A Liberdade

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), 'Liberty' has replaced 'Two Tars' as the best and funniest Laurel and Hardy short film up to this point of their output, one of their best from their overall early work and very nearly one of my personal favourites of theirs. Their filmography, apart from a few bumps along the way, was getting better and better and 'Liberty' exemplifies this.

It is for me the first of their efforts to not have anything to criticise.

'Liberty' is non-stop funniness all the way, its best parts in primarily the first half being hilarious. There is insane craziness that doesn't get too silly, a wackiness that never loses its energy 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.

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 you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Liberty' we are far from robbed of that.

'Liberty' 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.

All in all, wonderful and a Laurel and Hardy essential. 10/10 Bethany Cox

"Liberty" was one of Laurel and Hardy's last silent films, and clearly one of their best. Only two years into their long screen partnership, this talented duo had mastered silent comedy art by 1929, and, with this film, rendered a beautifully constructed, excellently paced, skillfully photographed short, packed throughout with incident and wit. Much credit should go to director Leo McCarey (who would later helm classics like "Duck Soup" and "Going My Way") and cameraman George Stevens (who would later direct "Woman of the Year", "Shane", and "Giant"). Part of the brilliance of this film is in the presentation of it's climax, atop an unfinished skyscraper. Yes, Laurel and Hardy were really scrambling around 10 stories over the streets of Culver City, California; but they were doing so on a wooden mock-up assembled on the roof of an already existing structure.

The first halve of the movie a textbook example of Laurel & Hardy comedy and slapstick in general. It's slapstick humor at its very best and shows Laurel & Hardy at their prime, in one of their most enjoyable and hilarious silent comedy shorts.

The entire movie basically relies on one comical premise; the boys trying to switch their pants, after they notice that they wear each other pants (that's not for the first or last time by time), after a hasted but successful prison escape (I wonder what they were in for this time?). There are some hilarious moments build around this premise, that are well thought out and even better executed by the boys and a couple of other Laurel & Hardy regulars, such as James Finlayson, Jack Hill and Jean Harlow. There are some excellent timed moments, that help to make this one of the better, as well as one of the most memorable Laurel & Hardy silent comedy shorts. At one point they even manage to get a live crap in their pants, which causes some hilarious moments. Great comedy stuff.

The sequences with the boys showing their silly antics on a construction-site, on top of an unfinished skyscraper, unfortunately goes on for a bit too long and the humor gets rather stretched thin. It's not the best or most hilarious climax thinkable but it of course also still shows some great moments of comedy brilliance.

A great and hilarious, typical, textbook Laurel & Hardy silent comedy short!

8/10

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I know that they are an acquired taste. You either love them or hate them. Thankfully the Lord blessed me with the sense of humour that falls into the former not the later.

I LOVE Laurel and Hardy.

I do not think there will ever be a funnier duo in my lifetime. My father showed me them when I was a kid. I've loved them ever since.

Liberty is, in my opinion, the funniest ever Laurel and Hardy film made. It certainly isn't the most well known. There maybe a lot of people that don't like the golden age of the silent film. This film has it all (except sound!!!) If you get the chance to watch it grab the opportunity with both hands. The funniest sequence is when they are on the building site and a crab falls down one of their trousers.

If you enjoy this half as much as I did then you'll end up in hospital with stomach cramps from laughing too much.

They don't make them like this anymore (more the pity) Enjoy

Laurel and Hardy are on the run from the law in this very funny short that evolves around putting their pants on. With the police on their heels they are constantly interrupted in their attempts to get into civvies that takes them from the back of a taxi to the top of an unfinished LA skyscraper, stumbling and bumbling all the way.

For those unfamiliar with silent L&H this is a superb introduction to a team who excelled in both the sound and silent eras. Silence holds no barrier to the boys as they innocently convey luridness and let their slapstick speak for itself. Once up on the girders, comedy or not, moments of heart stopping gags take it to another level. One of their last and best silents.