Maîtres de ballet

One reviewer wrote to the effect that: "The 1940's (transferring from Roach Studios to 20th Century Fox) was a sad time for Laurel And Hardy."

I don't think it was such a "sad time". In 1940 Laurel and Hardy were freed from their contract with Roach Studios. They could put some of their own ideas into their films. As far as I know they were still in good health. They looked good for their age. IT'S NOT A CRIME TO GET OLDER as I wrote above! Were their movies in the 1940's as good as in previous years? No. But we're talking about comparing their output in the '40's to some VERY CLASSIC FILMS done before. So, it's only by comparison that these 1940 films were "lacking" in relation to the genius of earlier efforts. I would prefer to watch these later Laurel and Hardy films any day rather than some of the other comic films by, say, Abbot and Costello or The Marx Brothers or The Three Stooges. Speaking for myself alone , I'd prefer "the boys" to any of the others!

This film, "The Dancing Masters" is almost as good as "Great Guns" which is my favorite film from this era. There are NOT "constant laughs" like in some earlier films... the story is silly but interesting...it doesn't "drag" in other words...and "the boys" look VERY CUTE in their "dancing master costumes"! You won't roll on the floor but you'll be entertained....so..why not give the "senior citizens" an hour of your time...I think you'll enjoy yourself if you have a positive attitude! "The Boys" did!!! :o) boland7214@aol.com

Up until Fox released these two three-disc sets of Laurel and Hardy's later films, I had only seen the three that had been previously available on video - and "The Dancing Masters" wasn't one of them. I have to say that as a life-long Laurel and Hardy fan I was very pleasantly surprised.

Even taking the considerable negatives into account: rock-bottom production values, chop-shop editing, and an incoherent "narrative," it's downright astonishing to behold this pair so effortlessly mining genuine laughs from such old and cast-away material.

From the "safe combination" routine near the opening to the "wet pants" bit with co-star Bob Bailey, I found this film to be a real treat - and I screened it with a friend who is not a big L&H fan - he loved it. It's the little things Stan and Ollie did - the gestures, the expressions, the glances - that made their style of comedy absolutely unique in film history. Like "The Bullfighters," my favorite among the L&H Fox films, this one has plenty of those moments, and has such a short running time that you can stick it in your player again right away and savor what you missed the first time around. I can't speak for the legions of other L&H fans, but I personally experienced a higher laugh count from this film than from many of their more minor Hal Roach shorts (sorry, Fox-haters).

The only thing I did not like or understand about "The Dancing Masters" was the print quality. As released in this two-volume DVD set, the other five Fox films look to have been pressed from the actual masters, thus providing superlative picture and sound quality. But, this film suffers from a grainy, scratchy picture that even at times grows blurry and somewhat undefined. And, there several jarring "pops" and a lot of low-volume crackling on the soundtrack. Is there anyone out there who knows why Fox couldn't find a better print for release with this otherwise outstanding set?

It's been remarked by some critics that Laurel and Hardy on the screen played it gay. I think most are reading too much into that, but in the case of The Dancing Masters this might be the exception.

Meet Stan And Ollie proprietors of a dance studio and seeing them at the beginning in costume, especially Stanley in ballerina drag might just make you wonder. It was quite a treat to see them as dance instructors especially Ollie. For such a big guy he moved pretty good.

They've got themselves in a situation. Already owing a lot of back rent to landlord Matt Briggs who has only been staved off from throwing the boys out by wife Margaret Dumont and daughter Trudy Marshall. Stan and Ollie get intimidated into buying insurance from some shady characters. The old protection racket with a veneer of legitimacy.

They are also guardians to Marshall and her boyfriend Robert Bailey who apparently years ahead of his time has perfected laser technology. The invention works, but in Stan and Ollie's hands only too well.

Although not up to the standards of their work with Hal Roach, Stan and Ollie do recapture some of the magic of those previous films. Best scenes are an auction where Ollie is suckered into buying some useless junk and the climax on a runaway bus. That final scene is more like an Abbott&Costello sequence, but it works for Laurel&Hardy.

Allan 'Rocky' Lane plays a favorite of Briggs whom he'd like to match up with his daughter. And Robert Mitchum plays one of the 'insurance' salesmen. Speaking of Lane, Briggs does a rather unconvincing 180 degree turn in regard to Lane and Bailey for the hand of his daughter. That does weaken the film somewhat.

Still die-hard fans of Stan and Ollie should like The Dancing Masters.

Though generally regarded as one of their weakest films, this has a fair quota of laughs. Stan's "dancing" at the beginning is amusing and Robert Mitchum has a good cameo "selling" the boys insurance. Best scene is where they try to hide from Margaret Dumont, eventually launching her husband into the swimming pool.

I love Laurel & Hardy movies. They're so darling! In The Dancing Masters, they're roommates and partners who own a dance studio. Ollie likes ogling the girls in his hula dance class, and Stannie dresses in drag as he teaches his ballet class. It's very funny, and all their classic gags are alive and well in this movie: the eye rolling, looking in the camera, crying and scratching his head. The pair is a tad older, but just as lovable as ever. They're the perfect blend of absurdity and relatability, making any one of their movies a perfect afternoon treat.

If you rent this charming comedy, be on the lookout for a very young Robert Mitchum. He's part of a gang who sells "protection" to different businesses, and while he only has two scenes in the movie, it's very cute to see him in his early days.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There's a scene towards the end where Ollie goes on a rollercoaster and the camera loops up and down the tracks, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"