Un homme à boue

This early Laurel and Hardy short is one of those movies that slipped through the net until I caught it for the first time today. And I really enjoyed it. Stan seems a little sharper than usual as he tries to tempt Ollie to the golf course (in real life Oliver was a golf fanatic) and there are some fine comic touches to be had.

Exhibit A: Ollie's "There's a right way to do it and a wrong way." And I know what way you're choosing Oliver!

Exhibit B: Ollie trying to follow Stan in jumping the fence.

Exhibit C: Edgar Kennedy gains a new, er hair extension. Didn't even recognise him until his wig fell off! There's also, of course, a brief scene where the boys haven't enough cash to pay for the drinks of their new female companions, a scene that was reworked to better effect in Men Of War. The mud fight at the end isn't as funny as similar scenes in other L & H films, but overall this is an enjoyable little short.

This was a rather disappointing silent comedy short from Laurel & Hardy. It by no means is a horrible or bad movie but the movie is too simple constructed and lacks some true creativity or humor to consider this an above average Laurel & Hardy short.

The movie starts of really slow and only really begins to take pace from the moment the boys enter the golf course. However also in that part of the movie it keeps lacking in some true creativity or remarkable comedy moments. The movie doesn't have any real laughs in it, although it's still perfectly fun to watch all of course. Laurel's & Hardy's antics never get boring to watch.

The only thing that makes this movie stand it is the end sequence which basically consists out of one big mud fight, involving the boys, their lady friends, their rival and a whole bunch of innocent bystanders. It's always fun to see a good old fashioned mud fight. It's simple, it's corny but it just never gets tiresome or unfunny to watch.

It's interesting to see Laurel & Hardy in one of the early teaming-ups and how the characters developed throughout the years. There also are a bunch of other regular Laurel & Hardy actors present in this movie such as; Dorothy Coburn, Jack Hill and Edgar Kennedy, who normally mainly plays cop roles.

This movie as a whole doesn't stand out as the best, most original or enjoyable Laurel & Hardy silent comedy shorts, although it still is a certainly watchable one.

6/10

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There's a reason why Should Married Men Go Home? isn't as well known as some of Laurel & Hardy's other silent comedies: it isn't one of their best. It's pleasant enough, and provides a few chuckles along the way, but never rises to the inspired heights of Two Tars or Big Business. The first portion is set in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Hardy, eager to enjoy an afternoon of quiet domestic bliss together. Instead, Mr. Laurel arrives and the Hardys' peace is shattered. Once they've (reluctantly) welcomed him inside, Stan accidentally ignites an entire box of wooden matches and, for an encore, knocks down a window blind. When Stan asks to play a record Ollie insists on putting it on himself, but -- predictably -- makes a botch of the job. At Mrs. Hardy's angry behest the boys leave the house and head for the golf links. There they hook up with a couple of cute girls, and attempt to treat them to cherry sodas on their limited funds. Ultimately, the peace of the entire golf course is shattered when a mud fight ensues and all of the golfers are gradually sucked into the escalating chaos.

It's nice to see Stan & Ollie looking so young and fit in this early collaboration, and it's always a pleasure to watch them interact with the Hal Roach Studio's stock company of supporting players, but somehow this short never quite clicks. By the time the boys reach the golf course we're ready for action, but the mud fight finale feels unmotivated, even a little desperate, and the film ends on a rather flat note with an anticlimactic closing gag. Still, for Laurel & Hardy buffs there are several elements of interest. Two amusing routines found in this film were later reworked to better effect with sound: the opening where Mr. & Mrs. Hardy pretend they're not home can be found in Come Clean (1931), and the drugstore bit, where Stan doggedly foils Ollie's attempt to stretch their limited resources, would be repeated in the early talkie Men O' War in 1929. The latter routine, introduced on stage by the comedy team Weber & Fields, is largely verbal and plays far better with sound.

Like all of the Roach films photographed by ace cameraman (and later director) George Stevens, Should Married Men Go Home? looks great; and so does Viola Richards, an actress whose disappearance from the movies soon after she worked in this short is to be lamented even now, for during her brief appearance here she absolutely lights up the screen.

In 'Should Married Man Go Home?' Oliver Hardy is married and he is about to spend the first Sunday in weeks alone with his wife. They hope Stan will not come along but of course he does. After Stan has caused some trouble the wife tells Oliver to go play some golf with Stan. At the golf club you can only play with parties of four so they hook up with two ladies, pretending to be bankers. With the ladies they have money problems in a bar, trouble with another golfer outside and a hilarious fight that involves a lot of mud.

The parts with the wife are not that funny although they are not boring either. There are some good gags. The sequence in the bar is a terrific one, especially the moments with Stan ordering a drink. Stan is also very funny during the golf game and the big fight that ends the short plays the way it should play. Although this is not one of their best the bar sequence and the mud fight near the end are entertaining enough to enjoy this silent comedy short.

Having just watched and reviewed The Finishing Touch, the next short on my Laurel & Hardy chronological list should be From Soup to Nuts, but since I already reviewed that-as well as the next two after that, You're Darn Tootin' and Their Purple Moment, under my previous username tavm, I'm now commenting on Should Married Men Go Home? In this one, Ollie and his wife are having a nice Sunday rest when Stan comes by. Hoping to avoid him, they try to not make any noise but the jig is up. The two men then go for a round of golf and encounter a couple of ladies who they pair with since only foursomes are allowed on this day. Also along is Edgar Kennedy who tries to stay calm but around those boys, you know that won't last long, that's for sure! I'll stop there and just say this was one of the funniest of the silent L & H shorts. I especially liked that early example of a "short on money, one should refuse" bit that was later also done in the talkie Men O'War. And the end tops it all! So that's a high recommendation of Should Married Men Go Home?