The Noon Whistle

Before being teamed with Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel was a moderately successful solo act or foil for such stars as Larry Semon. However, nowadays, few would know about this long and very productive early career. In some ways, it's a real shame, as a few of these early films are gems (such as his DR. PYCKLE AND MR. PRYDE). However, most are purely time-passers and an unfortunate number are amazingly dull. This film is one that's in the middle. While it doesn't have a huge number of laughs, it actually has a bit more plot than many of these films.

Stan is a lazy employee at a lumber company. Much of the first portion of the film has to do with Stan trying to sneak into work late--past the violent and rather insane supervisor. Later, however, Stan walks into a plot to steal the company away and frame the owner for a crime he did not commit. Barely breaking a sweat, Stan foils the plan and the film ends--a bit prematurely if you ask me, as the ending seemed too abrupt. However, considering the general level of adequateness about the film, maybe this isn't a bad thing!