Unaccustomed As We Are

From the first seconds of this film's opening credits you know something's a little "off." Leo the Lion roars his roar in silence, backed not by the beloved Koo-Koo theme but by unfamiliar, generic theme music which cuts off sharply when the dialog begins, and from then on it's talk, talk, talk. While Laurel & Hardy buffs will tune in to Unaccustomed As We Are well aware that it was the team's first talking film, willing to cut the boys some slack, casual viewers looking for a chuckle or two should be warned that this is a movie with all the faults of the earliest talkies, i.e. slow pacing and somewhat uneasy performances. All things considered, the guys adapted pretty well to the new technology, but at times this film looks like a nervous dress rehearsal.

The marital squabbling between Ollie and Mae Busch, later developed into a fine art, feels a little forced here, and occasionally suggests an improv exercise in an acting class. And while it's always a pleasure to see Thelma Todd and Edgar Kennedy in support, it's apparent that they're just as uncomfortable the new technology as our two stars. Generally speaking Stan comes off better than Ollie because so much of his material is visual, allowing for his hilariously over-scaled reactions. It could be mentioned too that Stan had more extensive stage experience than most of his colleagues, and was therefore more comfortable delivering dialog.

Still and all, Unaccustomed As We Are is a decent maiden effort in the new medium, and there are some interesting attempts to experiment with sound, as when Ollie puts on a jazz record during one of Mae's tirades and causes her to unintentionally rant in time to the music. It's kind of odd, but amusing. Other bits involving off-stage explosions, fights, and crash-bang sound effects must have made more of an impression when the film premiered, when their impact was still so new. But the major problem here is uncertainty about what sort of material will work in talkies and what won't. For instance, there are moments when the guys strike deliberately theatrical poses and deliver their lines in the style of ham actors, as when Ollie threatens to leave for South America "to do Big Things!" Cute, but this sort of shtick played a lot better in the silent days, and they would soon leave it behind. Dedicated Laurel & Hardy buffs will surely want to see their first talkie, but even the fans need to make allowances for (understandable) awkwardness and remember that soon after this debut, after a little more practice, the guys were producing talkies as strong as their late silent output.

A couple of technical notes: a silent version of Unaccustomed As We Are was also released in 1929 for theaters not yet wired for sound, and for many years it was the only version available, but it's deadly to watch and should be avoided. The major element of interest here, after all, is to observe how the gang at the Roach Studio handled the new technology, and without that you've got nothing. The soundtrack was not re-discovered until the 1970s, and, in the version of this film currently available on DVD, Reel Two is in pretty rough shape. During the latter scenes you can detect a strange, metallic echo under the dialog, which at times sounds almost like the chirping of birds. That's the closest you'll get to hearing the Koo-Koo Song in this one!

P.S. I'm pleased to add that there's a newly restored version of this film now available, and the sound quality in the second reel is much improved.

Laurel and Hardy are enjoying a game of pool, when Mr Hardy tells Laurel all about his wife's cooking and decides to invite him round to get some food. However the expectation of food is too much for Mrs Hardy and she refuses leaving the duo to cook for themselves. After a bad start a neighbour offers a little help which only leads to more trouble.

The title refers to the phrase used by after dinner speakers `unaccustomed as I am to public speaking etc' and is used as, in terms of their shorts, the duo were unaccustomed to it as this was their first `talky'. As such the sound quality is pretty poor and at some points the dialogue doesn't flow very well because it sounds like it is being said very deliberately so as to be clearly heard. This slows the action down which is a bad thing because the comedy isn't as to the fore as usual.

There are still some funny scenes but it didn't totally work for me. Hardy didn't do as well as he usually does, although Laurel was as good as I'm used to him being. The support cast are amusing and do better with the dialogue than Hardy (not sure why) but it is more Laurel's film than before.

Overall this is a good short in that it has several good scenes that are funny, but, because they are just starting out with sound on film here, they are not as good as they quickly become.

After many years of being on and off YouTube, I finally got to see this, the very first talkie made by Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. And they, along with supporting players Edgar Kennedy, Mae Busch, and Thelma Todd, talk quite a bit, more than I'm used to in their subsequent films. Both Kennedy and Busch seem not quite what I'm used to hearing concerning their voices but that's excusable since this is their first time with sound. And quite a bit of the gags depend on what they sound like, as opposed to simply seeing the action playing out especially with the final gag. Oh, and I loved the way Ms. Busch's rants seemed in tune with a record in one of the scenes! This is also the first time Hardy says, "Why don't you do something to help me?" as well as that of Stan's constant crying. In summary, Unaccustomed as We Are isn't perfect, but it's still a very funny Laurel & Hardy film.

Considering this was the boy's first talkie the title of this short is quite cute and the film itself is pretty good. There's certainly not that much evidence that L&H were embarking on what was essentially a new career in sound. It must have been a real bonus for their fans to discover how well suited each one's voice was suited to their character. The film's plot is a familiar one of marital spats and misunderstandings culminating in L&H trying to conceal their comely semi-naked neighbour (a sexy Thelma Todd) from Ollie's shrewish wife (Mae Busch) and Todd's jealous husband (Edgar Kennedy).

There's some interesting experimentation with sound here. Hardy and Busch's dialogue overlaps as they argue and it's oddly compelling - as well as funny. The physical comedy is still there too, with numerous pratfalls and a couple of explosions. All in all, an accomplished sound debut from the boys..

Laurel & Hardy getting in trouble with one or both wives has got too be the most used plot line in the long series of Laurel & Hardy movies. In this movie Oliver Hardy gets into trouble with his wife when she is fed up with cooking for every friend that her husband takes home.

The story sounds simple and so is the movie. It's simple but effective. The comical situations work out well and it makes this movie a worthy first 'talkie' for the two boys. It's not their best or most original movie but it serves its purpose. The plot line for this movie was later reused for the other Laurel & Hardy picture; "Block-Heads", which to be honest is better executed in that movie and it's a more superior movie in general.

Nothing remarkable, just another fine executed and timed enjoyable comical short from Laurel & Hardy, with also the Laurel & Hardy regulars Thelma Todd, Mae Busch and Edgar Kennedy in it.

7/10

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