weezeralfalfa Review of That's My Wife

That's My Wife (1929)

It's all for naught: very funny silent L&H comedy short

[8/10 · 13 October 2018]

Quite a funny comedy short, in which Stan spends most of his time dressed as a facsimile of Ollie's recently run off wife. This is for the benefit of Uncle Bernal, who has promised Ollie and his wife a substantial sum and new house, on the condition that Ollie must have a current wife.......You see, Mrs. Hardy(Vivian Oakland) got fed up with tolerating long term house guest Stan's peculiarities, and gave Ollie an ultimatum: Either he goes or she goes. Actually, she had already made up her mind to leave, whether Stan left or stayed. After they took turns smashing a couple of vases, to add to the 2 potted plants Mrs. Hardy toppled, Stan announced that he was leaving too. He went upstairs to pack his things. But, just then, Uncle Bernal rang the bell. He especially wanted to see Mrs. Hardy before leaving the pair his proposed gift. Unfortunately, Ollie feels he can't tell him that she isn't home, because Stan is making noise with the dresser drawers. (Actually, he could have explained that Stan was a guest). So, Ollie tells Uncle that he will tell her to come down. He hurriedly tells Stan that he has to pretend to be his wife, dressing in the clothes, shoes, etc. she left behind. Finally, Stan is ready, slips and bumpety bumps down the stairs, to land in a heap. No matter, Uncle invites them to go to a restaurant for dinning and dancing. ........At the restaurant, Ollie soon slips and falls backwards. Stan immediately falls on him crosswise(why?). This is a repetition of a similar event in "Two Tars", except that it was a woman who slipped. .......The 3 are seated, and soon a drunk at a nearby table starts ogling Stan. He hits Stan with a couple of sugar cubes, and a piece of a roll. Stan throws something back, but it hits a passing waiter, making him fall into his delivery. This is the second time this waiter has fallen since they arrived, and he will fall a third time before the film is over. The drunk now presents Stan with a bouquet from his table. He swipes a chair from the next table, causing a man there to fall on the floor. That man swipes the chair back, causing the drunk to fall on the floor and that same waiter to fall over him. The drunk finds another chair and sits down. Ollie gets increasingly irritated with his passes at Stan, so he dumps his bowl of soup, including the bowl on the drunk's head, the drunk then leaving. Ollie then takes Stan's soup, explaining that she's on a strict diet..........Just then, a waiter steals a diamond pendant from a customer. But, it's soon noticed missing, and the manager announces that all will be searched. The waiter gets cold feet, and slips the pendant down the back of Stan's dress. Stan immediately senses that something is amiss, and squirms around. Uncle suggests they dance. They do, but a very eccentric dance with Ollie trying to pull something out of Stan's dress. Hilarious! They continue when they are the accidental stars of a floor show. Finally, Uncle has had enough, and says he will leave his fortune to a cat and dog hospital. Eventually, the pendant is found on the floor. As they leave the restaurant, that drunk has a surprise for Ollie. Can you guess what it is?