Double Whoopee (1929)

I have not understood the funny reference of the title "Double Whoopee", but that did not keep me from enjoying this Laurel/Hardy short film from over 85 years ago. It is one of their early works, still silent and of course in black-and-white. The duo is employed at a hotel and causes lots of chaos for the guests, but also for their fellow employees. Of course, (almost) none of it is intentional, which makes this one a fun watch with the lead duo's clumsiness. I usually find Stan funnier, but here Ollie is the MVP for me. Oh yeah, as you see on the cast list, the ill-fated Jean Harlow also plays in this one and she is really young here. However, her billing is too high as she basically only has one scene and several supporting players have more screen time. The intertitles were frequent here as well, which is always nice as they are crucial in understanding the story/comedy. I enjoyed this little film, certainly one of the better early works from the famous duo. Recommended.

Whoever typed up the job recommendation for Laurel and Hardy (see above) probably didn't know them very well. The Boys rewrite the rule book on the doorman position of an upscale hotel, throwing the entire assemblage of guests and staff into an uproar. Recurring bits involve a visiting Prussian dignitary (Hans Joby) falling down an elevator shaft, and a frustrated cab driver (Charlie Hall) rounding the block every time Ollie inadvertently 'blews' his whistle. The treat for this viewer was catching Harlean Carpenter in a quick appearance, in a rather daring scene exposing her bare back when the gown she's wearing gets caught in a taxi door. In the credits she's listed as the 'swanky blonde', and that she is once you realize she's Jean Harlow. Among the myriad of eye pokes, foot stomps and requisite pratfalls, Laurel and Hardy once again wreak havoc where more refined hotel guests would fear to tread.

For years there has been a half-truth among Hollywood lore that Howard Hughes "discovered" Jean Harlow when he cast her to star in HELL'S ANGELS. While this may have been her first big role, she'd already appeared in quite a few shorts for the Hal Roach Studios. This film, in fact, was the second Laurel and Hardy film in which she appeared (the other being LIBERTY). While her role is not huge, it's very clear that this is Jean--though her 1930s trademark looks are not present in DOUBLE WHOOPEE.Aside from Jean, it's pretty much an average to below average Laurel and Hardy film. I think most of this is because while funny, the chemistry isn't quite right here, though it's hard to exactly put my finger on it. It just didn't seem quite like a Laurel and Hardy film--and by 1929 the style and format of their shorts was pretty much established.The boys play employees that are sent by an agency to work at a nice New York hotel. At the same time, a rich European prince arrives and the folks at the hotel mistake Stan and Ollie for the prince and his Prime Minister. After finally discovering the mistake, they put the boys to work.There are two main "big gags" in this film. The first involves a contrived bit involving an incredibly unsafe elevator. Through no fault of Stan and Ollie, the Prince keeps falling down the elevator shaft. This bit was a bit over-used and also had me wondering if they really made elevators like this. If so, then I am surprised that most Americans weren't killed! The second is a series of bit like you'd see in other Laurel and Hardy films such as TIT FOR TAT and TWO TARS. A small argument escalates and Ollie and a tough guy (Charles Hall--in a very typical role for him) start destroying each other's clothes--and Stan joining in for good measure. This bit is reprised later inside the hotel with the other hotel employees and soon everyone is fighting and destroying each other's outfits. Both gags are reasonably funny to watch but also seem amazingly contrived if not impossible--making the humor just a bit forced. Still, it's not a bad film at all, though one that is best remembered for a small part played by a young and relatively inexperienced Jean Harlow.

"Must" viewing for all Stan and Ollie fans, as they make short shrift of an upscale hotel. It's also worth viewing for what is surely the only erotic moment in a Laurel & Hardy fan, as Stan causes Jean Harlow to inadvertently lose her dress. In R-rated terms it's nothing, but for 1929, it's pretty darn