http://www.lordheath.com/menu1_244.htmlhttp://www.laurelandhardycentral.com/greatguns.html Before the review proper, there is a YouTube link above that’s over two hours. My DVD copy is 83 minutes, so I have no clue what’s padded in the video above. Anyway, the Fox films are all on DVD and I believe Blu-Ray and while entertainment wise they are not better than the Roach films, restoration wise, this is as pristine as you will ever see Laurel and Hardy look plus they come with good audio commentaries. Now onto the review.
Penelope, I don’t think we’re at Roach anymore. Welcome to the Fox years and the first feature, GREAT GUNS. OK, so bottom line, it’s true, this film is weaker than even the weakest Roach era feature. The comic highlights include a slight running gag where one comedian holds a drink, the other asks for the time, and the comedian holding the drink spills said drink while looking at his watch. There is a pretty cool Stan gag with a light bulb turning it on and off at will no matter where it’s plugged. This gives an exasperated Ollie a good chance to emote to the audience and fits into the same genre of gag as the window shade/shadow gag in BLOCK-HEADS. Finally, three times later in the film, there is a variation of Stan carrying a long board across the screen and appearing at both ends of the board like in THE FINISHING TOUCH. All fine middle of the road gags worthy of a good Roach feature, but pretty sad when they serve as the comic peaks.
Earlier in the film, Stan gets a draft notice that his pet raven takes away. The scene cuts as the raven is flying away. According to the audio commentary, there was supposed to be a scene where Stan and Ollie are up in a tree trying to fetch the draft notice from the raven and I could see comic potential there. Too bad that had to be cut and not some other scenes.
Abbott and Costello made a very successful army comedy that we just reviewed called BUCK PRIVATES. GREAT GUNS does borrow, having military maneuvers at the end and also includes a love triangle of sorts, though not as developed as BUCK PRIVATES. The Andrews Sisters really livened up BUCK PRIVATES as well and a similar presence would have been great here. I’m not usually one for music in these things, but on the plus side, at least there are no sappy musical numbers either, in fact, there are none at all. We also get a military maneuver scene as the finale in both films and I can do without either version. One thing in GREAT GUNS favor in that respect is at least the comedians have some involvement in their version of the scene.
Character wise, the main problem with a Stan and Ollie is they are very subservient and overprotective of their “master.” The young guy they protect it turns out doesn’t need their protection and their interfering nature hits a low point when they pose as the leading man’s financial advisors trying to convince the female love interest he’s broke and unhealthy. Sheila Ryan does a good job playing faux melodramatic here, it’s just a shame it was written for a scene so wrong for Stan and Ollie’s characters.
People of interest. Director Monty Banks was actually a silent film comedian in his own right. Writer Lou Breslow was the director of PUNCH DRUNKS from you know who. His writing career much more prolific than directing. Already mentioned Sheila Ryan was the leading lady in the Stooge film GOLD RAIDERS. Blink and you’ll miss him, but be on the lookout for Whitey from the Bowery Boys in the horse scene. Finally, one of the aunts was played Mae Marsh. In the mid teens she played major roles in BIRTH OF A NATION and INTOLERANCE, being especially good in the latter. It’s funny how these big silent stars get relegated to small character roles in talkies, Henry B. Walthall was another. In the past I mentioned Walter Long as “Gus,” in BIRTH OF A NATION. In that infamous scene, Mae Marsh is the one who runs away and jumps off the cliff. So if you ever watch that controversial scene, just think, they both acted with Laurel and Hardy.
If taken as a standard b film in a world where we have no other reference to these Laurel and Hardy guys, GREAT GUNS is passable entertainment. As a Laurel and Hardy film, they’ve done better, much better. I remember even the Fox series improving as it went along. We shall see how good my memory is in the coming weeks.
