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Is this the most violent Laurel and Hardy film ever made? Surprisingly, while Stan and Ollie's twin brothers – Bert and Alf – are described as "bad lads", it's the originals that are the most malicious, in this sadistic – yet very funny all the same – Laurel and Hardy showcase. Stan gets to headbutt a barman and set fire to another man's chest hair, while Ollie, for his part, sticks a lightbulb in a man's mouth (James Finlayson, a regular stooge for the boys in 35 movies) then punches him in the face so he swallows the broken glass. Their supposedly rogue twins, meanwhile, merely try to save money and treat some ladies to a meal. In order to distinguish between the twins (other than the level of violence they display), musical cues are used – a sea shanty for the sailors Bert and Alf, and the Laurel and Hardy theme for Stan and Ollie.

There are lots of great sustained jokes in this movie, such as Ollie's broken spectacles, and the ultimate in a sustained gag is the mistaken identities between the sets of twins. This joke is taken so far towards its logical conclusion that the duos don't discover each other's existence until the final ninety seconds of film. This causes the plot to be far more imaginative, whereas a lesser film would have had greater reliance on the two pairs meeting. Arthur Housman is also good as the drunk, a role he seemed to make a career out of playing in many of his 159 film roles. It was a also a role he reprised with Laurel and Hardy, having played both "drunk" and "drunk sailor" in Scram!, The Live Ghost and The Fixer Uppers.

The direction by Harry Lachman is well above average for the pair. Some scenes are shot through a fish tank or the back of a bed's headrail, and there are lots of aerial shots. The split screen technology, while used sparingly, was extremely proficient for the time. One thing of note is that a couple of the sequences, such as the crushed in the telephone box scene, are slightly similar to sight gags in the Marx Brothers film of the previous year, A Night At The Opera. It's not that obvious, and may just be coincidence, but I'd rather hoped that Laurel and Hardy had inspired the Marx Brothers, and not the other way around. But it's probably funnier here anyway, particularly poor old Stan with a boot on his neck. Finally, one of the concluding scenes – Stan crying hysterically as he rolls around on concrete boots – is a real winner.

OUR RELATIONS is probably the most classiest production Laurel and Hardy were involved with because of the great cinematographer-director Rudolph Mate (who worked on Dreyer's THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928)). Mate was a talented cinematographer who knew how to use lighting to enhance the scenes of Laurel and Hardy's comedy. Harry Lachman, a talented director, kept the complicated story line under control very well. The whole story is a kind of updating of William Shakespeare's COMEDY OF ERRORS. The story was actually based on THE MONEY BOX by W.W. Jacobs, author of the Grand Guignol classic THE MONKEY'S-PAW. The supporting cast is great, especially Daphne Pollard, Betty Healy, Sidney Toler, and Alan Hale. The whole film maintains laughs. Unfortunately, it rarely shows up anywhere today, although I do have a copy on video. It is probably the least-seen of Laurel and Hardy's major features.

This has got to be one of the better 'long' Laurel & Hardy pictures. Reason why this movie is better than most of the other Laurel & Hardy comedies is that this movie has a very well written story, that at times gets a bit confusing but remains solid, enjoyable and funny all at the same time throughout its entire running time.

It isn't really a comedy with many slapstick moments or other silly events. It's more a movie that relies on its story, that might not be 'hilarious' but it remains consistently funny all the time. It makes "Our Relations" one of the more consistent Laurel & Hardy movies to watch and because of that it also becomes one of the most enjoyable ones.

Yes, it really is the slick tight story that is filled with some good comical moments that made this movie such a good and pleasant one to watch. Especially toward the ending the movie becomes really good, although also a bit confusing at the same time. It's very hard to tell who is Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy and who is Alf Laurel and Bert Hardy (the twin brothers of the two boys, who are of course being played by Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel as well.) and who is being chased by who and why. It makes the movie a bit too hard to follow in the end but the good comical moments and situations compensate this more than enough.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy really show their acting skills in this movie. They have more lines and interacting with other characters than usual. It's good to see that James Finlayson also shows up again in a fairly big role. Other fine roles are being portrayed by; Sidney Toler, Arthur Housman and Alan Hale.

OK so the movie might not be 'hilarious' by Laurel & Hardy standards but the story is extremely well written and has some well timed and executed comical moments in it, which will surely make you laugh.

9/10

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Stan and Ollie also play their twin brothers Alfie and Bert in Our Relations which is their own particular spin on Shakespeare's A Comedy Of Errors.

Laurel and Hardy are both a pair of henpecked husbands in perpetual trouble with their wives and also a pair of sailors who just find trouble wherever they are. The sailors are on leave and get a job from their captain Sidney Toler to pick up a ring. They also have their usual run-in with perpetual nemesis James Finlayson who is intent on fleecing them out of their pay on shore leave and good thing he's as dumb as they are.

Our Relations is more a comedy of the usual mistaken identity situations with twins than it is a series of comedy bits that usually characterize a Laurel and Hardy short. One exception to this is a bit with Stan and Ollie getting into a crowded phone booth with movie inebriate Arthur Housman. No need for description, especially with the diet challenged Ollie as one of the people in that phone booth.

Alan Hale is also in this doing a very nice bit of slow burn comedy as the owner of a waterfront dive who runs into both sets of Stans and Ollies driving him a bit crazy. Of course no one is driven crazier than the wives of civilian Stan and Ollie, Daphne Pollard and Betty Healy. You know how these two are with the women in their lives from The Sons of The Desert. That goes double for Iris Adrian and Lorna Andre the two bimbos the sailors pick up at Alan Hale's joint.

Ironically the Comedy Of Errors would make it to Broadway two years later as Rodgers&Hart did a musical adaption of it as The Boys From Syracuse. Our Relations doesn't have the great Rodgers&Hart songs, but it sure doesn't lack for comedy with Stan and Ollie.

A variation on Shakespeare's 'COMEDY OF ERRORS' (there are occasional references to the bard through the film),OUR RELATIONS is one of Laurel and Hardy's better features.It is certainly the most stylishly-produced film they ever made,and arguably the best from a technical viewpoint.If there is a fault it is with the overly-complex and overly-plotted storyline;it does rather mitigate against truly classic and hilarious routines that were evident in SONS OF THE DESERT and WAY OUT WEST(their best feature films),because there is so much story conveyed.And it's debatable if the familiar 'double' device,which was becoming hackneyed even in 1936,can squeeze that much humour out of it's various confusions and mistaken identities.The large number of characters supporting Stan and Ollie are also something of a distraction;some are relevant to the story,others are not so and abruptly depart somewhat improbably during the narrative.

These quibbles aside,the film is consistently amusing throughout,with familiar L & H foils (Finlayson,Housman),and those not so familiar (Toler,Hale) giving fine support.The most impressive aspect of OUR RELATIONS is it's technical sheen;it is very handsomely produced;the nightclub set particularly is highly impressive,and possibly the most elaborate and polished production design ever seen in a Laurel and Hardy film.Behind the camera,aspects are pretty accomplished too.Director Harry Lachman,usually more comfortable with straight drama (DANTE'S INFERNO with Spencer Tracy was his other most notable cinematic achievement) handles the comic sequences nicely,and commendably directs with a slick,speedy pace.This quickness has a slight downside;it would have been better if Lachman had sat back on a few occasions to allow L & H to indulge in their slower,yet more nuanced and subtle routines.We do see this near the beginning when Ollie reads a letter from his mother,and Stan conspires to break Ollie's reading glasses.This familiar and intimate bit of business is possibly the funniest scene in the film;the welter of plot complication after means we see virtually none of this well-versed style of theirs from this point on.Their encounters with the various many characters are amusing alright (especially Fin,who is well and truly savaged in his battle with the boys on this occasion),but OUR RELATIONS may have been even superior if Lachman had utilised a more methodical pace and concentration on L & H.Rudolph Mate,one of Hollywood's best Black and White cinematographers of the 30's and 40's, does a very accomplished job on the visuals,with some unexpectedly dramatic lighting,especially with the latter gangster sequence.This scene itself is rather over-stretched and perhaps even a trifle intimidating,with Tiny Sandford,in his final L & H film,not entirely comfortable as a brutish thug here.After being dispatched(entirely by mistake)on the dockside,the gangsters involved unconvincingly vanish from the scene,though Stan,Ollie,Alf and Bert finally meet at the end after all these complications.

OUR RELATIONS is not quite the best Laurel and Hardy feature,but only a small handful(WAY OUT WEST,SONS OF THE DESERT,BLOCKHEADS)could probably regard themselves as superior.There are no musical numbers or romantic sub-plots,perhaps because there's so much plot and incident abound! It would have been preferable had there been more emphasis on just L & H themselves,but from a technical and production point of view,OUR RELATIONS is Laurel and Hardy's most polished film;and while not their funniest,is still very amusing.

Rating:7 and a half out of 10.

This is another take on the plot of a couple of men having long lost twin brothers. Stan and Ollie have Bert and Al who they know are bad news. Well, those two are working on a ship and are on shore leave as our heroes take their wives out for dinner. This is a series of mistaken identity things where the good guys appear to be crooked and vice versa. Even the wives are confronted by a couple of sailors on the make. Meanwhile, Stan and Ollie are seen to be jewel thieves. Jimmy Finlayson is superb as the long suffering ship's captain. This, of course, is a take on the Shakespeare play, "A Comedy of Errors." There is great fun and some of the encounters are wonderful. One of the best things is the boys got to be "bad" once in a while. One of their better efforts.

At this point in the history of Hal Roach Studios, Mr. Roach wanted to progress beyond the "two reeler" concepts and begin to compete with MGM and the other large studios by making feature films exclusively. His main concept was to produce what he termed "streamlined" comedies which would run just about an hour or a little more. The purpose being that he could produce feature length films on a shoestring budget and therefore be more competitive with the large studios. Not a bad idea, in concept. With "Our Relations" Stan Laurel wanted to show that if Roach would allow them to spend more money on production, that he and Ollie could make "A" grade comedies instead of just the quicky type two-reelers. Stan produced this film and the next one to follow, "Way Out West", and it shows what he had been after for a very long time. "Our Relations" is a breezy, fast paced comedy that shows L&H not only capable of the 'ol slapstick bits but also most capable of handling situational comedy as the type Cary Grant and other similar stars were performing at this time. There's lots of original gags and lines in this film demonstrating the apt writing of one of the old masters by this time, Felix Adler, who also wrote for numerous Three Stooges shorts. In a way I'm saddened by this film because it was one of the very few times in L&H's careers that production values were not a concern and they obviously had absolute creative control over their performances. It's a shame that Hal Roach didn't appreciate them enough to keep them on past 1940 and continue with their logical progress toward even greater things. Had he done that, there would have been much more to enjoy from them and maybe they might have even given Abbott & Costello a real run for their money. Whatever the case, if you enjoy L&H, don't miss this one!

This film has an unusually complex plot for a Laurel and Hardy film. It is reminiscent of A Comedy Of Errors. In addition to playing Stanley and Oliver, the pair also play their long lost brothers Alf and Bert. The comedy fizzes along nicely although the film overall is lacking in classic moments. The main problem is that the characters of the two pairs of brother are not sufficiently differentiated so the viewer is often as confused as the characters in the film between Stanley and Oliver and Alf and Bert. The new print is generally excellent, although there are a few lapses of continuity.

OUR RELATIONS

Aspect ratio: 1.37:1

Sound format: Mono

(Black and white)

During an eventful day out, Stan and Ollie become confused with their long-lost twin brothers, with far-reaching consequences.

The first of two films co-produced by Hal Roach and Stan Laurel (the other was WAY OUT WEST), this entertaining farce has 'class' written all over it. Beautifully photographed by acclaimed cinematographer Rudolph Maté (later the director of WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, amongst many others) and written by a couple of newcomers to the L&H universe (Felix Adler and Richard Connell) from the story 'The Money Box' by W.W. Jacobs, the film's elaborate plot line revolves around a series of comic coincidences involving the boys' uncomprehending wives (Betty Healey and the diminutive Daphne Pollard), a couple of gold-diggers (Iris Adrian and Lona Andre), a belligerent sea captain (Sidney Toler) and an incredulous restaurateur (Alan Hale). Though uncredited on the print itself, Laurel appears to have bolstered the screenplay with a number of 'typical' L&H routines - the movie opens on a shot of the boys and their wives passing teacups in an endless circle around the dinner table, for example - but these items are shoehorned into an extremely busy scenario which ends in a frantic dockside encounter with a couple of smart-looking gangsters (the equally smart-looking Ralf Harolde and Noel Madison). While there's laughs to be had from the convoluted plot developments and farcical situations, the movie lacks some of the charm and intimacy of L&H's shorter entries. Also starring Arthur Housman (a fabulous comic drunk in many similar movies) and L&H regular James Finlayson. Directed by Harry Lachman (DANTE'S INFERNO).

Stan's and Oliver's long lost twin brothers, sailors Alf Laurel and Bert Hardy are on shore.Lots of misunderstandings happen, when there are two Laurels and two Hardies in town.Our Relations is a classic L&H film with many funny scenes in it.Many scenes that make you laugh at loud.The movie offers you many funny situations from the beginning to the end.A must see for Stan and Ollie fans.It offers you double fun with the boys.

It's a good half-hour before this LAUREL & HARDY feature goes into gear because it's a little more plot heavy than usual. "Here's another nice mess you got me into," wails Ollie when their plans to go on the town on shore leave are thwarted by a crooked mate who steals their money (JAMES FINLAYSON). The merry mix-up starts when the boy's twin brothers decide to go to the same beer garden they just exited.

Waiter ALAN HALE has a good line waiting for them when the twin brothers arrive at his beer garden. "I know what you boys will have," he tells them sarcastically. IRIS ADRIAN, as one of the girls the sailor boys picked up, confuses the other twins for the guys that stood them up. And so it goes. Alan Hale returns the diamond ring the sailors left for security, but to the wrong hands.

The wives, who know nothing about the boys having a twin brother, walk off in a huff when the misunderstandings keep piling up. The twin theme really gets a workout with a lot of gags and ALAN HALE is especially good as the exasperated waiter at the beer garden.

If you're a Laurel and Hardy fan, this one is highly recommended for some good chuckles.

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.

Didn't find 'Our Relations' one of the duo's best, they have done better short and feature films. In a filmography that was mostly solid to classic (only '45 Minutes from Hollywood' misfired for me, and 'The Bohemian Girl' was a mixed bag, but that was very early on when their partnership and style hadn't formed or evolved and when Hardy especially was not being used well), nonetheless it is still good and has much of what makes Laurel and Hardy's work as appealing as it is.

'Our Relations' story is a little convoluted and over-stuffed, with a little too much going on, and at times too reliant on coincidence.

Also found it a bit of a slow-starter with a draggy first third where there is a little too much talk for my liking. The pier scene is somewhat sloppily edited.

However, 'Our Relations' is nonetheless very funny, like towards the end and in the bar. It is rarely dull, going at a snappy pace, and there is energy in the slapstick and sly wit, silly and typical of the duo but in an endearing and entertaining way. The second half is much better, livelier in pace and chockfull of beautifully timed gags and wit.

Both Laurel and Hardy are on top form, especially Laurel (such as towards the end). They are equally funny with impeccable comic timing physically and verbally, this is not a case of one being funnier and having more screen time than the other (in their early efforts Laurel tended to be funnier and better used). Their chemistry is legendary for a reason and it is obvious here. The supporting cast are up to their level, especially James Finlayson (well used) and Alan Hale, who has some funny lines.

In conclusion, not one of the duo's best overall but among the mid-better end when it comes to their feature films. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A couple of ordinary fellows find that life can get very complicated when they are mistaken for their long lost identical twins.

Laurel & Hardy are a delight once more in OUR RELATIONS, an enjoyable film which lets the Boys simply do what they did best - just act silly. Looking very much like an expanded short subject, the fast moving plot rushes from one absurdity to another, pulling the happy viewer along with it. Highlight: in the tiny phone booth.

Stan & Ollie are given great assistance from a supporting cast of old pros: Daphne Pollard & Betty Healy as their long-suffering wives; Arthur Housman in his familiar role of a hilarious drunk; Sidney Toler as a ferocious ship's captain; and no-nonsense Alan Hale, very humorous as a burly waiter encountered by the Boys at a local beer garden. Funny James Finlayson, the Boys' frequent foil, has a meatier role than usual as a parsimonious Scots.

Normally when you see a Laural and Hardy short you notice that the script is rather disjointed and comes across as a series of sketches with no real plot at the core and considering that OUR RELATIONS lasts for a a total of 73 minutes I came to it expecting a rather incoherent story saved only by the uncanny ability of Stan and Ollie being able to tickle my funny bone

My doubts were unfounded because this is a fairly tightly plotted comedy where Stan and Ollie suffer from a case of mistaken identity . Of course it's not flawless and there's some very serious suspension of disbelief needed . What's the chances of Stan and Ollie having two identical brothers ? So identical that they also share the exact same mannerisms . Not only that but they also end up through a series of unlikely events sharing the exact same clothes and appearing at the same locations that their twin brothers attend . The mind boggles at these coincidences

It really says something of the standard of Laurel and Hardy that despite noticing these coincidences this feature wasn't ruined in any way . It should also be noted that OUR RELATIONS feels more cinematic than many of the shorts that come across as very stagey , about the only criticism on a technical level is the pier scene ( Prepare to wet yourself ) which is rather poorly edited , but this is a very good Stan and Ollie feature

Stan Laurel's first shot at producing eventually becomes a truly enjoyable experience, and one that is certainly more fun than William Shakespeare's Comedy Of Errors, from which this film obviously takes its cue.

Here fans of the dynamic duo get double value as the boys play twin brothers with naturally mirthful results. Stan & Ollie are mischievous sailors on shore leave who are entrusted with the safe delivery of a diamond ring, knowing their personal penchants for blowing all their cash they have left their cash with Captain Toler under strict orders not to let them have it until they are at sail again. It just so happens that the town they are visiting is also the place that their twin brothers {Alfie & Bert} live as henpecked but happy husbands, they may look the same but each respective set of twins are polar opposites in how they live their lives.

The plot takes all four men and hurtles them into scenario after scenario of confusion with great results, the spouses, the villains, the captain, the drunk {a wonderful Arthur Houseman}, and a number of fun characters all get mixed up in the confusion. The film is slow for the first part because we are introduced to a number of characters, but it's really just a question of time before it all comes together, and it certainly does. If you aren't holding in your sides come the wharf finale then you have had a sense of humour bypass !, 9/10.

For me a comedy is a movie in which i have laughs after laughs after laughs and as i have already written, for one time, my country is better than America : over there, the only comedies i rated 10 are Saving Silverman, Looney Tunes, Pee-Wee, Fletch, Raising Arizona, Vacations, Groundhog Day, Miss Doubtfire, Goonies, Gremlins and Ghosbusters… So that makes just an handful and this memorable duo of Laurel & Hardy rejoices now this club !

At first, i feared it would be an old boring and dusty stuff like Charlot but the dynamic duo convinces me of their true genius for the genre in less than 5 minutes : they find crazy things in totally ordinary things and that's when the fun is great : those simple, humble characters, their slice of life is all i ask to smile, unlike today when comedy means big money, big dashing stars, big effects but big boredom and poor results! I was really impressed by the humanity and chemistry of this duo, so faraway of today norms (except the late John Candy and John Goodman, where is the big actor now ?) . The story is a bit like the future Anchors aweigh with sailors ashore and it's funny how i keep on watching twin movies actually : JCVD, la Bellucci, Noomi, Géraldine… And as my mother during BTTF2, here sometimes i was even lost by which pair it was !

Anyway, this DVD was inside a bigger box-set and as i had so much fun with this 1st one, i'm really impatient now to discover the other as well !