User reviews

For my money this is probably my favorite of the L&H shorts (except, maybe for "Two Tars," or perhaps "County Hospital," or maybe "Helpmates," or "Another Fine Mess," or could be "Them Thar Hills"... oh well; you get the point). It's a hoot to see grandly pompous Ollie, in his run for mayor, brought low by the machinations of a former paramour from his "primrose days." Mae Busch, a stalwart regular in the L&H flicks, is wickedly wonderful as the old girlfriend. Ollie's sub rosa business with his knowing butler, good old Jimmy Finlayson, is a delight, and the comic high point - a thoroughly discomfited Ollie warbling "Somebody's Coming to My House" for his dinner guests, accompanied by his wife - as disaster approaches, is a treasure. The Boys will always live in the memory of their devoted fans, to whom they brought so much joy.

"Chickens Come Home" truly is among the best of the Laurel & Hardy shorts. The story is very simple but gives the boys lots of opportunity to show their silly antics. The end result is a simple but very hilarious movie.

The movie is filled with many humorous moments. Especially the ending is an hilarious, as well as a memorable one. It's a very consistent, constantly funny comedy short in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are at their best and in the prime of their careers.

Lot's of Laurel & Hardy regulars also show up again in this movie. Especially notable is James Finlayson as Oliver's butler. He is fantastic and absolutely hilarious in his role. As always, he doesn't try to steal the show but he unwillingly still does so. Other notable regulars in the movie are; Mae Busch and Baldwin Cooke, among others.

Among their very best work and therefor also simply a must-see for the Laurel & Hardy fans!

8/10

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Many years ago, someone once told me that I shouldn't watch "Chickens Come Home" as it isn't one of Laurel and Hardy's best. Well, after seeing this film I 100% disagree. There are some great laughs as Ollie's campaign in becoming mayor of the city is in jeopardy. The reason for this, is that an old flame threatens to reveal Ollie's rather colourful past. The former girlfriend is played by the indomitable Mae Busch. She was rock solid support for Laurel and Hardy and a powerful actress. Stan is sent to stop the blackmailing and to save Ollie's political career! I enjoyed the scenes at Hardy's home the most as he struggles to entertain some rather influential friends. Thelma Todd is very good as Mrs. Hardy as she easily suspects her husband has something to hide...... The look on the face of Ollie as he nervously sings for his guests at home, can speak a dozen words! Sheer fright and panic! James Finlayson appears as the household butler. It didn't immediately occur to me but Laurel and Hardy don't have screen time together, apart from the opening scene and the climax. A very funny short and a three reel one - 28 minutes.

I'm not an expert on Laurel & Hardy so I don't know if "Chickens Come Home" is considered a classic or not but it is very funny. There are a lot of laughs packed into those thirty minutes. Honorable mention: a dreamy Thelma Todd.

The great thing about Laurel and Hardy's movies is that they were so simple, but so damn hilarious! In "Chickens Come Home", Oliver is running for mayor, when a woman (Mae Busch) from his past shows up to blackmail him. She threatens to interrupt a party at his house. When Oliver gets Stanley to stop her...well, let's just say that it's not that easy! You can just imagine how the people behind the camera must have been cracking up watching L&H do these things right in front of them, especially the scene where they carry her (you'll see what I mean; it must have been a risqué scene for that time). A comedy classic.

This is a remake of the silent comedy short Love 'em and Weep, with Ollie promoted from the role of judge to that of the prospective mayor who finds himself the target of blackmailing former girlfriend Mae Busch, while James Finlayson, who played Hardy's role in the first film, is relegated to that of butler. The original was a reasonably decent comedy with a few laughs, but this version is a much more polished effort. It's not the greatest Laurel & Hardy short, but it's still pretty good even though the duo don't share that much screen time.

My favourite gag from this film is one that doesn't actually receive any attention from the cast. Check out Stan as he pays a visit on the blackmailing femme fatale's apartment - you'll see the hooked top of a clothes hanger poking out from the back of his coat. Priceless.

A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short.

It's CHICKENS COME HOME to roost when a crazy lady from Ollie's past shows up to blackmail him just as he is to receive the nomination for mayor. When she threatens to disrupt a dinner party at his home, Ollie sends Stan to distract her. That's when the trouble really starts...

This is a hilarious little film, with the Boys & Mae Busch, as the frantic female, at their best. Lots of laughs. That's Thelma Todd as Mrs. Hardy, Norma Drew as Mrs. Laurel, Patsy O'Byrne as the busybody & the long-suffering James Finlayson as Ollie's butler.

Ollie is running for mayor but first he has to get rid of an old flame (Mae Busch) who wants to be paid or else she'll expose their affair on the front page courtesy of an incriminating photo. So he sends Stan to keep on eye on her while he entertains some important guests at his house with his wife (Thelma Todd) and butler (James Finlayson) in tow. I'll stop there and just say this was another hilarious Laurel & Hardy short that I highly enjoyed from beginning to end. Finlayson and Ms. Todd's reactions really got me going along with, of course, Stan & Ollie's antics concerning Ms. Busch's presence. And how about Norma Drew as Mrs. Laurel. And hearing Stan saying the iconic "nice mess" line was also great to hear! It should be noted this was made during the early talkie era when, if you wanted to see this in another language, instead of dubbing the lead actors would then read the alternate words at a blackboard off-screen with support from alternate players who came from the country of origin of that language or at least someone who knew it well. So now I'm going to watch the Spanish version of this short...

"Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W)

A Review by Jonathan Fain

[7/10]

This 30 minutes shorty is remake of their silent film from 1927 "Love 'Em and Weep". It is awkward, yet, has its moments. The editing was terrible, many cuts were out of their place, and made the movie look like a mix of unrelated shots. One scene for example, Laurel is on the phone and his response to the dialog comes 20 seconds late. The acting is so theatrical. Some respond shots are extremely overacted and don't match the scene. At the end when Laurel and Hardy try to get out of the house, the amazed faces of the servant and Laurel's wife are just embarrassing. Maybe the comedy doesn't hold the times. Maybe the audience has developed a different sense of humor. However, the social issues in this film are ahead of its time, and the women in this film are powerful (Though they still faint at a point of a gun).

Highlights:

* Hardy's wife picking up an Axe to find him. Great.

* The ending scene where Laurel carries the blackmailer to hide from his wife is silly and amusing.

"Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W) | Genre: Short, Comedy, Slapstick, Farce | Director: James W. Horne | Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy | Rating: 7/10

This is an absolutely hilarious sketch, that ranks with Men-O-War, Another Fine Mess, Perfect Day, and Twice Two as one of the funniest shorts the duo ever did. The show starts with Oliver--a successful fertilizer magnate (with dim witted Stan in tow) who's running for mayor. When an ex-girlfriend blackmails him, picture and all it's up to Stan to save Ollie's campaign, job, and marriage. The funniest part is when Stan and Ollie are carrying the blackmailer at the end Complete with furniture fight, car destruction, and other typical antics this is a great movie. The supporting cast is also great, complete with James Finlyson as the usual butt of jokes. An excellent move that has a 100 smiles in it.

These L & H shorts are priceless. In this one Ollie has political aspirations. He is even practicing his acceptance speech as a mayoral candidate. Who should show up but regular Laurel and Hardy nemesis Mae Busch. She has a photograph of her cavorting with Ollie in a sort of compromising position. They were an item in a previous time. Of course, she has gotten wind of his recent political successes and decides to blackmail him. She demands money or she will show the photo to his wife. What transpires is a series of pratfalls and attempts to hide Mae in closets. Of course, the wives are again dangerous characters so Stan and Ollie get it from both sides. Marvelous effort once again.

It's not often I feel I have to defend something on this site but after seeing CHICKENS COME HOME a few days ago I must say I'm slightly puzzled as to why some people think it's not as good as made out . I remember seeing this as a young child and enjoying it immensely and after seeing it again as an adult it's - Unlike a few other L&H shorts - just as enjoyable now

Yeah the flaws with this short are the same with any other one in that the performances are very stagy with lots of shouting and over emphatic mannerisms but no one ever complains about that in other short films featuring Stan and Ollie and unlike a lot of the other shorts CHICKENS COME HOME does feature a coherent plot instead of a lot of episodic incidents

Some people have moaned that the duo are kept apart from each other hence this is somehow less of a success but that's all down to opinion because I was very impressed with the fact Stan and Ollie were both funny on their own throughout the running time with Ollie getting the lion's share of laughs . Come on anyone with a pulse and a sadistic sense of humour will wet themselves as Mr Hardy sings " Somebody's coming to my house " or screams when he sees an indiscreetly placed photograph but the best moments are the ones featuring Ollie and his Butler who knows too much . If I remember correctly there was a situation comedy from over 20 years ago featuring Keith Barron and Carlos Douglas called DUTY FREE with a very similar premise

Mr. Hardy is running for mayor. He is proposing a dignified city with a strict moral code. Enter ex-girlfriend Mae Busch to cackle at this line and proceed to blackmail him. When Hardy's wife, Thelma Todd, begins to catch on, the situation becomes desperately funny.

This one takes advantages of all the leads' comic strengths, including Ollie's pomposity, Miss Todd's flar and Miss Busch's ability to destroy every bit of crockery while shouting imprecations. The arc of the relationships is inevitable, giving the audience a chance to get in ahead of the player and laugh at every one of them. It's perfect.

Chickens Come Home (1931)

*** (out of 4)

Hardy is ecstatic that he's in the running for Mayor but this joy soon turns to fear when a woman from his past shows up with a photo of the two that could cause trouble if it reaches the press. The woman, wanting money to keep quiet, tells Hardy to be at her house that night but the wannabe Mayor is having a dinner for various judges so he sends Laurel to do his dirty work. Laurel, being too weak to stop the woman, gets in trouble with his own wife who thinks he's having an affair but the real havoc occurs back at Hardy's house when the three meet head on.

Chickens Come Home isn't considered the best L&H short but it still manages to get some big laughs all the way to the outrageous end. The one thing that's always amazed me about the L&H shorts is, usually, they run towards the thirty-minute mark yet it feels as though these films run mere minutes due to the high energy level brought to the screen by the two stars. The story of blackmail isn't any original or new but the boys make it seem as fresh and full of life as if this had been the first time we've ever seen something like it.

The biggest highlight comes towards the end of the film when the boys must try and sneak the blackmailer out of the house without Hardy's wife finding out about the past. This little scene has the boys putting the woman on their back and making it appear she's walking out on her own. Another wonderful segment is when Laurel goes to the woman's house and does all in his will to keep her there. This includes a hilarious scene where he blocks the door with all sorts of items only to have her throwing the stuff back at his head. The dialogue is also very fresh and we get several laughs from it. The best moment is when Laurel asks the blackmailer if he can smoke and she tells him he can burn if he wishes.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.

Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess), 'Two Tars' for me was their first truly classic one with close to flawless execution. Didn't find 'Chickens Come Home' quite one of their very best, but it to me was one of their best 1931 efforts anf among the better half of their output at this point.

If there is anything that could have been done to make 'Chickens Come Home', it could have been tighter at the beginning.

When 'Chickens Come Home' does get going, which it does do quite quickly, it is great fun, not always hilarious but never less than very amusing, the best being classic hilarity. It is never too silly, there is a wackiness that never loses its energy and the sly wit is here, some of the material may not be new but how it's executed actually doesn't feel too familiar and it doesn't get repetitive. A lot happens yet it doesn't ever feel rushed or over-stuffed.

Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Chickens Come Home' and on the most part from 'Two Tars' onwards we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable, especially Laurel though Hardy's song sung to the dinner guests is the highlight of the film.

'Chickens Come Home' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. The supporting players are solid, particularly a priceless James Finlayson, but it's Laurel and Hardy's show all the way.

Overall, near-classic Laurel and Hardy. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Judgement Day!

This had to be Laurel and Hardy's most sexually charged film ever, and still raises a few eyebrows to this day. An example as to why strict production codes were eventually enforced in Hollywood, known as the Hays Code.

Ollie plays a wealthy businessman who is running for mayor. Enter unpredictable Mae Busch (legendary staple in L and H films) who threatens to expose some risque photos --unless he PAYS up. Perky Thelma Todd plays Hardy's wife who does some genuinely funny double takes, once the story shifts into high gear. Ollie has no choice but to use Stan to try and detour Mae, and this is where the risque stuff begins. You have to admit, the boys and Mae Busch were at the top of their game when it came to gymnastics.

Best part -- Mae's scenes with Stan, and attempting to get her car keys out of his pockets? Outrageous, laugh out loud scene, years ahead of its time. James Finlayson plays the exasperated butler, eye witness to all this wild stuff. Watch him at his best.

An R-rated romp with more to come. If you listen close enough, you can hear the faint sound of the crew laughing. They couldn't help it.

Two additional wild scenes; Mae backing into a car which totally self destructs and the boys sneaking her (unconscious) out of the house. They position Mae atop Ollie's shoulders, with a long coat covering her body. It makes her look like she's seven feet tall! Hardy walking bowl-legged across the room is a MUST. Catch the stunned faces of Thelma Todd and Finlayson. Simply Insane.

By the way, check out Mae's fancy apartment, and with a maid? How many other folks was she blackmailing?

One of the rare "three reel" shorts Hal Roach produced, running about thirty minutes in length and worth every single moment. Basically, Roach's idea of making a "mini" film.

Preceded by ANOTHER FINE MESS, a three reeler, also with Thelma Todd in a much larger role as Lady Plumbtree? Hardy plays Colonel Buckshot?

On dvd and remastered blu for a new generation. Thanks to ME TV Comedy Classics for rerunning these film greats, also MOVIES Net showing these films on Saturday mornings.

One tends to forget that the majority of Laurel & Hardy's shorts were preCode, which accounts for some pretty racy situations.

In 'Chickens Come Home' Oliver Hardy has come up in the world and is wed to high maintenance blonde Thelma Todd. From the word 'Go' he breaches the fourth wall as he imploringly looks into the camera while his desperation mounts as skeleton in his closet Mae Busch wages a campaign of attrition that makes Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction' look meek and submissive; while Stan Laurel's celebrated generosity behind the scenes towards his co-workers is evident in the number of opportunities Ms Todd and Mae Busch are given to be as funny as the boys are (witness Ms Todd's rapid shifts from jealous wife to gracious hostess).

Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel are the heads of a successful fertiliser company. Hardy is ahead in the race to become the new Mayor of the city and is due to host a gala reception that night. However at work a lady comes out of the woodwork with incriminating pictures of a more carefree and loving Hardy which threatens his political career. Can Laurel keep her busy and away from the gala and, more importantly, Mrs Hardy?

I noticed this short lasted 30 minutes which was 10 minutes longer than the last number of Laurel and Hardy shorts I had watched. I had assumed this was because it demanded a longer time and was a amalgamation of several really good sketches into a longer plot. Sadly this was not the case and the film didn't really work for me. The plot was simple and didn't need 30 minutes to deliver, and as a result it felt stretched beyond it's reasonable time span. There was no one scene that really stood out and I found myself waiting for `the scene' that most of their shorts have at least, unfortunately it wasn't there and none of the scenes really had the magic that they usually show at some point.

The main reason for this for my money, was the fact that Laurel and Hardy were in separate scenes for a lot of the film. In this respect they didn't have each other to work off and this is to the film's detriment. While Hardy is at the gala, Laurel is trying to prevent the woman from getting to him – this is the body of the film and it means that both men are working without their partner. Both are lesser performers due to this – they are operating with one hand tied behind their back. The support cast includes the solid Finlayson but the film is too spoilt by the split to be redeemed by his trademark d'oh (which feels like it is rushed and doesn't fit in to the action).

Overall I have seen several Laurel and hardy shorts and have yet to write a bad review of one – until this film. I just found that Laurel and Hardy's strength is the `and' – ie they are a partnership and work best when they are together. Here they are apart for too long and the film suffers as a result.