The Chimp (1932) - film review

Stan and Ollie are working for a circus that has known better times.  When they unwittingly blow up the big top, the circus is forced to close and the bankrupt proprietor can only pay his staff out of the circus’ assets.  Stan gets a flea circus, Ollie gets Ethel the chimpanzee.  Ollie isn’t discouraged, however.  The next day, he will sell the chimp and start over again.  The only problem the boys face in the meantime is how to smuggle Ethel into their boarding house...

The Chimp may not be the most sophisticated Laurel and Hardy short but its cartoon-like silliness gives it a certain charm, although it is more likely to appeal to children than adults.  Much of the film’s comic potential is undermined by the fact that the chimp in question is obviously a man in a suit (Charles Gemora).  However, Stan and Ollie’s bizarre relationship with the lugubrious ape, brightened by some occasional surreal turns, makes up for the paucity of decent scripted gags.  The jokes with the lion (dubbed MGM by a quick-witted Stan) are generally a lot funnier than those with the chimp.   Gemora and his monkey outfit would resurface in another Laurel and Hardy film, Swiss Miss (1938).

© Brian Evans 2010

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?