Laurel and Hardy, Charles Middleton, Arthur Housman and the incomparable Mae Busch. How can you go wrong?
I'm not a fan of Middleton - -I always think he gave wooden performances in his appearances in L&H films. That being said, however, perhaps they needed someone who was not a comedian to bring seriousness and menace to the role. I still think he was too wooden.
Before I shower praise on "The Fixer Uppers," let me state that Mae Busch is a national treasure and a tremendous asset to the L&H filmography. A pity she was dropped from the Hal Roach Studios roster (and relegated to mostly uncredited roles) after "The Bohemian Girl." Though I didn't mind Minna Gombell in "Block-Heads," I felt Mae was conspicuous by her absence.
Don't get me started on Minna Gombell! I think I spewed by dislike for her already in the thread for BLOCK-HEADS, though. To me, she ruined the film, which should have been one of their best features. I enjoyed it the first few times I saw it as a kid, but after that, her performance grated on me. The scenes without her are great, though, but she does take up a lot of screen time in a film just under an hour.
With Mae Busch in her place, BLOCK-HEADS would probably be a masterpiece and would be their best film overall -- shorts, features, and silents included! And she would have never said, "Who put that bee in your bonnet?" (I hate that expression!) Why Roach got someone outside of his studio to be in it is beyond me. He used Anita Garvin in SWISS MISS filmed the same year -- she would have been a great choice, too!
As metaldams pointed out in his excellent review, casting makes all the difference in a film such as "The Fixer Uppers." I can't imagine the "jealous husband" scenario working nearly as well with any other ensemble. Like the best L&H shorts, the filmmakers keep things simple while playing to the strengths of Stan and Ollie, who transform a serviceable script into pure comedy gold. The leisurely pacing adds to the hilarity — there are no dead spots.
Perhaps Billy Gilbert in place of Middelton -- as in BLOCK-HEADS. A little humor, but with the right amount of menace.
This short does play kinda "dead" to me, but that's because I'm usually watching it without an audience, where it would probably play much better.
"The Fixer Uppers" has been criminally underrated for decades, but the critical tide has turned in recent years and it has been re-evaluated as Laurel and Hardy's final two-reel classic. For a penultimate release, the Boys showed no sign of losing steam in the shorts department.
I do think it is too slow-paced -- I would have prefered the pacing of something like CHICKENS COME HOME. Had it been played knockabout like in that film, it would probably have a better reputation, and I would like it more, too.
To me, it is one of the shorts that's most enjoyable the first time you see it, much like ANOTHER FINE MESS, although I think the latter short is much better and faster-paced.
Randy S. in his book says it may or may not be set in Paris. What do you think? It probably is, but they do a bad job of including anyone in the film who speaks with a French accent. Noah Young (my alter ego) can barely speak at all!
