January 16, 2014
Sons of the Desert
– US, 1933
For their third feature film, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
returned to their usual shtick – slapstick with a touch here and there of verbal
comedy, errant behavior on their part and violent-prone wives, one of whom
never met a plate that she wasn’t willing to smash over her husband’s head. I
say returned, for their previous
full-length film, 1932’s Pack Up Your
Bags, had been somewhat of a departure for them. While retaining many
elements of a standard Laurel & Hardy picture, the film had also included
dramatic elements involving the pair’s heartfelt attempt to unite a little girl
with her grandfather after the death of her father in the First World War. This
storyline had given the film a degree of importance that many of their other
films lacked, and the inclusion of child actress Jacquie Lyn had opened up new
possibilities for the two comedians. Released just a year later, Sons of the Desert, while containing
more genuinely humorous moments than the earlier film, has the unfortunate feel
of a retreat, as if someone higher up the corporate ladder had suddenly pulled
back the reigns, cried, “Enough of that!” and hit rewind.
With an introduction like that, it should come as no
surprise that Sons of the Desert does
not break any comic ground for the famous duo. It features themes that will be
familiar to pretty much anyone who has seen their earlier short films, in
particular 1928’s Be Big! That short
features Hardy feigning illness so that he and Stan can attend a party being
thrown in their honor. Sons of the Desert
brushes that plotline off, makes slight adjustments to it, and presents it as a
combination of something old and something new. That it retains a degree of
freshness and remains as funny as it does is a credit to both Laurel and Hardy,
as well as the film’s writer Frank Craven.
In Sons of the Desert,
Laurel and Hardy play members of a lodge known as the Sons of the Desert. As
the film begins, the California chapter of the group is being lectured to on
the need for each member of their brotherhood to make the voyage to San Diego
for the group’s annual convention. The way the obligation is spoken of is
reminiscent of the manner in which the leader of a cult delivers a sermon to
his devotees. In fact, the way the scene is shot, I half-expected Boris Karloff
to be delivering the message. Wouldn’t that have been something? As expected, his
warning of the sacredness of the oath is enough to give Laurel second thoughts
– not about being in the group, but about committing himself to attending the
convention. His reason: His wife might not let him go. In truth, he has good
reason to be concerned. This is a woman who totes a shotgun in practically
every scene and has so much authority that the names outside their apartment read
“Mrs. and Mr. Stan Laurel.” This all leads to one of Hardy’s stirring and hilarious
speeches imploring his friend to be like him and be “the king of his castle.”
It is not hard to predict where this one goes. In fact,
there’s so little the film can do that it extends its running time by including
an entire musical number featuring a group of scantily-clad dancers shaking in
pre-code fashion to the song “Honolulu Baby.” A nice diversion, but not
entirely necessary. There’s also a bit involving a fellow lodge member from
Texas, played by the great Charlie Chase, to whom Hardy has a surprise
connection. Strangely, this storyline offers some rather juicy opportunities
for originality, and yet it is exhausted almost as quickly as it is brought up
and ultimately has little in the way of a payoff other than a few mild
chuckles.
This is not to say that the film is not humorous or fun, for
it is. Stan Laurel is at the top of his game in the film, and his frequent
moments of bewilderment and confusion are simply classic. The same can be said
for Oliver Hardy, whose delivery of speeches ranging from the role of the man
in the home to those intended to deceive his wife are perfectly delivered.
Plus, there may never have been someone who could flip a tie in quite the same
way that he could. Add to that some nice work by the two wives in the film, Mae
Busch and Dorothy Christie, and you have a film that is truly enjoyable. Yet as
much as I took pleasure in watching Sons
of the Desert, I can’t help being somewhat let down by what it represents –
the avoidance of risk and true originality. The film’s legendary team is
clearly in their comfort zone, but sometimes it just makes sense to take a
chance and try something bold. Pack Up
Your Bags hinted at this possibility. This film, as good as it is, is a
step backward. Yet I must say it is a rather enjoyable one. (on DVD as part of Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection)
3 and a half stars
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