Da Sopa à Sobremesa

Definitely not the best silent Laurel & Hardy comedy short but like all Laurel & Hardy movies; it's all very enjoyable to watch.

The premise of the movie is simple (like it should be in a Laurel & Hardy movie) and relies on the mishaps of the two boys as inexperienced and of course very clumsy waiters, at a fancy dinner party and of course things go from nuts to nuttier, as the movie progresses.

The movie does has its tiresome, usual stretched out comical moments but some original well placed and timed humor as well, that was later also 'reused' in multiple other Laurel & Hardy movies. It doesn't make this movie one of the most hilarious ones but definitely one of the most defining and typical Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts. The movie is directed by Edgar Kennedy, who as an actor also starred along side with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy together in multiple of their comedy films, before and after this movie.

In this case the movie definitely would had been a better one had it been a 'talkie' but alas, it doesn't mean that the overall end result is disappointing. This movie has plenty of entertaining slapstick humor to offer, that will surely shall please the fans.

7/10

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"Endearing" is what springs to mind on viewing this early Stan and Ollie entry. Sure the jokes are as hoary as hell these days, but they're funny anyway. 78 years old at the time of writing this may be, but the sight of Ollie buried in a giant cake for the umpteenth time is simply irresistible. Edgar Kennedy directed it, and threw a few unusual shots into the mixture. Stan does his "Salad Undressed" routine. And as for Anita Garvin? All I can say is that it was love at first sight! Delectable and funny, she almost steals the film from the boys. Upon viewing the chaos surrounding the dinner party it is certainly apparent why the keeping of servants was no longer so fashionable!

Social comment? No, merely the boys having fun.

This is a pretty good Laurel and Hardy short comedy - it's not as creative as their very best features, but it's definitely enjoyable, and it contains some good gags. The main thing that keeps it from being better is that in "From Soup To Nuts" you not only see most of the gags coming, but there are few surprises in how they play out. In their best comedies, you often don't know what's going to happen next.

The setup has Stanley and Oliver as waiters hired for a lavish dinner party in the home of a rich couple. There is plenty of good material in the setting, and most of the comedy ideas are funny enough in themselves. Anita Garvin also helps out quite a bit as the hostess, and she has a couple of running gags of her own. As with most Laurel and Hardy features, you can watch this more than once and still be amused at their antics.

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.

While not classic Laurel and Hardy, later films, short and feature, had stronger chemistry when fully formed and used their considerable talents better, 'From Soup to Nuts' is a lot of fun. Before, Laurel was much funnier and more interesting while Hardy in most of the previous outings had too little to do. 'From Soup to Nuts', along with 'Leave Em Laughing' and 'The Finishing Touch', is one of their first very good efforts, to me it's easily one of their best at this point of their careers and one of the first, along with the two mentioned above, to feel like a Laurel and Hardy short rather than a short featuring them.

'From Soup to Nuts' is slight and it affects the pace slightly of the early stages.

A few gags are a bit repetitive and old-fashioned, like slipping on bananas.

Laurel however is very funny, and sometimes hilarious. It is wonderful seeing Hardy having more to do and he is on Laurel's level and actually even funnier. The chemistry is certainly much more here than in previous outings of theirs, namely because there's more of them together and it was starting to feel like a partnership. Support is nice, particularly from Anita Garvin who actually steals the show.

Both Laurel and Hardy have great moments, Laurel's salad routine is classic and Hardy with the cake is fun too.

A good deal of the humour is well timed, hugely energetic and very funny if not always hilarious, with everything going at a lively pace and there is a lot of charm and good nature to keep one going. 'From Soup to Nuts' looks quite good still with some interesting shots.

In summary, a lot of fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

From Soup to Nuts (1928)

*** (out of 4)

Laurel and Hardy are waiters to a rich party but havoc begins as they start to serve the food. This is a delightful short that doesn't have too much going for it other than the boys falling into the food but this here is quite funny especially Hardy and the cake.

Another Fine Mess (1930)

*** (out of 4)

Laurel and Hardy, being chased by the police, enter a mansion and assume the identity of the owner and maid. This is a very funny short with highlights including Laurel going from the butler to the maid in a matter of minute to the best moment at the end of the film in a horse outfit.