Salve-se Quem Puder

I tend to repeat this in all my reviews of the final eight 1940s films featuring the legendary comedy team of Laurel and Hardy, but the six pictures they made for 20th Century-Fox were generally underrated; the real sour lemons of all the latter-day Stan and Ollie movies from their twilight years were actually the two which were made by MGM --- the insufferable NOTHING BUT TROUBLE (1944), and then this one - AIR RAID WARDENS (1943). Here, Laurel and Hardy want desperately to aid the U.S.A. by contributing to the war effort, but nobody will have them. No matter what they attempt to accomplish, they keep putting their feet in everything and turn up mostly disastrous results. At least Edgar Kennedy is present this time as a good foil for L&H, and there are some funny spots now and then, but you can tell that this picture has more of a wholesome whitewash to it and doesn't really "feel" like a Laurel and Hardy comedy. It's at least average Stan and Ollie, though; and that's more than can be said for the film which was to follow. ** out of ****

It's World War II, and Stan and Ollie want to join the Armed Forces to help fight the enemy. It's a wonder they haven't received their draft notices way before 1943, but then, that's Laurel and Hardy. They try the Navy, then the Army and then the Marines. They're turned down by all the services.

Just when they are starting to feel like losers, they see the ad for Homefront duty. Through a friend, Dan Madison (Stephen McNally) they get to be air raid wardens. Well, naturally they bungle that job In some preparedness tests. But even after they get ushered out of the Air Raid Warden service, the boys become heroes.

They uncover the Nazi plot to blow up the new magnesium plant about to open in their town. And they coral that sinister culprit, Eustace Middling, who is a spy. Donald Meek always gets some laughs when he plays these tough guys or bad guys, even when not in and Laurel and Hardy film.

This is not among the better films of the comedy duo, but it's has a few laughs. Both men are showing their age some - in their early 50s.

This movie is too serious for the comical Laurel & Hardy that we are so accustomed to and love so much. The movie tries to give the movie depth with as a result that Laurel and Hardy are not given enough opportunities to show their silly antics. I consider this movie to be more of a WW II movie than a comedy.

This movie is a real piece of American WW II propaganda. The boys give everything to get enlisted, so they can do their part for Uncle Sam during the war, against the Japanese. And Laurel & Hardy chasing and fighting Nazi-spies? Come on! That just doesn't feel right. The movie really is too serious for Laurel & Hardy standards. The movie tries to create a movie with a real story and even attempt to give it all some depth. But that's not what Laurel & Hardy should be about. We want to see some silly naive harmless fun. Yes, of course the movie does have its comical and slapstick moments but the combination of it with the serious undertone of the movie just doesn't feel right.

It does provide a fairly good view of how the average American town coped with the ongoing war, so from an historical point of view this movie still is an interesting one to watch.

No must-see for the Laurel & Hardy lovers but also not a completely unwatchable movie. It really does have its moments and it never gets dull. Too bad that it's brought all way too serious and because of this Laurel & Hardy are also never really given the opportunity to shine, like the way they used to.

6/10

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Yes, this is pretty anemic L & H, but as their '40s films go, I put it third behind THE BULLFIGHTERS and JITTERBUGS as their most tolerable (the fourth, THE BIG NOISE, has one of the best L & H fadeouts ever, but that's another entry).

Anyway, AIR WARDENS manages to eke out some effective comedic bits, especially some unexpectedly impressive pratfalls from an aging Laurel. The war time trappings can get tiresome, but at least there's neat payoff with one sight gag near the end. Edgar Kennedy is a big plus in this film, and though its flaws are many (why no background music?),it's hardly a catastrophe. That's a backhanded compliment, but I think accurate enough!

This movie is a tome to all that is World War II, Real Patriotism, and of course our guys Laurel and Hardy........ The boys are grand, and whereas others may think that it was too "Deep" or not enough slapstick, I believe it shows the depth of skill that Stan and Ollie have. I must confess, I was a bit taken aback when seeing this the first time by Stanly's speech to the board of the Air Raid Wardens.... ,... between Stan's speech and Ollie's amazingly silent expressions,... I literally wept! I was simply stunned by the boys dramatic acting abilities... I recall Ollie as a bad guy in some silents, before Stan, and of course Stan also, but never had a clue as to the extent of their talent.

I have loved Stan and Ollie for years (I am actually a cousin of Rosina Lawrence..."mary roberts" in way out west) and I was in personal contact with John McCabe before his death... (I am from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and just a few miles from Mackinac Island where John resided).

I know of what I speak, and I say IF YOU ARE A STAN AND OLLIE FAN WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!!