Chickens Come Home (1931) - film review

Oliver Hardy is the proud proprietor of a thriving fertilizer business.  However, his dreams of becoming mayor of his town appear thwarted when an old flame bursts into his office with a photograph that bears witness to their former indiscretions.  The woman demands that Ollie hand over a substantial sum of money, otherwise she will allow the photograph to be published in the newspapers.  Ollie tells her he will call on her that evening to settle her demands.  But he must attend a dinner party hosted by his wife that same evening, so he sends his faithful assistant Stan round to stall whilst he tries to escape from the party.  Both Ollie’s and Stan’s marriages could be ruined before the evening is out...

One of Laurel and Hardy’s most exuberrant three reel comedies, Chickens Come Home is a remake of their earlier silent short Love ’em and Weep (1927).   The team made a Spanish version of the film, Politiquerias, which was expanded to six reels by the inclusion of scenes involving a magician and vaudeville act.   Laurel is pretty well redundant in this film, which is dominated by Hardy and Mae Busch.  The latter was a L&H regular who specialised in characters who were apt to tyrannise the stuffing out of Stan and Ollie.  Busch is particularly feisty in this film, and her scenes with Oliver Hardy are a delight.  If things had been different, cinema’s best loved double act might well have been Busch and Hardy...

© Brian Evans 2010

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?