http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_148_Perfect-Dayhttp://www.laurelandhardycentral.com/perfectd.htmlhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020264/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2j1mvhWatch PERFECT DAY in the link above
Again, best talkie to date. PERFECT DAY is a real simple film, so I'm not sure if I'll be very wordy on this one, (we shall see), but it's basically 20 minutes of the boys, their wives, and a gout ridden uncle played by Edgar Kennedy trying to leave in their car for a picnic, and every mishap possible goes wrong with the car and poor Edgar's foot. Laurel and Hardy fail in BERTH MARKS to make five minutes of discomfort in a bunk fun, yet roughly fifteen minutes leaving in a car never gets old. I liken this to the less claustrophobic outdoor setting, more character interaction, more gag variety, and just a more interesting scenario.
What I love about this film is this. Most of us have family. Most of us love our families. Most, if not all of us, in spite of our love, sometimes need a break from our families and the slightest little thing can set us off. Yeah, you have that family day where you all get together, but let's be honest, you'd rather be alone or with someone else. Edgar Kennedy's character admits as much in the beginning, but Mrs. Laurel and Mrs. Hardy feel it's best for him, in spite of his sad physical condition and lack of sleep, that he goes out. They mean well, I suppose. This takes us to Stan and Ollie. When they make their entrance in this short, they appear happy, too happy. Oliver is almost breaking out into song with his tone. Then, one mishap that involves Stan knocking down his sandwich tray and a ton of anger boils out of him. Stan and Ollie do a complete 180 in a matter of seconds as far as their tone goes. They fight each other angrily until their wives, the glue who holds the family together, reminds them it's the Sabbath and a day of peace.
The rest of the short they are outside trying to get away in their car. Their patience gets less and less with each passing mishap, yet the wives remain stoic in their quest to glue the family together. Edgar Kennedy is hysterical throughout being the poor guy to get his already injured foot mangled in every which way, and yes, just before the priest comes along, Edgar indeed does utter the words, "Oh shit." This is well documented, even being mentioned in the DVD case, but you do have to listen for it.
The theme of putting on an act extends to how friendly the neighbors are to each other with their endless good-byes. Of course, one neighbor gets a clutch thrown through his window, and the formerly overt niceties boil into anger again in an instant. A mini slapstick retaliation scene takes place, only to end again for the sake of keeping up social conventions. The slapstick must end, because a man of the cloth walks by, and they must not show him how violent they have the capacity to be. Edgar's "Oh shit" comment sums things up nicely.
Tons of fun slapstick in this one, lots of tempers boiling over, and the ending is.........wait for it..........a mud puddle! At least a Hal Roach film going stock makes a nice visual. Yeah, I like this one a lot, I guess I had a decent amount to say after all. I'm taking a half point off because I wish this was shot six months to a year later with even better sound. Tons of little ad libbed background reactions that deserve a better recording. Other than this minor complaint, a great short.
9.5/10
