Topic: The Flying Deuces (1939) - Laurel and Hardy

[Tony Bensley]

I loved this one as a kid -- but now, I don't like it that much.

A few of my issues:

1. As mentioned, the make-up is applied too heavily. From this point on, the boys don't look the same as they once did.
2. The romantic situation is too similar to "Swiss Miss", released the prior year. And oh yea, that wasn't a great movie, either.
3. It's a sorta-kinda remake of "Beau Hunks", which was just re-released by Hal Roach to theaters circa 1937.
4. Back to the romantic situation -- Babe was 47 during filming; Jean Parker turned 24 during filming. 'Nuff said.

As mentioned above, this was an independent production. So technically, this was not an RKO film -- they just released it. According to the Randy Skredvedt book, first edition, "L&H - The Magic Behind the Movies", this was filmed at the General Studios in Hollywood, and was a Boris Morros production. I do not know how much influence the releasing company had on the production of a film in 1939, let alone today. Apparently, again according to Skredvedt, Stan did not have as much control as he did at Roach. Most notably, it is pointed out that Stan did the editing on paper, whereas at Roach he physically edited the films. Makes one wonder why Stan was so unhappy at Roach. I've read a million different conflicting reasons over the years,

Just how unhappy Stan was at Roach is probably a matter of debate in itself. Most accounts indicate some strain between Laurel & Roach began while shooting BABES IN TOYLAND (1934), but really took much greater hold during the shooting of SWISS MISS (1938).

At the core though, my take is that Stan Laurel simply didn't know how good he had it at the Hal Roach Studios (How could he?), in terms of creative input. It's no wonder Stan didn't have a lot of positive things to say about his and Babe's latter day experiences with "Those Fox people!" and also with MGM. If only we could have the gift of hindsight!

CHEERS!

[metaldams]

I loved this one as a kid -- but now, I don't like it that much.


4. Back to the romantic situation -- Babe was 47 during filming; Jean Parker turned 24 during filming. 'Nuff said.

It’s funny you say this because I can relate.  I’m 43 and got into these old comedies in my early twenties.  The big age difference between comedians and leading ladies was common.  I didn’t notice it when I first started watching these films - but I definitely notice it now.

I also think for the most part, the best leading ladies for these middle aged comedians were the Mae Busch’s, the Christine McIntyre’s and the Hillary Brooke’s of the world.  In their mid thirties to early forties.  They have their looks but they have life experience as well.  Something missing from a lot of these twenty year old actresses.

[NoahYoung]

Regarding Stan's unhappiness -- who knows? They didn't have Twitter back then. 

The grass is always greener elsewhere -- people still feel that way today. Again, Stan was able to live comfortably financially for the rest of his life; health issues, as well as Babe's death, eventually prevented him from performing. He was, however, still performing until around his mid-60s -- that's a normal retirement age.

The problems with Stan and Roach during the making of BABES IN TOYLAND and SWISS MISS are legendary.  Still, the fact that Roach let Stan produce OUR RELATIONS and WAY OUT WEST does say something, though --- although both were made before SWISS MISS, but after BABES. It is debatable, however, if "producing" was just a carrot via on-screen credit, and nothing about making the films were different.

I stopped buying every new book that came about about the boys a long time ago. Before the internet, that was the only source of information.

Regarding the age differences -- Babe could pull it off with Thelma Todd in CHICKENS COME HOME, but she sure could dish it out to him in that one. But that was 1931, not 1939. Babe still looked youthful.

And yes, they needed the Mae Busches and Alice Kramden's, not Jean Parker, who when I googled today was American not French! So the accent was phony. I have never seen her in another movie, but apparently she made many.

[Tony Bensley]

http://www.laurelandhardycentral.com/flydeuce.html
http://www.lordheath.com/menu1_2.html

      THE FLYING DEUCES is one of the few public domain Laurel and Hardy films and therefore is easy to find in really lousy prints.  My version isn't the greatest print, I hear the Kino version is better and perhaps I should invest in it. 

      This would make a great double feature with ROOM SERVICE from The Marx Brothers.  Both films are the only RKO features of famous comedy teams known better for working at other studios.  From RKO's perspective, their big comedy team was Wheeler and Woolsey.  Robert Woolsey passed away in 1938 so I can imagine RKO hoping to use these two films to continue forward with comedy box office success.  For some extreme irony, only one of the two films contains a harp solo - and it's not The Marx Brothers film!  Yes, Stan Laurel gets a harp solo here, obviously dubbed and wouldn't you know, it's my favorite scene in the film.  I just love the surreal quality of watching Stan mine Harpo territory and Ollie's facial reactions do add to the fun.

      Other than that, nothing really stands out in THE FLYING DEUCES.  Structurally, it is an OK film.  It flows just fine, there are no moments that drag, it's a perfectly acceptable one hour plus of entertainment.  It's mildly amusing throughout.  The clothes scene is OK, digging underground from jail reminds me of a lesser version of THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS, the suicide scene with the shark is dark but not too dark since you never can take their motive seriously.  It's all perfectly fine, but none of it extremely funny.  Like I said, structurally, this is an OK film, better than say, BONNIE SCOTLAND in that regard.  That said, there are no scenes here as gut busting funny as the fish frying scene or Ollie sneezing underwater.  A few scenes like that and I would rate this one much higher.

      The romance angle isn't over obtrusive though Ollie again seems overly innocent and I do feel sorry for him.  The airplane scene is one of those big studio talking comedy scenes that involves too many long shots and too many close up reaction shots and not much else.  Makes me appreciate the Keaton and Lloyd finales more.  The very end (spoiler) with Stan meeting the reincarnated Ollie is cute and possibly an influence on some dreadful Stooge films a couple of decades down the line.  It is nice seeing Jimmy Finlayson towards the end, as underused as he is.

      Not a great film but not really bad either.  We just have two more Roach films after that and then off to Fox.

Just in viewing the first few minutes of this over a late lunch, I noted that the sound fidelity is quite strong and crisp. Also, while Jean Parker was a young 23 - 24 during this film's shooting, her performance is fine for what she had to work with. To an extent, it is also knowing Jean played Oliver Hardy's character's daughter in their previous feature together that makes his romancing her in this subsequently produced comedy extra weird.

I'm really glad to have the Network Blu-ray of this sometimes underrated Laurel & Hardy gem, and the ending is quite fun, given the circumstances surrounding it. Too bad the ending for their 2 reel short THE MIDNIGHT PATROL (1933) lacked the same levity!

CHEERS!

[NoahYoung]

Yes, I found that on youtube over a year ago and was blown away by how good it looked. Looks HD even with my laptop connected to my HD TV.

I guess I have seen another Jean Parker film -- ZENOBIA. I think I have seen it twice, and I can't remember a darn thing about it other than it stunk.

Jean was definitely easy on the eyes, but couldn't they have gotten a French actress? Well, her accent is pretty good -- it fooled me and I took French in high school. Come to think of it, I can't remember a darn thing about French, either. There is nothing wrong with her performance.

Loving Stan and Babe so much, this is hard to say, but -- they really made Babe look pathetic in this one. When I was a kid, they always started it on TV with the suicide scene. Maybe that's why I used to like it, though as a kid I doubt I would have said to myself, "Gee, isn't Ollie a little old for her?"

That annoying husband of hers, Francois, is a bit old for her, too, btw. The actor's name and age at the time is a google away, but I haven't looked it up. I don't like how he goes from being so friendly to them, then only to treat them so badly at first site in the Legion. Hey Francois, don't you think 2 guys in their late 40s are a bit old for the Legion, anyway? You told them to enlist, btw.

I think that's my big problem with the boys starting around 1938 -- the writers gave them roles more suited to when they were younger.

[metaldams]

Yes, I found that on youtube over a year ago and was blown away by how good it looked. Looks HD even with my laptop connected to my HD TV.

I guess I have seen another Jean Parker film -- ZENOBIA. I think I have seen it twice, and I can't remember a darn thing about it other than it stunk.

Jean was definitely easy on the eyes, but couldn't they have gotten a French actress? Well, her accent is pretty good -- it fooled me and I took French in high school. Come to think of it, I can't remember a darn thing about French, either. There is nothing wrong with her performance.

Loving Stan and Babe so much, this is hard to say, but -- they really made Babe look pathetic in this one. When I was a kid, they always started it on TV with the suicide scene. Maybe that's why I used to like it, though as a kid I doubt I would have said to myself, "Gee, isn't Ollie a little old for her?"

That annoying husband of hers, Francois, is a bit old for her, too, btw. The actor's name and age at the time is a google away, but I haven't looked it up. I don't like how he goes from being so friendly to them, then only to treat them so badly at first site in the Legion. Hey Francois, don't you think 2 guys in their late 40s are a bit old for the Legion, anyway? You told them to enlist, btw.

I think that's my big problem with the boys starting around 1938 -- the writers gave them roles more suited to when they were younger.

Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charley Chase all fall into the same category, playing roles that are sometimes age inappropriate. In Ollie’s case, there’s a couple of films where he’s too innocent, this being one of them.  In THE BOHEMIAN GIRL, I’m not sure he understands how babies are created.

I’ve seen Jean Parker in a few b level horror related films in the mid forties.

[NoahYoung]

B Horror Movie + Jean Parker sounds --- interesting!
 

[Tony Bensley]

Yes, I found that on youtube over a year ago and was blown away by how good it looked. Looks HD even with my laptop connected to my HD TV.

I guess I have seen another Jean Parker film -- ZENOBIA. I think I have seen it twice, and I can't remember a darn thing about it other than it stunk.

Jean was definitely easy on the eyes, but couldn't they have gotten a French actress? Well, her accent is pretty good -- it fooled me and I took French in high school. Come to think of it, I can't remember a darn thing about French, either. There is nothing wrong with her performance.

Loving Stan and Babe so much, this is hard to say, but -- they really made Babe look pathetic in this one. When I was a kid, they always started it on TV with the suicide scene. Maybe that's why I used to like it, though as a kid I doubt I would have said to myself, "Gee, isn't Ollie a little old for her?"

That annoying husband of hers, Francois, is a bit old for her, too, btw. The actor's name and age at the time is a google away, but I haven't looked it up. I don't like how he goes from being so friendly to them, then only to treat them so badly at first site in the Legion. Hey Francois, don't you think 2 guys in their late 40s are a bit old for the Legion, anyway? You told them to enlist, btw.

I think that's my big problem with the boys starting around 1938 -- the writers gave them roles more suited to when they were younger.

Those are some great observations. Reginald Gardiner, the actor who played Francois, was 36 when THE FLYING DEUCES (1939) was shot, so was 11 years younger than Oliver Hardy. For me Francois and Georgette's lesser age gap was never glaring or even that obvious. On the other hand, I've always found Francois being so nasty to the boys at first sight in the French Foreign Legion rather jarring, but I took it as him being all business when doing his duty with no room for levity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Gardiner

CHEERS!