that its viewers would be familiar with Valentino's movie, and a number of times the humor depends on remembering a character or plot development from it.At the same time, there is also a fair amount of new material that works well on its own. The sequence showing the young bullfighter's first success, and the scene of him dressing for the final fight, both have some good gag ideas and interesting details.At times, the gag ideas and the main character have noticeable similarities with Charlie Chaplin's style, while at other times the style simply reflects conventions common to the era. The Stan Laurel character that is so familiar from the Laurel & Hardy comedies is only glimpsed at odd moments.Yet, while it usually takes a bit of an adjustment to watch Laurel in a different kind of role like this, it is also easy to see his range of comic abilities here. This feature is also entertaining in its own right, especially for those who have seen the movie that it parodies.