Yes, a lot of this is hard to watch because of Walter Long’s character, though even without that this does feel like one of the weaker shorts. The addition of Long’s character makes it almost unwatchable. The scene with Laurel attempting to sign the guestbook is amusing, but it is the kind of thing we’ve seen before and beyond that a lot of the first reel is basically about getting the girl away from Long. The chase between Laurel, Hardy, and Long is something that should be funny, but too much is at stake in order for it to work; a woman’s life is literally on the line and that’s not something that should be laughed at.
The main portion of the second reel is the boxing fight, which is once again something we’ve seen before in THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY. Long’s character goes from being a hotel manager to being a boxer so suddenly and this weak plot device is the only connection between the two reels. I guess one thing I kind of like is when Stan attempts to knock out Ollie for betting against him; once again, another moment of bravery for Stan that is interesting to see. Unfortunately, the rest of this film is just Laurel and Hardy going through the motions with routines that have been done much better elsewhere. I don’t think I can say it’s quite as bad as BERTH MARKS, and at least the girl does get away, but this short is definitely among their worst. Another short to stay away from.
3 out of 10