Dick und Doof gehen vor Anker

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.

Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess), 'Two Tars' for me was their first truly classic one with close to flawless execution. Didn't find 'Any Old Port!' quite one of their very best, but it to me still very good and some of the best material is among their funniest.

Admittedly, the story is pretty thin and is pretty standard and the beginning is a touch slow.

Despite that, 'Any Old Port!' is great fun, never less than very amusing and the best moments, such as the ending, being classic hilarity. It is never too silly, there is a wackiness that never loses its energy and the sly wit is here, some of the material may not be new but how it's executed actually doesn't feel too familiar and it doesn't get repetitive. A lot happens yet it doesn't ever feel rushed or over-stuffed. The ending is a sheer delight.

Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Any Old Port!' and on the most part from 'Two Tars' onwards we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable.

'Any Old Port!' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. The supporting players are solid, but it's Laurel and Hardy's show all the way.

In summary, very good if not one of the best. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Laurel and Hardy are a couple of sailors in port. They go to get a room, only to discover that Julie Bishop -- still acting under the name of Jacqueline Wells -- is being forced to marry Walter Long. Later, they need to raise some money, so Oliver volunteers..... for Stan to fight Long in the ring.

Laurel and Hardy's production unit was quite capable of producing scenes of active terror, and then immediately turning the situation around into laughter. Here's an example of that.

Miss Wells had entered the movies in 1923 as a child actress. She assumed the name of Bishop when she signed a contract with Warner Brothers in the early 1940s. She appeared in the last of her eighty features in 1957, and died in 2001, age 87.

If you watch enough movies you can start to make interesting comparisons. One fruitful kind is when a series or sequel sequence is done by a different creative team. Same general idea but completely different movies.

There are other comparisons, but the one that is cogent to this movie is the joke boxing match. Every comic did one, including Chaplin and Keaton. Oh but how different they are! Not until "Raging Bull" and "Rocky" would the camera enter the ring, but watch how Stan draws us in. With Chaplin's tramp we were supposed to be impressed with the comic ballet of the thing, but here the comedy is more personal, and we relate personally.

The notion of noir in film is much discussed, and mostly with error. The core of noir is not in jaggy sets or dark lighting (they are mere cinematic indicators) but in the notion of an average Joe getting caught up in a capricious fate that toys with him.

Credit Hardy with laying the groundwork, at least on the character side.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Big, ole tough hombre Walter Long, a staple in 1930s crime films and comedies, is right at home with the boys. He owns a run-down hotel and is bullying a helpless girl (played by young Julie Bishop) --that is until Stan and Ollie stop by. Fortunately, the girl escapes, but Mugsy doesn't forget!

Best part is all the wild stuff that happens in between; Mugsy getting his head caught in a table and the local justice of the peace getting the back of his head shaved by a fan? No question, lots of this material was later imitated by the THREE STOOGES.

In a real goofy change of luck, Ollie meets up with an old pal who offers him fifty bucks to go four rounds with a boxer --just for kicks? Of course, Ollie agrees because Stan is going to fight the thug. And surprise! The boxer turns out to be Mugsy.

10 Stars.

Laugh out loud comedy, one of the best and original of their film shorts. Stan Laurel works his magic, lots of fun in the ring and don't miss the boxing glove loaded with some "heavy" stuff. One of the few Laurel and Hardy shorts with the largest number of extra and bit actors, appearing in the boxing arena.

Best line from Ollie; "I bet on you to lose, and you double crossed me!"

A comedy to treasure, written by comedian and gag writer Charley Chase, brother of director James Parrott. Actress Julie Bishop was actually a child star in the 1920s, later returning to films in the 1930s and appearing with Laurel and Hardy and WC Fields in adult roles.

Get the remastered dvd box set of Laurel and Hardy short films for this one. Thanks much to METV Plus for running L & H all the time, also MOVIES Net on Saturday mornings.

This is certainly one of the most enjoyable Laurel & Hardy shorts and personally one of my favorites.

Once again the short can be divided up into two parts. The first part of the movie is about the comical duo helping a young girl escape the clutches of the hotel owner the two just checked in to. The second part of the movie is about Mr. Laurel ending up in a boxing match by coincidence against that very same hotel owner.

The typical slapstick humor is present in both parts of the movie which makes this movie, unlike some other Laurel & Hardy movies, a consistent and constantly funny movie. The movie has some truly good laughs in it and some of the slapstick moments are absolutely priceless and hilarious. The timing and surprise elements in the movie that are absolutely not predictable in any way makes this movie an absolutely great one to watch.

In my opinion an absolute comical must-see!

9/10

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