Laurel et Hardy électriciens

This movie perfectly shows the reasons why I like Laurel & Hardy pictures so much. It has got a great silly story, well timing and some great comical moments, all perfectly executed by the characters.

The story is very, very simple but it works oh so well and is oh so strong. Basically the movie is about Stan and Olie, who just opened an electrical repair store, having a small war with their neighbor the grocer. Basically the movie is about the two parties taking constantly revenge on the other, in a comical hilarious way. This movie is a direct (and the only) sequel to a previous Laurel & Hardy movie, namely; "Them Thar Hills".

The returning joke of the costumer who robs the store every time Laurel & Hardy went away is absolutely hilarious.

The simple story of the movie is extremely well executed and makes this movie one of the most enjoyable Laurel & Hardy shorts.

8/10

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Tit for Tat concerns Laurel and Hardy as entrepreneurs, opening an electrical goods store in a strip mall next door to another shop owner (Charlie Hall), who is weary of their behavior after seeing Hardy with his wife (Mae Busch). In response, the shop owner triggers a fight with them by breaking items in their store, which prompts Laurel and Hardy to conduct "eye-for-an-eye" treatment on the man by destroying his shop, a small little grocery outlet. In the mix of senseless fighting, a shoplifter (Bobby Dunn) repeatedly enters Laurel and Hardy's shop, taking more and more items each time, rendering the entire situation increasingly maddening for all parties.

While Tit for Tat is a sequel to the Laurel and Hardy short Them Thar Hills (unseen by me), it almost plays like a remake of Big Business (from 1929) in style, where Laurel and Hardy were feuding with the next door neighbor, taking turns demolishing each other's homes. While I have been critical of the more slapstick-infused shorts of Laurel and Hardy, these types of "eye for an eye" shorts work largely because they are competitions between the characters for how far they want to take their situational humor. In addition, it's also a pleasure to see how wise the characters can be under the circumstances of revenge while simultaneously remaining so dumb and foolish throughout the entire time. There's a great amount of pleasure that comes in watching Laurel and Hardy compete for superiority when the prize is nothing more than another crack in their fragile dignity.

Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlie Hall, Mae Busch, and Bobby Dunn. Directed by: Charles Rogers.

Stan and Ollie run an electrical shop (I'm sure they are stellar businessmen). Unfortunately, they have had previous dealings with the guy next door who runs a grocery store. Somehow the guy gets it into his head that Ollie has a thing for his wife (Mae Busch) and decides to start a war (a tit for tat kind of thing) with the boys. Soon they are trying to outdo one another in their cruel attacks. What is also going on is a man who goes into Stan and Ollie's store and starts stealing their stuff. At first he takes little things. As time goes by, he is utterly ignored because the parties are so involved in their discord. Soon he is hauling out huge amounts of stuff, using a wheelbarrow. The timing and interaction between these people is delightful and, as usual, things don't go well.

For fans of Laurel and Hardy, this is a classic short. Others might be less impressed by this war of destruction between the pair and their next-door neighbor, Charlie Hall. It's all based on childish insults that cross the line when they start tearing up each other's stores.

It's simple and direct physical comedy in the best tradition of L&H and their slapstick brand of comedy. A running gag has someone pilfering their store whenever they go next-door to wreck havoc on their neighbor. Naturally, they never notice a thing, even when he loads all their wares in a truck by the curb.

Mae Busch is the wife about whom Charlie Hall becomes jealous. When Oliver gets tossed onto their window ledge by one of Laurel's gaffes, he's helped inside the woman's bedroom by the woman herself. Coming down the stairs, he utters a line that clearly got by the censors: "I've never been in that position before!" Any wonder the husband goes into a jealous rage? Funny stuff, tailor-made and simple story that provides plenty of slapstick moments you won't forget.

With a fine combination of both obvious and subtle laughs, "Tit For Tat" is one of the funniest Laurel & Hardy short comedies. It is a follow up to "Them Thar Hills", and it plays off of the memorable confrontation scene with Charlie Hall in the earlier movie - this time, Stan and Ollie open up an electrical supply store, only to find out that Charlie runs the grocery store next door. It doesn't take much for a full-scale battle to break out once again. It's very funny creative chaos - they make full use of the props in the two stores, and there is plenty of hilarious slapstick along with some more subtle humor (for example, watch for the running gag each time they go next door). Not to be missed for fans of these master comics.