Jitterbugs (1943)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Malcolm St. Clair

Writer:

Scott Darling (writer)

Release Date:

25 June 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

This is that movie about those people.

Plot:

The boys team up with a likable con man to help a pretty singer's mother who's been taken in by swindlers.

Plot Keywords:

Con Man | Singer | Zoot Suit | Swindle | Disguise

Cast

Stan Laurel	...	Stan
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie
Vivian Blaine	...	Susan Cowan
Robert Bailey	...	Chester Wright (as Bob Bailey)
Douglas Fowley	...	Malcolm Bennett
Noel Madison	...	Tony Queen
Lee Patrick	...	Dorcas
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Henry Corcoran

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Palmdale, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Oliver Hardy, who uncharacteristically has solo scenes without partner Stan Laurel, rated this film as one of his five favorites.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Oliver Hardy is disguised as the Southern colonel he hands a prop to juvenile lead Bob Bailey and says, "Here, Bob." However, Bailey's character is named Chester Wright.

Quotes:

Oliver: Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into!

Movie Connections:

References Get 'Em Young (1926)

Soundtrack:

I've Gotta See for Myself

Fun well written comedy.

This is an enjoyable well written comedy that has some great comical moments in it.

This is not a comedy movie that relies on the slapstick antics from Laurel & Hardy but it rather relies on its written comedy moments. It might disappoint the most hardened fans but to everyone well this should be a movie that you can find much joy and fun in. Especially when the boys have to play different characters in the movie; Oliver is forced to play a southern gentleman named colonel Bixby and Stan has to play Aunt Emily. In those sequence it shows how great the boys actually could act. They play the different actors without much difficulties and in a convincing way.

The movie is mostly carried by its story. It's not the best story ever written but it works effective for a simple little comedy movie like this one. It's well written and features some great comedy moments and situations. The movie starts to fall apart before the ending but the good beginning and fun middle compensate for this.

Obvisouly not the greatest and best example of a Laurel & Hardy comedy but it's definitely better than most of their usual work from the '40's. Maybe if it had different actors than Laurel & Hardy in it, this movie would have a better reputation.

7/10