SYNOPSICS
Thicker Than Water (1935) is a English movie. James W. Horne has directed this movie. Stan Laurel,Oliver Hardy,Daphne Pollard,James Finlayson are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1935. Thicker Than Water (1935) is considered one of the best Comedy,Short movie in India and around the world.
Oliver's in trouble with his wife after missing a payment on their furniture, having given the money to Stanley, who used it instead to pay Mrs. Hardy for his room and board. While doing the dishes, Stanley convinces Oliver to withdraw the family savings and buy the furniture outright. But they accidentally squander it at an auction, purchasing a grandfather clock which gets smashed on the way home. Mrs. Hardy's reaction sends Oliver to the hospital, where a blood transfusion from Stanley produces confusing results.
Thicker Than Water (1935) Reviews
Pretty familiar territory, but handled so very well
In their partnership, Stan and Ollie made quite a few domestic comedies--particularly those where Ollie has an angry and domineering wife. So, this territory is certainly not unusual. However, the comedy short is still very well handled and is quite creative as well--providing more than enough reason to recommend this little film. Ollie is married to a tough little woman. In fact, the contrast between them is funny in itself. Ollie is of course big and fat, but his wife is so tiny, seeing her scolding him and bullying him is pretty funny. In fact, late in the film, she needs to stand on a chair when she ultimately smacks him over the head with a frying pan! So how did their domestic bliss degenerate to such depths? Well, much of it seems to arise from allowing Stanley to live with them as a border and Ollie's stupid decision to actually listen to one of Stan's "good ideas". Given she has to deal with BOTH these men, I guess I can forgive Mrs. Hardy for being so angry!! Perhaps the one thing I like about the film best were its scene transitions. In a truly unusual and cute touch, Stan and Ollie often stop the scene they were doing and then walked to the corner of the scene and then "pulling" the next scene into the camera! This sliding transition was very well done and it was cute when they would say something like "wait" and then do this. As the end of the film goes, I am a tad uncertain what I thought of it. Sure, seeing Ollie pay the price for his stupidity by getting slugged over the head with the frying pan and ending up in the hospital is kind of funny, but it's also a tad cruel and how all this is wrapped up it totally bizarre (albeit, funny). I think you just have to see it--I'd hate to spoil the ending by going any further.
Really funny despite the out of place hospital ending
Laurel and Hardy eat a nice dinner before setting out for a baseball game. However Mrs Hardy forces them to stay at home to wash the dishes. This, combined with further embarrassments, lead Laurel to suggest Hardy take control of his affairs rather than being owned by his wife. However a confusion over money leads the two men into a medical emergency. Although the film feels like it has been made up of several good ideas rather than one, it still manages to be very funny for the most part. The opening dish washing routine is a great example of how much comedy they can get from a simple concept, while the `I gave it to him to give to you' routine is a good example of their verbal skills as actors. The short continues well but isn't able to be as good as it's first half again. The final scene is funny but the whole hospital epilogue doesn't really belong and it suggests that the idea occurred to them and they just looked for a film that they could tack it onto. This sounds like a problem but it isn't that big a deal as the majority of the film works really well. Hardy and Laurel work well together and do well with the many types of routine they have here just the routine where Laurel keeps putting clean dishes into the sink for washing is a good example of how their looks and body language can create laughs. Pollard is a good Mrs Hardy as she is feisty without being too dour. Finlayson enjoys his role as he has more dialogue than usual but also gets to do his `d'oh' and double take stuff (often it seems he either gets the physical stuff OR the dialogue). Overall this is a really funny little short from Laurel and Hardy. The ending may feel like it doesn't belong with this film but even it manages to be worth a laugh! The fancy way that the scenes are linked (sliding doors effects) adds a novelty feel to what is a strong short from Laurel and Hardy.
Their last comedy short is on par with most of their others.
Appearantly this was the last comical short which starred the two boys in the leading roles. Too bad they didn't ended it with a blast. But still, this movie is just as good as most of their other works of course and it has some good and entertaining moments in it. The story is just above average. It's your typical Laurel & Hardy stuff in which the boys get into some serious and unlikely trouble again. It's nothing special but the story and the movie in general serves its purpose to entertain and amuse its viewers. The movie begins good with some typical slapstick moments. This is Laurel & Hardy at their best. After that the boys get into some more trouble, which also involves of course once more one of their wives and luckily it also involves James Finlayson again. His role is quite small and not really that impressive but his presence alone is more than enough reason to consider this movie an entertaining and above average one. All of the comical moments are rather predictable but executed very well, due to some good timing and acting by especially Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The ending of the movie might feel out of place but nevertheless it's pretty entertaining to watch Stan Laurel imitate Oliver Hardy and vice versa. They both did a good job at imitating each other there and it surely made me laugh. All in all it's a well made, consistent comedy by James W. Horne, who probably was the best and most consistent director of Laurel & Hardy pictures. Not their best or most memorable work but nevertheless a worthy last comedy short by the famous comical duo. 7/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Amusing comedy short has the duo in another fine mess...
Maybe not the best of Laurel and Hardy's many short subjects, but definitely has some novel twists--such as having them pull the sequence to a close by sliding the image across the screen to make way for the next shot. And the ending is a clever switch of the Laurel and Hardy personalities after a blood transfusion goes awry. The boys begin by pulling a "who gave who the money to pay so and so" that's about as classic as the Abbott and Costello "Who's on first?" routine. DAPHNE POLLARD is Oliver Hardy's harassed wife who is so diminutive that she has to climb a chair in order to hit him over the head with a frying pan after one of his crazy schemes (at an auction) ends up with him having to turn over all their money for a grandfather clock which gets crushed by a truck. Enjoyable romp for Laurel and Hardy fans. The twist ending serves as the icing on the cake.
A nice comedy short
This is another nice comedy short from Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Oliver is marries and Stan has a room in the house of Oliver and Mrs. Hardy. After dinner Laurel & Hardy want to go to a ballgame, but Mrs. Hardy does not allow it. They have to do the dishes instead. Of course that does not go very well. Minor spoilers. They also have some trouble with a man who comes to collect some money because they have bought some furniture. Laurel thinks it is a good idea to use the saving money, but Mrs. Hardy thinks it is a stupid idea. Hardy does it anyway, but instead of paying the furniture guy he spends it by accident on a clock. Mrs. Hardy is not happy and smashes Hardy in the hospital. What happens there is not for me to reveal but it is one of the funniest scenes I have seen in a Laurel & Hardy comedy short. Other moments are quite funny as well. Although some of them are predictable, especially the scenes that deal with the clock, they do work. The final moments make sure this is better than average. Recommended.