They Go Boom!

Call me crazy ("Hey, crazy!") but I never enjoyed silent era films. I tried, oh I tried, but each time an actor's mouth moved there was nothing but an awkward silence. Then after what seemed too lengthy of a wait, a placard flashed on the TV screen, reflecting what the actor had just said moments before. I found this to be very distracting, plus it slowed down the natural comedic timing. This lapse between action and dialog, for me, was like watching an entire movie subtitled, and I couldn't square the two up.

That being said, I didn't watch any of the short and feature length "TV reruns" unless they were "talkies." As a kid who was fortunate enough to have a tiny black and white TV set in my bedroom, every Saturday morning before my parents or the Sun were up, I was thoroughly mesmerized by the vaudevillian, overtly physical humor of Buster Keaton, Our Gang (The Little Rascals), The Three Stooges, and of course, Laurel & Hardy.

The first Our Gang (The Little Rascals) talkie was "Small Talk" released in 1929. Buster Keaton's first talkie was "Free and Easy," released in 1930. The Three Stooges (Larry, Moe and Curly) most recognized talkie was The Woman Haters (1934). "Unaccustomed As We Are," released worldwide in 1929, was Laurel and Hardy's film debut with sound. It was an immediate hit with audiences.

Unlike many of their silent film era contemporaries who couldn't make the transition from silent to sound film, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy effortlessly slipped into this new media. Both actors had the rare gift of "comedic timing," and the duo knew how to thoroughly exploit sight gags. Moreover, lovable Hardy routinely broke the "fourth wall" of film, and after each hilarious yet tragic gag, he would often look straight at the camera as if to say, "Can you believe what just happened to me?"

"They Go Boom!" (1929) was Laurel and Hardy's fifth sound movie. Like the first four, it is a short. The plot is simple: Laurel & Hardy live in a somewhat dingy apartment room and both (in the same bed, mind you) are trying to sleep. Ollie already has a very bad cold and Stan tries to help him. Naturally, Stan's efforts result in total chaos. There is some great give and go "retaliation" between the boys and their grumpy landlord (Charlie Hall).

It's all brilliantly choreographed by two of the most iconic comedic teams in history, and supported by a wonderful set of actors who would often appear in many future Laurel & Hardy shorts and feature length films.

No spoilers here as usual, but I will reveal that They Go Boom! Has no musical score and instead incorporates several vaudevillian sound effects.

Laurel and Hardy are simply trying to get a good nice sleep but Mr Hardy has a really bad case of the sniffles and can't get off easily. Laurel just wants to help and tries various remedies including a bath of hot water, a mustard plaster and a water bed. But try as he might things don't seem to be getting any better for Hardy.

A oft repeated theme is used to good effect here – Laurel is simply trying to help Hardy but yet he only manages to make things worse in one way or another. In this film Hardy is a little full of the cold so Laurel tries to help. The routines are pretty funny – my favourite gags are the little running ones rather than the bigger set ups. So, for example, I loved the bath of water constantly getting in the way or the fat that Hardy kept getting hit in the head. The self contained nature of the film and the fact that the plot isn't something that needs a great deal of setting up works in it's favour.

Laurel does well in his wide eyed innocent role but as always Hardy has to carry the majority of the prat falls and does it very well indeed. The support cast have a very small contribution to make and it shows their class that Laurel and Hardy carry almost 100% of the screen time here.

Overall an enjoyable little short that is self contained and all the better for it.

These guys work in two modes. The mode I like is brilliant, when Stan basically looks at the camera in gasping anguish for what punishment is upon him. It is the first example of direct dialog with the audience while keeping in character.

The other mode is this, which is the same basic gags that dozens of others were up to: The flypaper joke. The feather joke, the blowing up the fat guy joke.

Go elsewhere if you want to see better comedy. But look at this if you have any illusions about them portraying borderline homosexuals. Its not just a matter of passing interest because much of Laurel's manner became adopted by later portrayals of gays and thus "stuck" to the subculture.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

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.

Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess). 'They Go Boom!' is not one of the best and funniest Laurel and Hardy short films up to this point of their output, but it is still great fun. Their filmography, apart from a few bumps along the way, was getting better and better and 'They Go Boom!' exemplifies this.

Not a lot to criticise here, though the story is slight and takes time to get going.

Once again, 'They Go Boom!' is non-stop funniness all the way when it gets going. There is insane craziness that doesn't get too silly, a wackiness that never loses its energy, the lack of vulgarity that is a large part of 'They Go Boom's! ' memorability and the sly wit emerges here, some of the material may not be new but how it's executed actually feels fresh and it doesn't get repetitive. The slapstick is classic Laurel and Hardy in the best of ways

Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'They Go Boom!' we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable.

'They Go Boom!' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. The supporting players are solid.

Overall, great fun. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Ollie has a late night cold and Stan tries to help him get over it, much to the annoyance of the irritable landlord.

I am endeavoring to work my way through the new release of "The Essential Laurel & Hardy" which finally gives the boys the DVD treatment they deserve in the United States. I have seen all of their films many times over the years, but now I have the opportunity to finally watch them in chronological order. That, perhaps, was not a wise choice. I always found a number of their early talkies weak, and I regret having to report that here in my reviews. "They Go Boom" is another example. The staging of the film feels claustrophobic, and the situation simply doesn't offer enough opportunities for comic inventiveness. There are some good moments scattered throughout, but it overall concept is better executed later in the film "Laughing Gravy."

Not a classic. For fans only.