Quand les poules rentrent au bercail

This is a remake of the silent comedy short Love 'em and Weep, with Ollie promoted from the role of judge to that of the prospective mayor who finds himself the target of blackmailing former girlfriend Mae Busch, while James Finlayson, who played Hardy's role in the first film, is relegated to that of butler. The original was a reasonably decent comedy with a few laughs, but this version is a much more polished effort. It's not the greatest Laurel & Hardy short, but it's still pretty good even though the duo don't share that much screen time.

My favourite gag from this film is one that doesn't actually receive any attention from the cast. Check out Stan as he pays a visit on the blackmailing femme fatale's apartment - you'll see the hooked top of a clothes hanger poking out from the back of his coat. Priceless.

Many years ago, someone once told me that I shouldn't watch "Chickens Come Home" as it isn't one of Laurel and Hardy's best. Well, after seeing this film I 100% disagree. There are some great laughs as Ollie's campaign in becoming mayor of the city is in jeopardy. The reason for this, is that an old flame threatens to reveal Ollie's rather colourful past. The former girlfriend is played by the indomitable Mae Busch. She was rock solid support for Laurel and Hardy and a powerful actress. Stan is sent to stop the blackmailing and to save Ollie's political career! I enjoyed the scenes at Hardy's home the most as he struggles to entertain some rather influential friends. Thelma Todd is very good as Mrs. Hardy as she easily suspects her husband has something to hide...... The look on the face of Ollie as he nervously sings for his guests at home, can speak a dozen words! Sheer fright and panic! James Finlayson appears as the household butler. It didn't immediately occur to me but Laurel and Hardy don't have screen time together, apart from the opening scene and the climax. A very funny short and a three reel one - 28 minutes.

Chickens Come Home (1931)

*** (out of 4)

Hardy is ecstatic that he's in the running for Mayor but this joy soon turns to fear when a woman from his past shows up with a photo of the two that could cause trouble if it reaches the press. The woman, wanting money to keep quiet, tells Hardy to be at her house that night but the wannabe Mayor is having a dinner for various judges so he sends Laurel to do his dirty work. Laurel, being too weak to stop the woman, gets in trouble with his own wife who thinks he's having an affair but the real havoc occurs back at Hardy's house when the three meet head on.

Chickens Come Home isn't considered the best L&H short but it still manages to get some big laughs all the way to the outrageous end. The one thing that's always amazed me about the L&H shorts is, usually, they run towards the thirty-minute mark yet it feels as though these films run mere minutes due to the high energy level brought to the screen by the two stars. The story of blackmail isn't any original or new but the boys make it seem as fresh and full of life as if this had been the first time we've ever seen something like it.

The biggest highlight comes towards the end of the film when the boys must try and sneak the blackmailer out of the house without Hardy's wife finding out about the past. This little scene has the boys putting the woman on their back and making it appear she's walking out on her own. Another wonderful segment is when Laurel goes to the woman's house and does all in his will to keep her there. This includes a hilarious scene where he blocks the door with all sorts of items only to have her throwing the stuff back at his head. The dialogue is also very fresh and we get several laughs from it. The best moment is when Laurel asks the blackmailer if he can smoke and she tells him he can burn if he wishes.

These L & H shorts are priceless. In this one Ollie has political aspirations. He is even practicing his acceptance speech as a mayoral candidate. Who should show up but regular Laurel and Hardy nemesis Mae Busch. She has a photograph of her cavorting with Ollie in a sort of compromising position. They were an item in a previous time. Of course, she has gotten wind of his recent political successes and decides to blackmail him. She demands money or she will show the photo to his wife. What transpires is a series of pratfalls and attempts to hide Mae in closets. Of course, the wives are again dangerous characters so Stan and Ollie get it from both sides. Marvelous effort once again.

It's not often I feel I have to defend something on this site but after seeing CHICKENS COME HOME a few days ago I must say I'm slightly puzzled as to why some people think it's not as good as made out . I remember seeing this as a young child and enjoying it immensely and after seeing it again as an adult it's - Unlike a few other L&H shorts - just as enjoyable now

Yeah the flaws with this short are the same with any other one in that the performances are very stagy with lots of shouting and over emphatic mannerisms but no one ever complains about that in other short films featuring Stan and Ollie and unlike a lot of the other shorts CHICKENS COME HOME does feature a coherent plot instead of a lot of episodic incidents

Some people have moaned that the duo are kept apart from each other hence this is somehow less of a success but that's all down to opinion because I was very impressed with the fact Stan and Ollie were both funny on their own throughout the running time with Ollie getting the lion's share of laughs . Come on anyone with a pulse and a sadistic sense of humour will wet themselves as Mr Hardy sings " Somebody's coming to my house " or screams when he sees an indiscreetly placed photograph but the best moments are the ones featuring Ollie and his Butler who knows too much . If I remember correctly there was a situation comedy from over 20 years ago featuring Keith Barron and Carlos Douglas called DUTY FREE with a very similar premise