Die Wüstensöhne

Almost perfect! The finish isn't up to the rest of the movie, but the absolutely hilarious beginning and middle make it one of the funniest movies ever.

Here are Stan and Ollie at their peak. Many of their trademark gags and takes appear, easily woven into the story, perfectly timed and crafted with comic panache.

The plot- henpecked husbands sneaking off for revelry- is now rather obsolete, but that doesn't diminish the clever narrative movement. Putting Charley Chase into a small role enhanced it, and the wives were very well played.

I don't rate many movies a 10, but one that gives pleasure over and over and over deserves it.

I love this movie. I was reduced to tears the first time I saw it and am reduced to tears every time I've seen it in the 50 years since. Talk about a movie holding up over 70 years. To my mind, it's the Citizen Kane of comedy. Everything about it is pitch perfect. To watch the boys as they sink deeper and deeper into absurdity in explaining their arrival back ahead of the rescue ship is a marvel to watch. There are so many subtle, nonsensical and memorable moments that stay in the mind years later one almost doesn't know where to start. The solemn dark lighting of the opening scene spoofing fraternal organizations, eating the wax fruit, the range of facial expressions of the wives throughout, the shot of the boys from the back sitting facing the fireplace as Stan disses his wife, Stan's wife in hunting regalia returning shotgun in arm carrying ducks, Ollie flirting on the phone not realizing it's his wife he's talking to, the stream of consciousness dialog in the attic, and on and on and on. A subtlety perhaps missed by many is the wonderful song and dance number at the night club....a simply wonderful lampoon to perfection of crooner Dick Powell and spoof of Busby Berkeley with those clunky but charming Hula dancers, struggling in a valiant but ultimately hopeless attempt to dance, fanning out to the camera and culminating in that marvelous overhead shot near the close. Just great. I could write a book on this movie, but I'll just suggest to viewers to get William K. Everson's book on the films of Laurel & Hardy and read what one of the great critics has to say about this gem.

Ollie wants to attend the annual convention of THE SONS OF THE DESERT in Chicago & have lodge brother Stan go with him. Their wives, however, have other plans. From such tiny acorns of humor do mighty oaks of hilarity grow...

This is a wonderfully funny film, with the Boys at their very best. Watch Stan's face as he eats the wax apple, or Ollie as he attempts to stand-up to his formidable spouse. The Sons themselves are a spoof of every fraternal organization that's ever taken itself too seriously.

Hilarious Charley Chase is the epitome of every obnoxious conventioneer you've ever tried to avoid. Mae Busch & Dorothy Christy are good fun as the Boys' wives, while Lucien Littlefield scores as a veterinarian called in to doctor Ollie.

Extra-sharp movie mavens will spot Charlie Hall as one of the waiters at the beginning of the 'Honolulu Baby' sequence; they will also recognize the voice of Billy Gilbert as the steamship official giving the announcement about the shipwreck survivors.

It's not easy to keep the Laurel and Hardy brand of humor going for a full-length feature, but here they accomplish it pretty well. Although the premise would have been tailor-made for one of their two-reelers, they successfully stretch it out into over an hour's worth of material, providing plenty of laughs and using some clever ideas.

The story has Stanley and Oliver as two members of the "Sons of the Desert", who are preparing for their national convention. This gets the two into difficulty with their wives, and from there things build up into the kinds of predicaments that are familiar from their shorter features. What's rather impressive is how well they keep things going for so long. There's nothing that's forced or pointless, and the pacing is generally just right. As the wives, Mae Busch and Dorothy Christy have relatively easy roles, but they (and also Charley Chase) have a few good moments.

Anyone who enjoys Laurel and Hardy's shorter features will probably also joining the "Sons of the Desert" in this amusing movie.

There are a lot of funny scenes squeezed into one of the thinest "plots" you'll ever see in a story. Our heroes - Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy - simply want to go to the annual convention of their group - "The Sons Of The Desert" and want their wives' approval to make the trip. As it turns out, they go anyway and, well, it's one wild scene after another.

Along the way, we see all the trademarks of these two famous comedians: Laurel scratching his head, crying when in trouble, having the better heart of the two and providing some clever slapstick and dialog. Hardy does his normal routine, too, with the dirty looks, the scheming and the pratfalls.

The women are the bosses and Hardy's wife is the toughest of the two, throwing plates at Olllie's head! These are tough old bags.

Oddly enough, on the second viewing of this film I found a bit slow going, which I didn't find the first time. Charley Chase, a famous silent comedian, is also in the film as are a few things you wouldn't associate with Laurel & Hardy: some sexual stuff! Really! There is a dance number in the middle of the film where I swear I saw a see-through blouse on the main dancer. Also, there was a play- on-words here about some woman "who likes to pump the organ." Well, this film was made a year or so before the Hays' Code went into effect.

At any rate, if you have never seen the famous duo, this is a good place to start.