Post by Angus McLaurel on Aug 27, 2008 16:27:48 GMT
Dr. Billy Gilbert recommends that Ollie takes a trip up into the mountains to help his `gout` ridden foot. He suggests that he drinks plenty of water and lots of it!. Stan has the idea to rent a trailer.
They go up to the mountains and soon find themselves drinking what they think is water from the well,( but really is moonshine dumped there earlier by local people in a bid to hide it from the law)
They then prepare their meal and in doing so Ollie gives a rendition of the tune to `The Old Spinning Wheel`. (da da da da da...) Stan decides to join in with Ollie with a gentle `Pom Pom` at the end of Ollie`s bit. Ollie gets annoyed at this and cracks Stan over the head with a frying pan. "I'm singing this Song." he exclaims.
As they drink more and more of the moonshine, they are approached by a married couple (Mae Busch & Charlie Hall) whose car has run out of fuel. Mae Busch asks for a drink of water and Stan is happy to supply her innocently with alcohol. She stays behind whilst Charlie goes on for fuel.
Charlie Hall later returns to find is wife very intoxicated, now singing a drunken version of Ollie`s song. Unimpressed Charlie starts off a course of actions in which Stan & Ollie retaliate , leading to Ollie`s backside catching fire. Stan`s suggests that he jumps into the well as the water will put it out. He does so and is shot up into the air and lands head first in the ground.
This is Laurel & Hardy at their best. It contains pure Stan & Ollie material to which everyone remembers them. The opening scenes with the doctor are brilliant. Especially the dialogue used when asking about Ollie`s gout...
OLLIE: What causes that doctor?
DOCTOR: Too much high living
STAN: Maybe we`d better move down to the basement... if it affects your foot...
And...
DOCTOR.: Remember, you can`t burn the candle at both ends
STAN: We don`t burn candles, we`ve got electric light.... See the lamp over there
And...
STAN: We could hire one of those trailers. I know a guy who`s got one for rent, we could get it for next to nothing... I bet if we paid cash, we`d get it for less than that!
Even the scenes that follow. Stan`s knocking on the door (which opens by itself) and Ollie putting his foot through the crate are classics. As are the scenes of the preparing the meal...
STAN: What shall we have for dinner?
OLLIE: How about a plate of beans and some steaming hot coffee
STAN: Swell, you sure know how to plan a meal!
This is then directed into an excellent short musical sequence (The 'Pom Pom' bit) in which Stan comes worse off by getting a crack over the head with a frying pan. The final scenes are excellent with the `tit for tat` sequence of activities. This is the only film to which Stan & Ollie made a sequel. (Tit for Tat 1935) On the whole, a brilliant piece of work with good sight gags, a nice musical sequence and classic dialogue. Not a dull moment throughout. One of my favourites. (9/10)
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