This light, very charming comedy is Charley Chase's take on the "French Foreign Legion" comedy premise that Laurel and Hardy explored quite differently in 1931's "Beau Hunks" -- and that they would revisit in their feature "The Flying Deuces" in 1939. Characteristically, though, the Charley Chase Foreign Legion experience quite effectively draws a lot of its humor from embarrassment and unlikely situation. The continental setting gives this chase short a light, expansive, pleasant atmosphere.
The real strength here is Charley's getting the chance to exercise his very considerable talent for the running gag -- up with the master Jackj Benny to my mind. Here every iteration of Charlley and his friend's habit of shouting "Beaver!" when they see an impressive beard, Charley's mournful drawing for an injury stripe on his arm when he gets kicked in the pants by the pretty leading lady Muriel Evans, or his demands to see the American consul pays of more in a different way each time. We also get a great four-part, French-inspired musical number from Charley and the "Ranch Boys." The treatment of the titular Arabs that Charley runs into is downright bizarre, as after a gay joke where pretty Arab women have beards under their veils ("I almost kissed that guy!"), we learn that the head honcho sounds English, his wives sound American, and his assistant seems to speak in an "Arabic" that is closer to Donald Duck-ish.
Overall, though, that this is a Charley Chase take on a trip to France and an accidental enlistment in the foreign legion should be enough to give anyone who knows this delightful comedian an idea of what kind of inventive material is in store.
