Un homme à boue

This early Laurel and Hardy short is one of those movies that slipped through the net until I caught it for the first time today. And I really enjoyed it. Stan seems a little sharper than usual as he tries to tempt Ollie to the golf course (in real life Oliver was a golf fanatic) and there are some fine comic touches to be had.

Exhibit A: Ollie's "There's a right way to do it and a wrong way." And I know what way you're choosing Oliver!

Exhibit B: Ollie trying to follow Stan in jumping the fence.

Exhibit C: Edgar Kennedy gains a new, er hair extension. Didn't even recognise him until his wig fell off! There's also, of course, a brief scene where the boys haven't enough cash to pay for the drinks of their new female companions, a scene that was reworked to better effect in Men Of War. The mud fight at the end isn't as funny as similar scenes in other L & H films, but overall this is an enjoyable little short.

There's a reason why Should Married Men Go Home? isn't as well known as some of Laurel & Hardy's other silent comedies: it isn't one of their best. It's pleasant enough, and provides a few chuckles along the way, but never rises to the inspired heights of Two Tars or Big Business. The first portion is set in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Hardy, eager to enjoy an afternoon of quiet domestic bliss together. Instead, Mr. Laurel arrives and the Hardys' peace is shattered. Once they've (reluctantly) welcomed him inside, Stan accidentally ignites an entire box of wooden matches and, for an encore, knocks down a window blind. When Stan asks to play a record Ollie insists on putting it on himself, but -- predictably -- makes a botch of the job. At Mrs. Hardy's angry behest the boys leave the house and head for the golf links. There they hook up with a couple of cute girls, and attempt to treat them to cherry sodas on their limited funds. Ultimately, the peace of the entire golf course is shattered when a mud fight ensues and all of the golfers are gradually sucked into the escalating chaos.

It's nice to see Stan & Ollie looking so young and fit in this early collaboration, and it's always a pleasure to watch them interact with the Hal Roach Studio's stock company of supporting players, but somehow this short never quite clicks. By the time the boys reach the golf course we're ready for action, but the mud fight finale feels unmotivated, even a little desperate, and the film ends on a rather flat note with an anticlimactic closing gag. Still, for Laurel & Hardy buffs there are several elements of interest. Two amusing routines found in this film were later reworked to better effect with sound: the opening where Mr. & Mrs. Hardy pretend they're not home can be found in Come Clean (1931), and the drugstore bit, where Stan doggedly foils Ollie's attempt to stretch their limited resources, would be repeated in the early talkie Men O' War in 1929. The latter routine, introduced on stage by the comedy team Weber & Fields, is largely verbal and plays far better with sound.

Like all of the Roach films photographed by ace cameraman (and later director) George Stevens, Should Married Men Go Home? looks great; and so does Viola Richards, an actress whose disappearance from the movies soon after she worked in this short is to be lamented even now, for during her brief appearance here she absolutely lights up the screen.

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.

While not classic Laurel and Hardy, later films, short and feature, had stronger chemistry when fully formed and used their considerable talents better, 'Should Married Men Go Home?' is enjoyable fun. Not one of their best from their 1928 output but it is an improvement on their previous effort. In some of their previous work, Laurel was much funnier and more interesting while Hardy in most of the previous outings had too little to do. 'Should Married Men Go Home?' is good, is far from a misfire and feels like a Laurel and Hardy short rather than a short featuring them.

'Should Married Men Go Home?' is flimsy in story, and doesn't feel quite enough for the short's length.

The rest of the characters are not as interesting and the momentum at the start isn't as lively as once we get to the golf course.

Laurel however is very funny, and sometimes hilarious. It is wonderful seeing Hardy having more to do and he is on Laurel's level. The chemistry is certainly much more here than in previous outings of theirs, namely because there's more of them together and it was starting to feel like a partnership. Support is nice if not as inspired.

Both Laurel and Hardy have great moments, especially the climactic mud-slinging fight which is one of the boys' funniest moments of their early work. The record and drug-store sequences are also terrific.

A good deal of the humour is well timed, hugely energetic and very funny if not always hilarious, with everything going at a lively pace and there is a lot of charm and good nature to keep one going. It looks good too and is competently directed.

On the whole, pretty good and enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

In 'Should Married Man Go Home?' Oliver Hardy is married and he is about to spend the first Sunday in weeks alone with his wife. They hope Stan will not come along but of course he does. After Stan has caused some trouble the wife tells Oliver to go play some golf with Stan. At the golf club you can only play with parties of four so they hook up with two ladies, pretending to be bankers. With the ladies they have money problems in a bar, trouble with another golfer outside and a hilarious fight that involves a lot of mud.

The parts with the wife are not that funny although they are not boring either. There are some good gags. The sequence in the bar is a terrific one, especially the moments with Stan ordering a drink. Stan is also very funny during the golf game and the big fight that ends the short plays the way it should play. Although this is not one of their best the bar sequence and the mud fight near the end are entertaining enough to enjoy this silent comedy short.

Should Married Men Go Home? (1928)

*** (out of 4)

Laurel breaks up a quiet evening at Mr. And Mrs. Hardy's house but he and Oliver go golfing anyways, which just leads to trouble. This was the first official Laurel and Hardy movie and it works quite nicely. The best moments occurs towards the end of the film with a big mud fight. Another highlight is a gag by the malt stand, which was later borrowed by Abbott and Costello in Buck Privates.

Love 'Em and Weep (1927)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A married man (James Finlayson) gets a call from his old girlfriend threatening to blackmail him so another guy (Stan Laurel) takes her out to make a deal. Oliver Hardy has a small role and it's hard to tell it's him due to his wig and mustache. The film has some good laughs but many of them aren't too big. The film was later remade with L&H working together in Chickens Come Home.