One tends to forget that the majority of Laurel & Hardy's shorts were preCode, which accounts for some pretty racy situations.
In 'Chickens Come Home' Oliver Hardy has come up in the world and is wed to high maintenance blonde Thelma Todd. From the word 'Go' he breaches the fourth wall as he imploringly looks into the camera while his desperation mounts as skeleton in his closet Mae Busch wages a campaign of attrition that makes Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction' look meek and submissive; while Stan Laurel's celebrated generosity behind the scenes towards his co-workers is evident in the number of opportunities Ms Todd and Mae Busch are given to be as funny as the boys are (witness Ms Todd's rapid shifts from jealous wife to gracious hostess).
In 'Chickens Come Home' Oliver Hardy has come up in the world and is wed to high maintenance blonde Thelma Todd. From the word 'Go' he breaches the fourth wall as he imploringly looks into the camera while his desperation mounts as skeleton in his closet Mae Busch wages a campaign of attrition that makes Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction' look meek and submissive; while Stan Laurel's celebrated generosity behind the scenes towards his co-workers is evident in the number of opportunities Ms Todd and Mae Busch are given to be as funny as the boys are (witness Ms Todd's rapid shifts from jealous wife to gracious hostess).