http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_152_Unaccustomed-As-We-Arehttp://www.laurelandhardycentral.com/unaccust.htmlhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020531/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26g4az_unaccustomed-as-we-are-b-w-1929-laurel-hardy_shortfilmsWatch UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE in the link above
Getting through the Laurel and Hardy silents was a lot of fun, and there are a few classics there to be sure, but the creme de la creme of Laurel and Hardy are the talking shorts and features with Hal Roach from 1929 - 1940. This is certainly the body of work they are most known for, and I'm curious to see if a few different posters will be pitching in over the coming year.
Before discussing this particular film, a little background is necessary. While THE JAZZ SINGER kicked off the talkie craze in 1927 and 1928 was the year there was a ratio of half and half between silents and talkies, 1929 was the year talkies really took over and by 1930, one can name the silent films on perhaps one hand that were still being made. The irony is silent film died as it was peaking as an art form. By 1928, filmmakers had mastered storytelling, camera technique, and acting in the realms of silent film, then it suddenly died. Early talkies, more popular in their time, were also technically inferior. Static camera movement because of careful placement of boom mics and actors not knowing how to act towards the camera, acting like they are playing to the back row of a theater as opposed to the closeness of a film camera. This is the environment UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE was made in.
All things considered, UNACCUSTOMED AS WE ARE is a good short. Laurel and Hardy eased into sound film pretty quickly, but this is their most self conscious effort as far as sound goes. Even the title of this short is a hint they are in territory they are unaccustomed to. The talking gags, while a fascinating relic of their time, do come across as a bit forced. The whole "Mr. Hardy - Mrs. Kennedy" thing being repeated constantly in the beginning, Mae Busch and Ollie talking over each other, Ollie playing the record player over Mae Busch's ramblings only have her yell in synch rhythmically with the record, Mrs. Kennedy smashing objects on Mr. Kennedy only being heard off camera as Stan, Ollie, and Mae Busch are shown - these are all gags of the Hal Roach crew blatantly experimenting with sound. The general public at the time supposedly found humor in just about every little noise, Harold Lloyd even commenting he was in a theater and commented an audience cracked up at the sound of bacon and eggs frying. The last things I'll say about the sound aspect is that Stan Laurel, never the most verbal comedian, is even more silent here than usual, as if he as still getting used to the new medium. Ollie is Ollie right away. Also, the new sound technology did not always capture Mae Busch's voice well, as some lines of her are hard to understand.
The story of this short is perfectly fine and would be used much later on in the classic 1938 feature, BLOCK-HEADS. Visually, Ollie being blown up out of the kitchen is done much better in the latter film, though it's not bad here. Still, the pure explosiveness of the latter gave me one of the hardest belly laughs I've ever had, and I don't think Hal Roach Studios could pull off that visual trick as well this early in the sound game.
This is also the Laurel and Hardy debut of Thelma Todd. Perhaps it's just my first time noticing it, but when she says "Mr. Hardy," I notice her Massachusetts accent in this short. It's like watching Jerry Remy on NESN (to those of you who get that, what a rough year). But yeah, Ms. Todd acts more innocent here than normal, usually she's vamping somebody up. Well, maybe she's not so innocent after all, judging by what she's wearing underneath that dress (Metaldams takes his wine glass, toasts, and has a sip). I think watching the same gag with a different lady in BLOCK-HEADS and comparing what they both wear is a nice visual comparison of pre-code versus code era Hollywood.
As far as Stan and Ollie go, Ollie, for the first time, asks, "Why don't you do something to help me?" A classic catch phrase for sure, and Stan, even though he had the face for his cries in the silent era, can now be heard, and it never fails to make me smile. It's so funny how childish he seems doing it in front of Edgar Kennedy, who almost doesn't know how to react...the perfect reaction.
This is a fun film overall and a bit fascinating due to its dated quality. Laurel and Hardy get used to this sound thing quicker than the rest of Hollywood, though, as by the end of the year, there is vast improvement already.
8/10
