Sons of the Desert [Fraternally Yours] ***** (1933, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase) – Classic Movie Review 7366

Director William A Seiter’s 1934 Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy comedy Sons of the Desert [Fraternally Yours], an extended remake of one of their silent shorts, the 1928 We Faw Down [We Slip Up], is one of their finest features, with funny jokes, fast-paced handling and the stars perfectly cast and on hilarious form. Full-length feature it may be, but it still runs only 68 minutes.

Laurel and Hardy (playing themselves as usual) are henpecked husbands attending a fraternity meeting of the Sons of the Desert in Chicago without wanting their suspicious, bossy wives (Mae Busch as Mrs Lottie Chase Hardy, Dorothy Christy as Mrs Betty Laurel) to know, so they concoct a frankly incredible tale about taking a health cruise as a cure for Stan’s supposed tropical disease for their benefit. Naturally, the wives find out the truth.

Busch and Christy are entertaining too, and Charley Chase (also playing himself) is especially amusing as an unpleasant fraternity member, the Son of the Desert from Texas.

Also in the cast are Lucien Littlefield, John Elliott, Charley Young, Charles McAvoy, Don Brodie and Harry Bernard.

Sons of the Desert [Fraternally Yours] is written by Frank Craven (story) and Byron Morgan.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7366

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