Laurel & Hardy: Big Business (Silent)

Buy This Item Laurel & Hardy: Big Business (Silent) by Image Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $9.98  on 11-15-2008     This seems to be most peoples' favorite L&H silent. Although it's not my personal favorite, it is somewhere in my Top 5. The plot is very simple, and is pure classic slapstick. I know not everyone cares for slapstick, but a lot of people are big fans of it, and it's really counterproductive and even a bit insulting to basically say that it's good enough if you like that sort of thing, but you'd be better-served checking out the work of other less-physical comedians. That is a personal opinion, and one which isn't stated in a very tactful or respectful way. Anyway, Stan and Ollie are Xmas tree salesmen, driving around the neighborhood hawking their wares when they encounter a very belligerent guy (the always fantastic Jimmy Finlayson) who wants no part of their business, and quickly goes from merely politely refusing to buy a tree to outright warfare. The boys of course refuse to take this lying down, and begin fighting back. Wholesale destruction of property ensues, as a nearby cop (Tiny Sanford) is just watching and waiting for one of them to do something that will give him cause to intervene. Charley Hall, one of their other great supporting regulars, also puts in an appearance as one of the neighbors. And contrary to what many people believe, this does take place in December, not July. California is sunny, so there won't be much or any snow on the ground in December. We also see the boys wearing coats, so we have another big hint that this probably does not take place in July. I'm curious as to where exactly that urban legend got started. All in all, a great little film that would be one of the ideal first L&H silents for a fan to see if s/he's only familiar with their sound work. Reader Reviews A get-even, escalation. Very funny. Not just music. Planned so you follow the action, just by watching, at a quick pace. Builds the plot for a couple minutes, then takes off, at ever increasing speed. Only 20-minutes, seems like 5-minutes. Better than a talkie. Laurel & Hardy's best (I have seen them all). Laurel & Hardy's silent, "Soup to Nuts" is also good. Both available on DVD, for a lot more money: "The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy" ("Big Business" is in volume-1). Other good silent films are: Harold Lloyd's, "Safety Last", "Kid Brother", and "The Freshman"; Charlie Chaplain's, "Circus", "City Lights", and "Gold Rush".

Laurel & Hardy: Big Business (Silent) Available from Amazon Price: $9.98 Updated on 11-15-2008.

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