Our Relations **** (1936, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, Alan Hale Sr, Sidney Toler) – Classic Movie Review 7367

Director Harry Lachman’s 1936 Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy movie Our Relations is a clever, funny comedy of endless errors from a story by W W Jacobs, The Money Box, with many fine sequences, especially those in waiter Joe Grogan (Alan Hale Sr)’s beer garden Denker’s, and no dull bits.

Laurel and Hardy star as a couple of disreputable sailors, Alfie Laurel and Bert Hardy, who turn up on dry land with their captain’s priceless pearl ring and are mistaken for their long-lost, respectable twin brothers, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, by greedy crooks after the ring.

There is admirable, on-form work from Laurel and Hardy, while Hale Sr, Sidney Toler (as the captain of the SS Periwinkle) and Laurel and Hardy regular James Finlayson (as a scheming fellow sailor, Finn the Chief Engineer) head an even stronger than usual support cast.

Also in the cast are Daphne Pollard as Mrs Daphne Hardy, Betty Brown (billed as Betty Healy) as Mrs Betty ‘Bubbles’ Laurel, Iris Adrian, Noel Madison, Arthur Housman, Lona Andre, Ralf Harolde, Harry Bernard, Billy Eagle, Charlie Hall, Bobby Dunn, Dell Henderson, Lee Phelps, Alex Pollard, James Pierce, Tiny Sandford, Walter Taylor, Gertrude Astor, Johnny Arthur, Bob Wilbur, Constantin Romanoff, Fred Holmes, John Kellly, Bob O’Conor, Ruth Warren, Nick Copeland and Baldwin Cooke.

Our Relations is the work of quite a few people. The screenplay is by Richard Connell (screen story), Felix Adler (screen story), Charley Rogers (adaptation) and Jack Jevne (adaptation), suggested by the story The Money Box by W W Jacobs). Mauri Grashin, Clarence Hennecke, Stan Laurel and Harrington Reynolds were all uncredited contributors to the screenplay.

Our Relations is directed by Harry Lachman, runs 75 minutes, is made by Stan Laurel Productions and Hal Roach Studios, is released by MGM, is written by Richard Connell, Felix Adler, Charley Rogers and Jack Jevne, is shot in black and white by Rudolph Maté, is produced by Hal Roach and Stan Laurel, is scored by Leroy Shield, and is designed by William L Stevens.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7367

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