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Laurel and Hardy's last film during their best golden era where they worked for Hal Roach Studios. It's not their best Roach movie, but it's still quite funny with a good dose of laughs and is completely worth seeing. (After this one they would move over to Fox and MGM Studios where they'd make what most fans agree are the least films of their career). The boys work in a horn manufacturing company where they have to test out all sorts of loud and honking horns... and Ollie eventually freaks out and goes berserk with a nervous breakdown! (this scene was so funny to me the first time I ever saw it that I had one of the most robust laughs I've ever had while watching a comedy). It is advised that Stan take Ollie home for some peace and quiet, but with Stan to nurse Ollie, you know THAT will never happen! Stan calls funnyman Dr. Finlayson who examines Hardy and diagnoses him with "Hornophobia" and a prescription to go on a sea voyage for some peace and quiet. Not long after they get onto the boat, an escaped convict sneaks aboard and terrorizes them. Like some other L&H comedies, this one feels like it's two or three different shorts rolled into one feature and the best stuff is the first half. But don't let this deter you from checking it out if you have the chance. This is still some of the best comedy around. *** out of ****

Yes, as the other reviewers have already stated, this may not be vintage L&H but it's far from being their worst work as at 20th Century Stupid...I mean Fox. This film certainly has all of the basic ingredients for things to go wrong for the boys. But it's their serious approach and determination that makes them funny. They don't play it for laughs as other comedians might but they take their work and situation quite seriously and that is the essence of their eternal humor. In this film, they are faced with some basic issues that really might be encountered by any one of us today, namely job related stress. First, we would get checked out by a doctor and he would prescribe some much needed rest and perhaps staying by the sea. That's where the surrealness comes in to all of this. L&H always take a most plausible set of circumstances and exaggerate it but never to the point of being incredible, except maybe once in awhile. This makes us laugh because we can relate to their self caused predicaments and attempts at extrication. That's what makes Stan and Ollie universal in their appeal. In this film all those ingredients are presented in a delightfully artful and gracefully slapstick way. Not their best in comparison to their earlier work probably because this was the actual last film they did for Roach because he wanted to mirror the "big" studios and go into making features exclusively and also wanted to hurry up and finish their contractual obligation. BIG MISTAKE! They should have all stayed together and continued for maybe five more years. What the world may have missed in their not considering this as an option. Watch, laugh, and enjoy this as their last great performance.

There would be those that argue by 1940, the boys are past their best. This is a reminder of the prowess of these two comedic, cinematic giants. Ollie is diagnosed with hornaphobia (in fact, you're on the verge of hornamania!) by James Finlayson and advised to get some calm ocean air to relieve his jangled nerves. With Stan acting as nurse, the boys hire a boat, intending to stay moored to the dock until their goat (the doctor advises plenty of ghost's milk) gnaws through the mooring and they are left to drift out to sea accompanied by escaped prisoner Nick Grainger (and Nick jr.). Some scenes had me rolling in laughter - Ollie blowing up the lungtester, the banana, the synthetic meal, the dodgy plumbing and the fight scene at the end. If you've seen this film you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't then I recommend you find out. **** out of *****

I can't believe people are looking for a plot in this film. This is Laural and Hardy. Lighten up already. These two were a riot. Their comic genius is as funny today as it was 70 years ago. Not a filthy word out of either mouth and they were able to keep audiences in stitches. Their comedy wasn't sophisticated by any stretch. If a whoopee cushion can't make you grin, there's no reason to watch any of the stuff these guys did. It was a simpler time, and people laughed at stuff that was funny without a plot. I guess it takes a simple mind to enjoy this stuff, so I qualify. Two man comedy teams don't compute, We're just too sophisticated... Aren't we fortunate?

The last (I believe) of the movies The Boys made with Hal Roach, this is also the last truly funny film they made, before going to 20th century fox, which so famously misued their talents. Although there are weak moments - the business with the "lung tester", for instance, is a bit, ah ... overblown (but worth having, just to see "Dr." Jimmy Finlayson) - but on the whole this flick is a good summary of what the boys brought to the screen. Richard Cramer (uncredited) appeared in other L&H flicks, and he is delightfully threatening here as the convict Nick Granger. The scene where The Boys have to eat their own synthetic meal ("Looks good, smells good, and it probably tastes good. Eat it.") is one of my favorite moments in the oeuvre. Stan & Ollie will always be pleasant companions in the lives of their millions of devoted fans.