Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.
Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess), 'Two Tars' for me was their first truly classic one with close to flawless execution. Consider 'Their First Mistake' as among their best, also it to me was one of their best 1932 efforts and among the better half of their output at this point.
Admittedly, the story is pretty thin and is pretty standard and the open-endedness of the ending may frustrate.
Despite that, 'Their First Mistake' is great fun, never less than very amusing and the best moments, such as the ending, being classic hilarity. It is never too silly, there is a wackiness that never loses its energy and the sly wit is here, some of the material may not be new and their lack of competence with the baby is never in doubt well before it happens but how it's executed actually doesn't feel too familiar and it doesn't get repetitive. A lot happens yet it doesn't ever feel rushed or over-stuffed. Hardy's milk preparation is comedy gold and one of his funniest moments to me and it is hard not to feel for Laurel and Hardy in a very relatable situation here, it is not easy caring for a baby and that it did so well making something funny out of it in a tasteful way is to be applauded.
Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Their First Mistake' and on the most part from 'Two Tars' onwards we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable and Hardy is a delight here. The baby is adorable and avoids being obnoxious, despite the situation poor Laurel and Hardy find themselves in.
'Their First Mistake' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. The supporting acting from Mae Busch and particularly Billy Gilbert is solid.
In summary, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox
