Dois Fantasmas Vivos

Laurel and Hardy had been stars for years with Hal Roach Studios. However, by the 1940s, they were considerably older and their contract had expired. Their decision to try out other studios (RKO, MGM and FOX) resulted in a string of, at best, lackluster films. Sure, they made better money, but none of these films comes close to classic status.

As for A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO, it was one of these 1940s films, but at least it wasn't bad--just, unfortunately, made by a studio that had no appreciation for the team at all. The biggest problem about this film is that Stan and Ollie play roles that could have been filled by practically anyone. The usual banter and style you'd expect in a Laurel and Hardy film is strangely absent--something that plagued all their post-Roach productions.

The plot for A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO was quite unexpected. With a title like this, I would have expected a movie about a haunted house or ghosts but these were strangely absent from the film. Instead, it's about Stan and Ollie stumbling into a gang of criminals as well as bumbling into becoming assistants to a magician.

Fortunately, despite being a very odd and unfamiliar style, the script wasn't bad at all--but unfortunately it wasn't all that funny either. While there were a few mildly funny moments, they were all centered around camera tricks and had nothing to do with the boys themselves. It was if funny things were thrown at them instead of allowing them to just be themselves and express their own gentle form of humor. Still, not a bad film--but far from classic Laurel and Hardy. Worth a look for fans of the team and not particularly offensive or daring.

Few names in comedy are as iconic as those of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Though not all their works were equal, by and large they stood alongside contemporaries like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and The Three Stooges with a steady stream of gags, physical comedy, situational humor, witty repartee, and not least the terrific dynamics between the stars. It speaks well to this 1942 title that it starts strong with a good few laughs, and at its best 'A-haunting we will go' is right on par with the duo's best films. It's not necessarily entirely perfect compared to others among their oeuvre, but it's hard to go wrong with Laurel and Hardy, and this ample demonstration of why they continue to be held in such esteem.

The shenanigans are reliably delightful at all times, and the nature of the plot in this instance allows for some flavors that are unique from those the legends' other pictures. One problem that this feature does distinctly have is that it's a tad imbalanced, for there is a lot of story packed into these sixty-six minutes as two hobos get mixed up with gangsters, and then a touring illusionist. Wherever that narrative receives focus the pacing is dragged down a bit, and the entertainment in turn, all the way through to the very end. On a like note, there's no disputing that "Dante the Magician" is a great showman and a fine addition to the roster for this flick; nevertheless, devoting a bit of the short runtime to his own antics further diminishes the screen time for Stan and Ollie. One consequence of our stars being shoved into a corner is that 'A-haunting we will go' feels less and less like a Laurel and Hardy flick, and more ordinary, alongside other 40s fare.

In fairness, these issues are less prominent in the back end as all the facets converge, and with that especially in mind - overall the movie is so fun, with the latter half making up for earlier issues, that we begin to forget about any troubles we recognized in the first place. All those stunts and effects that are employed are fantastic across the board, with some being even more complicated than what we've seen elsewhere with these two. Aspects like the sets, costume design, and hair and makeup are lovely, too, as they help flesh out the whole. Writers Lou Breslow and Stanley Rauh whipped up a swell tale to propel the silliness, and all the scene writing and bits are terrifically sharp and smart. Alfred L. Werker's direction ties all the moving parts together well, with some buzzing energy - though his task is certainly made easier with a splendid ensemble who do much of the heavy lifting themselves. Laurel and Hardy carry much of the title, by all means, but the big supporting cast easily rises to the occasion, with Dante and George Lynn easily standing out, among others.

All told I'd stop short of calling this a total must-see; in the very least, there are other films from the pair that I'd suggest more highly, including 'Saps at sea' and 'Swiss miss.' Even at that, whatever subjective faults one might reasonably assess against this ultimately turn out to seem pretty minor relative to how fabulously enjoyable it is otherwise. Whether you're a fan of the stars or really just looking for a good time you'll unmistakably find it here, and for the level at which the icons mostly operated, the minutiae don't particularly matter. 'A-haunting we will go' is another classic comedy from Laurel and Hardy, and I'm pleased to give it my hearty recommendation!

Laurel and Hardy agree to transport a coffin containing a corpse. But after it becomes mixed up with a stage magician's coffin, Stan and Ollie end up as magician's assistants and find themselves entangled with gangsters who were smuggling one of their number in the coffin.

This is often unfairly dismissed as a turkey. It isn't one of L & H's greatest films, but it contains plenty of memorable points including a hilarious Indian rope trick as well as the duo being fooled into buying a 'money-making machine', Ollie hiding in a box which turns out to be a stage prop used in the 'death of 1000 cuts' trick. Dante the magician is an interesting character, the plot is well-written and there are some imaginate sets.

As I said, it's not one of L & H's best, but it's still a classic and certainly more than worth watching.

8 out of 10

First things first - this is not a "horror-comedy" as I presumed it would be by the title. I mean, even the opening credits have the name of the film in ghoulish lettering along with the spooky image of a ghost leering down at Stan and Ollie, for crying out loud! But getting past that -- this is one of those oft-despised latter day "Fox films" that the aging team of Laurel and Hardy made after their greatest works at Hal Roach Studios. It's not as "heinous" as most critics make it out to be, but it's not one of their better forties movies either. In this one, the "boys" get released from a stay in jail and are told to leave town. So they meet up with a group of swindling crooks (one of them is played by a very young Elisha Cook Jr.) who need their help in traveling to Dayton, Ohio. The dopey plot is all over the place, but along the way there are some small chuckles to be had (the hitchhiking fiasco, the "Inflato" machine duping) and a few mildly cute slapstick gags. But things sink as the film goes on and "Dante the Magician" takes up too much screen time (he's even top billed along with Laurel and Hardy!) ** out of ****

One's the first picture that I'd ever seen at theatre was from this outstanding couple, which I didn't remember the name, well-known here in Brazil fondly as "the Fat and the Thin" in this picture our friends are hired to takes a coffin to another city by train, the coffin was swapped on railway station, actually inside has a living crook who is at large from the police.

Forgetting a bit the plot, there are some many gags around, they were misled by a couple of crooks who sold to them a machine that make oversized money, so they made a spensive dinner, but the machine didn't work out, more trouble ahead, arriving in the town they got a job with a great magician, but they are pursued by the coffin's gang.

These remarkable duo comics had a successful box-office here and TV as well, their DVD are available with an original dubbed version, all in my collection !!!

Resume:

First watch: 1991 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.