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IMDbPro

Isn't Life Terrible?

  • 19251925
  • PassedPassed
  • 22m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
256
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
107,104
228,907
Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, and Katherine Grant in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
ComedyShort
Charley is plagued with failure and with his brother-in-law, who's allergic to labor. When he decides to take the family on a camping trip, his wife learns about a contest sponsored by a pen... Read allCharley is plagued with failure and with his brother-in-law, who's allergic to labor. When he decides to take the family on a camping trip, his wife learns about a contest sponsored by a pen company, with the first prize being an ocean trip. To win the prize Charley has to sell t... Read allCharley is plagued with failure and with his brother-in-law, who's allergic to labor. When he decides to take the family on a camping trip, his wife learns about a contest sponsored by a pen company, with the first prize being an ocean trip. To win the prize Charley has to sell those pens - surprisingly he wins, but the ship turns out to be a wreck on it's last trip t... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
256
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
107,104
228,907
  • Director
    • Leo McCarey(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Charley Chase
    • Oliver Hardy
    • Katherine Grant
Top credits
  • Director
    • Leo McCarey(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Charley Chase
    • Oliver Hardy
    • Katherine Grant
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 11User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos13

    Charley Chase, Katherine Grant, and Nancy McKee in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Charley Chase and Leo Willis in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Charley Chase in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, Katherine Grant, and Dorothy Morrison in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Dorothy Morrison in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, and William Gillespie in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Charley Chase in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, Katherine Grant, and Dorothy Morrison in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Charley Chase, Katherine Grant, and Dorothy Morrison in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)
    Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, Katherine Grant, Dorothy Morrison, and Lon Poff in Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charley Chase
    Charley Chase
    • Charley - The Husband
    Oliver Hardy
    Oliver Hardy
    • Remington - the Brother-in-Law
    • (as 'Babe' Hardy)
    Katherine Grant
    Katherine Grant
    • Charley's Wife
    Lon Poff
    Lon Poff
    • Mr. Jolly
    Sammy Brooks
    • Short Passenger
    • (uncredited)
    Kathleen Collins
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    William Gillespie
    William Gillespie
    • Medical Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    • Steward Who Drops Plates
    • (uncredited)
    Ham Kinsey
    Ham Kinsey
    • Passenger
    • (uncredited)
    Nancy McKee
    • The Daughter
    • (uncredited)
    Jules Mendel
    • Bed Salesman
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Morrison
    • Little Black Girl
    • (uncredited)
    George Rowe
    George Rowe
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Stevenson
    Charles Stevenson
    • Medical Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Leo Willis
    Leo Willis
    • Neighbor with Trunk
    • (uncredited)
    Fay Wray
    Fay Wray
    • Potential Pen-Buyer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Leo McCarey(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Alternate versions
      In 2005, Milestone Film & Video copyrighted a 22-minute version of this film, with a new piano music score composed and performed by 'David Drazin'.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Pass the Gravy (1928)

    User reviews11

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Chase and Hardy
    Isn't Life Terrible? (1925)

    *** (out of 4)

    Semi-spoof of D.W. Griffith's ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL basically just pokes fun at the title but we have Charley Chase playing the lovely husband who wins a cruise with his wife (Katherine Grant), child and the lazy brother-in-law (Oliver Hardy) but of course nothing goes as planned. This isn't Chase's best film but there are still enough laughs to get you to overlook a rather bizarre and long running joke. The second half of the film takes place on the ship and at the start of this is when the Chase family lose their own daughter and end up with a small black child. You'd think this would lead to the obvious jokes and it does but at the same time the rest of the film plays it straight as the family isn't worried about the missing child and just treat the new kid as their own. It's a little uneasy watching this entire "joke" but perhaps those in 1925 got a bigger kick out of it. A lot of the writing is rather lazy with the obvious jokes always being taken but there are still some funny moments. A lot of this has to do with Charley and his reaction to the lazy Hardy who always "has a spell" whenever it's time to do some work. The two men work well together and that alone makes this worth watching.
    helpful•2
    2
    • Michael_Elliott
    • Sep 30, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 5, 1925 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ist das Leben nicht schrecklich?
    • Filming locations
      • Steps between 923 & 935 North Vendome Street, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Hal Roach Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      22 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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