45 Minutes from Hollywood

This is definitely a "lesser known" comedy short from the 1920s. The only reason I saw it was because it was on a DVD by Kino Films featuring non-Laurel and Hardy shorts featuring Ollie. They are interesting and historically important, but also generally average to below average for the style film. Compared to shorts by Chaplin, Keaton, Arbuckle and Lloyd, they are definitely a step below them in quality and humor. Also, the accompanying music was pretty poor by the standards of other silent DVDs. I ended up turning OFF the sound due to the inappropriateness of the music to set the proper mood. But, despite this, they are still worth seeing.

Interestingly enough, the Kino DVD box said that Stan Laurel played a robber who was in drag. This character was NOT Laurel, but he was the guy in the end of the film who was sleeping when everyone suddenly barged in and began hitting each other. And, unfortunately, this is about the tone of the whole film--people hitting each other. It's a good example of slapstick with no regard whatsoever for plot. Despite the direction the film INITIALLY TAKES (about a rip to Hollywood), this is quickly forgotten and it's just mindless slapping and pratfalls. You can certainly find better shorts from this era.

Much of this two-reel comedy is rather unexceptional, but it does have a couple of good sequences. Glenn Tryon and the rest of the cast add some energy to the material, and part of it is mildly interesting as a satire on the idol-worship of movie stars that was already so prevalent even in its era. Otherwise, the movie doesn't really go anywhere, and though it does have a lot of motion, only very occasionally is it funny or exciting.

Tryon is part of a family of rural Californians who make a trip to Hollywood, ostensibly to pay a bill, with Tryon's character getting led astray by his inability to distinguish fantasy from reality. He also draws a detective played by Oliver Hardy into the mess he has created. Along the way, there are some occasional brief glimpses at a few of the stars of the era.

A couple of the sequences work rather well, but the rest of it is distinguished only by a brief scene in which Hardy and Stan Laurel, in a small role, appear on-screen together. It still works all right as light viewing for anyone who enjoys the silent comedies of the era, but otherwise it is only notable for this moment of significance in movie history.

45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A country boy goes to Hollywood to pay a bill and gets caught up in what he thinks is a movie being made. What he doesn't know is that he's caught up in a real robbery. There are a few good gags here but the real highlight is Oliver Hardy playing the Hotel Detective. Stan Laurel has a brief role as well. This was the first Hal Roach film where the two were in the same movie, although they don't share any scenes here.

Duck Soup (1927)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Laurel and Hardy, trying to get away from firemen wanting to recruit them, run and hide in a house but when someone shows up to rent it they must pretend to be the owner and maid. L&H went onto remake this with better results in Another Fine Mess but this short has a few funny moments but not enough to make it work throughout.

This is a fast past gag filed movie that runs more like a Max Senate movie than something produced by Roach! It also seem sot be an ad of a lot the the Roach talent -- many who make uncredited or credited walk ons (E.G. Our Gang)

There isn't much of a story, but I really like looking at the scenes in a fairly barren Los Angeles! Dirt streets and empty landscape. There's even a quick scene in teh Hollywood Hotel where teh first oscars were given out. It later turned into a drug infested dump from the 60's-80's, was renovated and then populated by thugs and gangstas.

Hardy sports a Chester Conklin brush mustache and hadn't gained all that weight yet. Stanley has one too! Odd. I nearly mistook him for Jimmy Finlayson.

And apparently there was no gun control in 1927.

"45 Minutes from Hollywood"

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Silent

(Black and white - Short film)

A naive country boy (Glenn Tryon) arrives in Hollywood and gets mixed up in robbery and chaos at a posh hotel.

The first pairing of Laurel and Hardy in a Hal Roach comedy short, though neither of them appears in the same scene (Stan's footage has faded badly over the years). Top-billed Tryon does his best with the flimsy scenario, which substitutes frantic farce for genuine wit, as Our Hero is mistaken for a robber dressed in drag (yep, it's THAT kinda movie!) and chased hither and yon by house detective Ollie. The comedy is fast-paced and beautifully timed though not especially memorable, and the film survives as little more than a record of L&H's earliest pairing. Theda Bara and the Hal Roach Bathing Beauties make brief cameo appearances. Directed by Fred Guiol.