The Bohemian Girl (1936) - film review

When Count Arnheim learns that a party of gypsies have set up camp on his estate he orders that they be chased away.  In revenge, one of the gypsy women kidnaps his daughter and leaves her with her husband, Oliver, just before she elopes with her lover.  Oliver and his friend Stanley are left to bring up the little girl alone.  Twelve years later, the gypsies return to the Arnheim estate and receive a far from pleasant welcome...

The last of the operatic spoofs which starred Laurel and Hardy is a mixed bag – a few pleasing ditties and some amusing slapstick routines just about compensating for the lacklustre story and bland direction.  The film includes two of the most memorable L&H visual gags – one in which Stan attempts to bottle wine, only to end up siphoning most of the beverage into himself, the other with Stan and Ollie emerging totally transformed after being subjected to the torture chamber treatment.

The film marked the last screen appearance of Thelma Todd, a promising young actress who was found dead not long afterwards, apparently having committed suicide by carbon monoxide inhalation.  Most of Todd’s scenes were re-shot, with Mae Busch replacing her.  The only scene of hers that was retained was the one in which she sings the film’s best number Heart of a Gypsy, a fitting tribute to her talents.

© Brian Evans 2010

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