Favorite Laurel & Hardy Films

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Now that I have seen all their surviving films, here are my favorites, split by shorts and features-

SHORTS

1. Big Business (1929) Very funny battle with James Finalyson, they destroy his house and he attacks their car.

2. Brats (1930) They play themselves and their sons.

3. Helpmates (1931) Ollie asks Stan to help him clean up after a wild party

4. The Music Box (1932) Hilarity as they deliver a piano up huge flight of steps

5. Their First Mistake (1932) Ollie's wife leaves him because he spends so much time with Stan. Ollie-"She says I think more of you than I do of her" and Stan replies "Well, you do don't you?"

FEATURES

1. Sons Of The Desert (1933) Hilarious antics as the boys try to go to a lodge convention without telling their wives.

2. Babes In Toyland (1934) A great fairy tale operetta, they flow right along with the story, don't seem out of place like some of their other operettas.

3. Way Out West (1937) Very funny scenes and nice musical moments as well

4. Blockheads (1938) Ollie takes war buddy Stan home for a home cooked meal, some funny dark humor in this one.

5. Pardon Us (1931) The boys end up in prison, funny scenes with convict Walter Long and teacher James Finlayson. Ollie shows off his fine singing voice.

[movieman1957]

Babes In Toyland isn't a favorite of mine. Otherwise, I can't disagree with either list. Towed In A Hole has long been a favorite. (Also for my wife.) Me and My Pal would probably be on my list. Big Business for the enthusiasm the boys take in the destruction of everything.

I have the box set that has foreign versions of some of their shorts. They make for interesting viewing as they are often different with some different scenes.

[Lily Garland]

Great choices. Another short that always makes me laugh is Oliver the Eighth (1934).

[Detective Jim McLeod]

I have the box set that has foreign versions of some of their shorts. They make for interesting viewing as they are often different with some different scenes.

I heard that the French language version of Pardon Us has Boris Karloff in a small role.

[LostHorizons]

Besides the ones you mentioned, I also like the silent ones quite a bit. Habeas corpus where they are trying to find a dead body in the cemetery for a Frankenstein-esque doctor is pretty funny. Also the one where Stan is a Scottish immigrant who doesn’t want to wear pants even after everyone cajoles him to. One I can’t remember the name of is the one where they are detectives I think in a mansion? That was a silent one with a horror theme which would go well with the season.

[LostHorizons]

Great choices. Another short that always makes me laugh is Oliver the Eighth (1934).

Yeah, I love that one for the dark theme of murder and the goofy characters. I like the darker themed episodes.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

One I can’t remember the name of is the one where they are detectives I think in a mansion? That was a silent one with a horror theme which would go well with the season.

That sounds like Do Detectives Think? (1927) L&H are detectives guarding a judge (James Finlayson) who was threatened by an escaped maniac called The Tipton Slasher.