Any Old Port!

Any Old Port! features just enough action and humor to satisfy my appetite for Laurel and Hardy comedy as it focusing on the two men as sailors who book a hotel and discover the owner, Mugsie Long (Walter Long), wants to marry a woman younger than he is, much to her dismay. After being appalled at what they saw, they save the young girl, but without their wallet, which holds the entirety of their savings. Ollie's friend, in turn, offers up $50 if Ollie will compete in a boxing match against the owner of the hotel, to which he forces Laurel to do the fighting. The outcome, as one would assume, is pretty hilarious.

The short is directed by James W. Horne, who I feel is the best man to direct any Laurel and Hardy short. Combined with H.M. Walker's, Horne's direction takes on the kind of kinetic energy necessary to make a short featuring the two comedic legends click instantaneously, with little reservations. A story like Any Old Port! is often filled to the brim with action and comic spectacle, and combined with the energy and power of the performers and the writing involved, manages to be a fun short through and through.

While light on the quotable nature of Laurel and Hardy shorts, and missing the extra banter and witticisms exchanged by the two men, Any Old Port! succeeds because it recognizes, once more, that situational humor triumphs over slapstick, at least when we have Laurel and Hardy at the core of it all.

Starring: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Directed by: James W. Horne.

This has a bit of the Way Out West feel as the boys attempt to save a girl from a forced marriage to a horrible hotel owner (Walter Long). The antics of trying to get her away from him are quite good. However, the main event is a boxing match where Stan and Ollie try to earn some money betting on a boxing match. Oliver is scheduled to box but soon tricks Stan into going against the very same Long. Why long felt he needed to load up his boxing glove to stop the 120 pound Stanley is questionable, but it will work against him for sure. Laurel and Hardy never, ever come out on top so we know that the situation, while hilarious, is going to be less than successful. Once again, it is worth watching to see these two guys.

This is another nice Laurel & Hardy comedy short, in black and white with sound. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy want a room in a hotel. In that hotel a young woman (Julie Bishop, but credited as Jacqueline Wells) who is working there is forced to marry the hotel manager (Walter Long). Of course Stan & Ollie makes sure this will not happen. Later that day, when the two heroes need some money, Ollie arranges a boxing match to earn some. He wants Laurel to fight and the opponent happens to be the hotel manager.

This comedy short has some great moments. Especially the boxing match is terrific. The first half is a little slower than other Laurel & Hardy movies, but gives us some laughs anyway.

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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Laurel and Hardy return from a spell on a whaler where Hardy was chief harpoon man and Laurel was the bait. They get into port and book into a hotel run by a gruff owner and a young woman working for him. When they realise that the man is forcing the girl to marry him they step in to help out and let the girl escape, but the man proves harder to get away from that they first thought.

Trading from the very start on their physical abilities more than anything else, this short is a firm entry into their stable as it shows the essence of their work in full flow. Our heroes step in to try and do the right thing but end up in trouble with the bad guy. The film takes a little time to set up but moves quickly into the chase and the punch line (literally!) scene. The body of the film is very funny and is good work. The fight is good with the interaction of the crowd and also Laurel really delivering the goods in the ring comedy-wise.

Laurel and Hardy show why they are so good at this stuff by really turning a standard idea into a much funnier film. They work well together and Laurel takes the opportunity to out shine his partner in the boxing match scene at the end. Walter Long as the aggressive, domineering hotel owner is larger than life `and twice as mean'.

Overall this is a good example of what Laurel and Hardy is all about, classy films with the focus on comedy and a talented duo who's delivery serves to make for a better film.