Early to Bed

Early to Bed (1928)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Hardy becomes rich overnight and offers his best friend Laurel a job as his butler. Money soon goes to Hardy's head and he come home picking on Laurel. This is a very unfunny film and certainly the worst I've seen from L&H. The two have absolutely no chemistry whatsoever, which really kills things. Most of the jokes come off annoying and not funny.

Sugar Daddies (1927)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A millionaire (James Finlayson) wakes up after a night of partying to discover that he's now married. The new bride and her crazy brother are now trying to blackmail him so he calls his attorney (Stan Laurel) to settle the matter. Not too many laughs here but the thing is fun nonetheless. Oliver Hardy plays the butler.

This movie its humor is very childish, even for a Laurel & Hardy movie. Never have I seen Oliver Hardy act like a bigger baby before. Sure, it still gives the movie some good laughs but the humor is too simple and predictable to consider this an above average Laurel & Hardy silent comedy short.

Of course none of the Laurel & Hardy movies really have humor of a very high order when it comes to originality, predictability and subtlety but in normal cases this doesn't matter at all, since it's so extremely fine executed and timed. They however really went too far with this movie however. It's even more simple and predictable than we are accustomed to. Not sure what they tried to accomplish here. Perhaps they were targeting for a younger audience?

It's very sad to see acting Oliver Hardy as childish as he does in this movie. It gets to a level that it's almost too embarrassing to watch.

But still, the movie its slapstick is good. Although certainly predictable, it's still funny to watch all. Some of the sequences are really memorable but the rest of the movie and its story drags down the level of entertainment.

6/10

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This is an early Laurel & Hardy vehicle of curiosity value because it is quite clear that the boys are in the very early stages of their joint career, and their basic characters and relationship have yet to be cemented. It's Ollie Hardy who is the annoying child of the two in this silent short - although, unlike Laurel in later films, Ollie goes out of his way to be deliberately annoying to Stan, whom he has employed as a butler after he inherits a fortune from his uncle.

Although it's strange to see their roles essentially reversed, the film does have some funny moments. Roach clearly had enough faith in the boys' ability to work together with solid results to cast them here with no supporting actors (other than a dog called Buster) and this at least pays off, even if they haven't yet got the relationship right. For this reason, if nothing else, the film serves as an interesting footnote in the development of Laurel & Hardy as we know and love them.

One of the lesser lights of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's silent productions. Early to Bed is directed by Emmett Flynn and photographed by George Stevens.

Over the years it has proved to be one of the boy's films that most can agree is a little bit off. It's not so much that the gags are in short supply, but more so it veers towards a darker side that doesn't sit well. Plot has Ollie inheriting some cash, which quickly turns him into a completely different person. He hires Stan as his butler and promptly starts to lord it over his abode. But Stan will only take so much bullying...

The most fun comes from a number of sequences set around the water fountain in the gardens, and the carnage that ensues once Stan finally flips and goes on a mad rampage. These sequences are heightened by the jolly musical accompaniments and the quality sound effects, while a cunning canine pet is fun and the only one unhindered by the odd tone of the piece.

Not essential and only of interest to Stan & Ollie completists. 5/10

This was a strange Laurel and Hardy silent short subject. For one thing except for a dog there are no other cast members. No Jimmy Finlayson for reaction shots to their clowning.

Early To Bed also has Ollie almost turning into a bully. God knows his character gets thoroughly exasperated with Stan, but I never saw him bully Stan. As for Laurel. I've never seen him change so radically as he did except in A Chump At Oxford. When the worm turns it really turns.

One day these two with their dog are polishing a park bench with the seat of their pants when Ollie gets a letter saying he now has a fortune. Stan is concerned that there's no place for him, but Ollie offers him the position of butler and Stan takes it.

It's abundantly clear soon enough that all Ollie wants is a doormat or a punching bag. But Stan soon tires of being a doormat and when he does watch out.

This is a different Stan and Ollie, but I'm not sure I liked them this way.