Post by Angus McLaurel on Sept 13, 2008 16:43:39 GMT
Stan & Ollie are enlisted to the war effort. In doing so, they make friends with soldier Eddie Smith. Unfortunately, Eddie`s wife sends news that she has left him for another and abandons their child.
Eddie is killed in battle, so it is then up to Stan & Ollie to search for Eddie`s parents to let them know of the child so they can look after her rather than end up in an orphanage. Finding Mr. Smith proves a very difficult task indeed.
Stan & Ollie`s 2nd feature film of their career, and not a bad one. The first really funny scene is when they are asked to join the `war effort`, trying to dodge their way out of going, they pretend to be slightly disabled when a war officer approaches them...
OLLIE: Good morning Captain General
CAPTAIN: How about it?
OLLIE: How about what?
CAPTAIN: You know what I mean. How about getting into one of these uniforms?
OLLIE: I'm awfully sorry, but we're incapacitated
CAPTAIN: Incapacitated?
STAN: Yes sir, there`s a lot of it going round lately
a nice little scene, but their plan foils when the captain sees their incapacitaion as a fake when Stan accidentally takes a peace offering from the Captain with the hand he`s pretending not to have.
The film then moves on to Stan & Ollie arriving at the army camp and to another pleasant scene featuring James Finlayson, who is wearing a very interesting moustache! As they are delivering some garbage to the General`s office, there is a fantastically timed fall by Ollie, when he trips over one of the bins left in the general`s quarters.
As the film moves on, there a few funny moments in the bunker, as Stan has a wash using stale coffee, then combing his hair with a fork, A great moment is also the way Stan & Ollie round up all the Germans.
There`s a couple of scenes of violence in Pack Up Your Troubles, including a wife beating session and an attack of scolding hot water as Stan & Ollie take the little girl from her step-parents.
Another good routine is when they have got the little girl safe, they have to find her grandparents, so decide to ask a policeman if they know the whereabouts of Mr. Smith.
After a lot of confusion as to who they are trying to find...
COP: Now I understand you, it`s the grandfather that`s lost?
OLLIE: Oh no sir, he`s not lost
COP: Then what are you looking for him for?
STAN: We`re not looking for him, we`re just trying to find him...
and on it goes...
The film moves along nicely with more good little gags thrown in, but the funniest scene for me is at Stan & Ollie`s home when the little girl (Jacqui Lyn) sits on Stan`s knee and tells him the story `Goldilocks and the three bears`. Stan`s facial reactions throughout the girl`s story are brilliant.
More funny dialogue crops up later too, after Ollie accidentally locks Stan in a cupboard. He does eventually hear Stan knocking and lets him out...
OLLIE: What are you trying to do?
STAN: I got locked in
OLLIE: Why didn`t you tell me it was you?
STAN: Well it was so dark, I didn`t thnk you`d hear me
A very good film this one, although the first half is a bit slow. It really gets going when they begin the search for Mr. Smith. There are lots of great gags throughout. 7/10
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