On Again-Off Again

As a Wheeler and Woolsey fan, I have run across a few people here and there who cannot stomach W&W at all. While the duo can be an acquired taste in general, I would imagine if this movie was my first exposure to W&W, I probably would not have looked too much further into their work. This is not a good vehicle and they seem a little tired in general. Possibly explained by Woolsey's health issue mentioned in the trivia section.

We start with the concept of the duo as enemies. Half the fun of a Wheeler and Woolsey film is watching them get out of trouble together. They occasionally stab each other in the back, but the underlying friendship is always there. From the start of On Again, Off Again, they are at odds, and their cinematic chemistry suffers as well. The comedy seems more forced than madcap.

The plot has them owning a big pharmaceutical company, but since they argue all the time, nothing gets done. They decide to wrestle for ownership of the company. Loser becomes the winners servant for a year. There have been worse premises, but this just goes nowhere.

Luckily, their next and final film, High Flyers, would end the duo's film career on a better note. Woolsey seems more like himself in that one and does some sublime dancing.