Beau Hunks *** (1931, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy) – Classic Movie Review 5410

‘Love comes: Mr Hardy is at last conscious of the grand passion – Mr Laurel isn’t even conscious of the Grand Canyon.’

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy enlist in the Foreign Legion when Ollie tries to forget his lost love Jeanie Weenie (cue a picture of Jean Harlow, who appeared in one of their silent short films, 1929’s Bacon Grabbers) – ‘you vampire!’

Awkwardly caught between a short and a full-length feature, the boys have problems sustaining the loosely connected standard slapstick army gags in director James W Horne’s 1931 37-minute comedy, written by H M Walker. But there are unforgettable moments, particularly at the start, when Hardy hears of his rejection and wrecks a piano.

Charles Middleton is fun as the cheerful Commandant and so is Charlie Hall as new recruit no 13, plus Tiny Sandford, Harry Schultz, Gordon Douglas, Sam Lufkin, Marvin Hatley, Bob Kortman, Jack Hill. Broderick O’Farrell, Leo Sulky, Buster Wiles, Oscar Morgan and Leo Willis. Director Horne plays the Chief of the Riff Raff and is credited as Abdul Kasim K’Horne.

It is inspired by Beau Geste, Marlene Dietrich’s Morocco (1930) and Laurence Olivier’s Friends and Lovers.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5410

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