With Love and Hisses (1927)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Fred Guiol

Writers:

Hal Roach (writer)
H.M. Walker (titles)

Release Date:

28 August 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot Keywords:

Army | Skunk | Train | Garlic | Cactus

Cast

Stan Laurel	...	Cuthbert Hope
Oliver Hardy	...	Top Sergeant Banner
James Finlayson	...	Captain Bustle
Anita Garvin	...	Superior officer's girlfriend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chet Brandenburg	...	Soldiering rookie
Frank Brownlee	...	Maj. Gen. Rohrer
Josephine Dunn	...	Girlfriend
Jerry Mandy	...	Soldier with voracious appetite
Frank Saputo	...	Other soldier
Eve Southern	...	Superior officer's girlfriend
Will Stanton	...	Soldier sleeping next to Stan

Runtime:

UK:21 min | USA:21 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Movie Connections:

References The Volga Boatman (1926)

It's really NOT a Laurel and Hardy movie,...

This movie is a very early film with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, though it should not be mistaken for a "Laurel and Hardy" film. That's because Hal Roach still hadn't created the formula for their films together and they do not perform as a team. It's more a chance appearance of both in the same film--along with a chance appearance of their favorite nemesis, James Finlayson. And since the traditional formula hasn't been created, the play against each other instead of with each other. They are NOT pals like they almost always were in films. Ollie plays a drill sergeant who frequently takes out his anger on a new recruit to the army--Stan. Stan is the dumb guy he always is in later films, so his role isn't much of a stretch, but Ollie is pretty much a jerk. Plus, Ollie is a lot thinner and not totally unrealistic as a soldier--something the extremely rotund Ollie not very convincingly played in their later films.

The film itself is very episodic and has a lot of gags strung together in a little over twenty minutes. Most of these are only mildly funny, but fortunately, they get funnier as the movie progresses--culminating in a very funny segment where Stan, Ollie and several other soldiers have their clothes burnt up while they are skinny dipping. As a result, they have to try to sneak back in camp,....at the exact same time the big cheese is coming for an inspection!! Overall, this is a pretty good comedy. It's certainly not one of the funnier ones I've seen, but for what it is it succeeds pretty well. Just don't expect the familiar formula--it just hadn't been invented yet.