Arabian Tights

This light, very charming comedy is Charley Chase's take on the "French Foreign Legion" comedy premise that Laurel and Hardy explored quite differently in 1931's "Beau Hunks" -- and that they would revisit in their feature "The Flying Deuces" in 1939. Characteristically, though, the Charley Chase Foreign Legion experience quite effectively draws a lot of its humor from embarrassment and unlikely situation. The continental setting gives this chase short a light, expansive, pleasant atmosphere.

The real strength here is Charley's getting the chance to exercise his very considerable talent for the running gag -- up with the master Jackj Benny to my mind. Here every iteration of Charlley and his friend's habit of shouting "Beaver!" when they see an impressive beard, Charley's mournful drawing for an injury stripe on his arm when he gets kicked in the pants by the pretty leading lady Muriel Evans, or his demands to see the American consul pays of more in a different way each time. We also get a great four-part, French-inspired musical number from Charley and the "Ranch Boys." The treatment of the titular Arabs that Charley runs into is downright bizarre, as after a gay joke where pretty Arab women have beards under their veils ("I almost kissed that guy!"), we learn that the head honcho sounds English, his wives sound American, and his assistant seems to speak in an "Arabic" that is closer to Donald Duck-ish.

Overall, though, that this is a Charley Chase take on a trip to France and an accidental enlistment in the foreign legion should be enough to give anyone who knows this delightful comedian an idea of what kind of inventive material is in store.

Arabian Tights (1933)

** (out of 4)

Hal Roach directed two-reeler has Charley Chase and three buddies in Paris for the American Legion and of course they end up in trouble. The four men duck into a door not knowing they've just signed up for the Foreign Legion, which sends them to the desert where they're taken captive but not for the reasons you might think. There's no doubt that Roach was a genius with everything he helped create but at the same time I've been less impressed with his skills as a director. His direction isn't the sole reason this isn't a good movie because the screenplay gets a lot of credit as well. The first portion of the film has a joke that just keeps happening and it's not funny the first time and it's even less funny the second and third time. The joke deals with Chase constantly insulting Muriel Evans who in return kicks him in the butt. The second portion of the film doesn't work in terms of a comedy but it was nice getting to hear Chase and the fellows sing a song. To me Chase is one of the most under appreciated comedians from this era and he also had a terrific voice, which he at least gets to show off here. The material just isn't good enough to where Chase and company can do anything with it and the funniest part comes from one of the extras in a joke where shows the boys what a good shot he is. I won't ruin what happens but it's certainly the highlight.

Another delightful Charley Chase short that starts out with Charley in Paris, 20 years after the Great War, singing 'Madamoiselle from Armentieres'. continues with him joining the Foreign Legion to avoid paying a bar bill and winds up with him caught in an Arabian harem. Although it's not a tightly constructed work, like THE NICKEL NURSER, the jokes come through at a good clip, and it's always fun to hear Mr. Chase sing.

The Legion section is very funny as Charley cluelessly mugs his way through the dessert.

Charley Chase, despite the fact he always turned out a good short subject, has largely disappeared from the public consciousness. He was never as big as Roach's superstars, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; he never broke out of short subjects; and he died in 1940. Still, his work is starting to turn up regularly in places where people look for stuff like this, at comedy festivals and on TCM and perhaps he is in for a major revival. You could do a lot worse.

When we meet Charley, at the start of this wonderful short, he is in a Paris cafe, where he, and his three American buddies have come to have a drink. Charley, whose roving eye can't stay away from the gorgeous creature seated at another table, falls in love, at first sight. Trouble is, Ms. Evans, the blonde, couldn't care less about his attention, or so it seems.

Charley, who is distracted by a Parisian peddling naughty pictures, sells a packet to Charley for five dollars. The only problem is that the man manages to exchange the naughty pictures for decent ones without Charley ever realizing the change. When he goes back to the table and the bill comes, no one has money to pay. The only solution for them to avoid jail is for the men to enroll in the foreign legion!

Little prepares Charlie and his friends for the heat and the long marches through the desert. When Charlie spots a lovely oasis, he quickly leaves the regiment. Nothing prepares him for the fun, and the adventure that awaits him.

Hal Roach directed another great installment of the Charley Chase series. "Arabian Tights", a 1933 short film, is one of the funniest in the series thanks to the antics of Charley Chase, the star who is never dull, or boring. The other faces in the picture are also good, mainly Muriel Evans and Carlton Griffin, who plays the Sheik.

An enjoyable little film thanks to Hal Roach.