Um Dia Perfeito

Another enjoyable Laurel & Hardy outing, as most of them indeed were, and this must have been one of their earliest talkies too. It's a 20 minute short which involves the boys and their spouses taking an injured relative out for a much-needed picnic, only to encounter endless trouble when they make it outside to their car. Sure, the gags are quite predictable here but it's the sheer number of them which make this work, as one running situation moves into another with endless slapstick, injury and bizarre scenarios. It's not huge on the FX but the addition of a cute dog and the classic final shot make it all worthwhile.

'Perfect Day' is pretty much the typical Laurel and Hardy comedy with the usual slapstick and jokes. However, unlike their other works, I found 'Perfect Day' to be comparatively weak. Some of the slapstick works well but some just don't gel well and look forced. Also the repetitive 'goodbye' and other gags gets irritating. I liked the interactions with Uncle Edgar and the dog and the trouble with the car. Laurel and Hardy are good at drawing some laughter but for me it was Laurel again who steals the show. Edgar Kennedy too stands out especially when he's fighting the dog. I don't mean to make it sound as though it is a terrible film because it's not. It does have its good moments but it's far from Laurel and Hardy's best.

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). 'Perfect Day' 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 'Perfect Day' exemplifies this.

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

Once again, 'Perfect Day' 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 'Perfect Day'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.

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 'Perfect War' we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable.

'Perfect Day' 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

This Laurel & Hardy short feature has quite a variety of slapstick material. Most of it is rough physical humor - such as sore feet getting trodden upon and bricks being thrown through windows - but there are plenty of different, funny gags with a couple of subtle ones thrown in. Stan and Ollie are planning on taking their wives and their uncle (Edgar Kennedy) for a nice peaceful picnic, a "Perfect Day". They encounter difficulties even before getting out the door, and once they get into the car, the real chaos starts. Stanley has a very funny bit trying to change a tire, and there is a nicely done subtle joke when, in the midst of a heated 'tit-for-tat' battle with a neighbor, everyone suddenly jumps up and runs inside - what did they see? "Perfect Day" is a good comedy and worth a look.

This is one of Laurel and Hardy's earliest talkies. It basically involves the boys' attempt to take their wives and Uncle Edgar Kennedy, who has a gouty foot, to a picnic but because of car troubles are unable to get out. Hilarious use of sound effects throughout especially in the use of the car horn and the sound when Ollie hits Stan on the head with a clutch after Stan literally threw it out per Ollie's commands! During one ad-lib scene between the wives and uncle, Kennedy says a swear word that I probably wouldn't have noticed had I not read about it in a Laurel and Hardy filmography book. All this plus a rowdy dog, some unruly neighbors-one of whom is Stan's buddy Baldwin Cooke, and brick throwing at windows and you have one of the funniest comedy shorts of the late '20s. Well worth the time for lovers of comedy in general!