Be Big! *** (1931, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy) – Classic Movie Review 9428

‘Mr Hardy is a man of great care, caution and discretion – Mr Laurel is married too.’

‘No man is bigger than the excuses he makes to his wife. So Be Big!’

Director James Parrott’s 1931 comedy short film Be Big! is a slightly below-average Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy three-reeler, in which the duo plan a secret trip to an Atlantic City convention when their wives (Anita Garvin, Isabelle Keith) are away. Stan manages to pack just a single thing for vacation – his toy model yacht.

It is an overextended single-joke comedy, with a threadbare, prolonged gag about Ollie getting into, and then out of Stan’s riding gear. Nevertheless, there are still some very happy smiles to be found here, especially with Stan and Ollie being in their prime.

Also in the cast are Charlie Hall, Baldwin Cooke, Jack Hill, Ham Kinsey and Chet Brandenberg.

It was released on 7 February 1931, the first of their 10 shorts that year.

Be Big! Is directed by James Parrott, runs 30 minutes, is made by Hal Roach Studios, is released by MGM, is written by H M Walker (dialogue), shot in black and white by Art Lloyd, produced by Hal Roach, and scored by Leroy Shield, Frederic Van Norman and Mel Kaufman.

They appeared in 45 sound shorts.

Spanish and French language versions were produced simultaneously. The stars read their lines from cue cards written phonetically in Spanish and French. It was edited together in the Spanish version with Laughing Gravy (1930) as Los calaveras (1931) and as a French language version, Les carottiers (1932).

It is Garvin’s second appearance as bossy Mrs Laurel, following Blotto (1930).

Contemporary publicity and promotional materials name James W Horne as director and Jack Stevens as photographer.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9428

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