Nothing But Trouble *** (1944, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mary Boland, Henry O’Neill, Philip Merivale, David Leland) – Classic Movie Review 8511

Directors Sam Taylor and Bert Glazer’s 1944 comedy Nothing but Trouble is a rickety, late-period, slightly below-par outing from Laurel and Hardy – with an unusually daft plot about bad guy Prince Saul (Philip Merivale)’s attempt to assassinate an exiled boy king (David Leland) at Mrs and Mr Hawkley (Boland and O’Neill)’s society party for visiting royalty. Rickety and below-par it may be, but nevertheless it is still fun and friendly and laugh worthy.

Of course you would have to be as crazy as they are to choose Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as your servants. But an older-looking Laurel and Hardy, playing themselves as usual, can still rise to the occasion, wrecking the dinner party, wresting meat from a lion and wrestling with high-rise ledges. Mary Boland and Henry O’Neill are also very amusing as Mrs and Mr Hawkley, the dizzy society married couple with chef and butler trouble.

It is Laurel and Hardy’s last film for MGM.

Also in the cast with Stan and Ollie are John Warburton, Matthew Boulton, Connie Gilchrist, Paul Porcasi, Joe Yule Sr, Eddie Dunn, Steve Darrell and Chester Clute.

Nothing but Trouble is directed by Sam Taylor and Bert Glazer (assistant director), runs 69 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Russell Rouse (original screenplay), Ray Golden (original screenplay), Bradford Ropes (additional dialogue) and Margaret Gruen (additional dialogue), based on an original idea by Robert Halff, is shot in black and white by Charles Salerno Jr, is produced by B F Zeidman and is scored by Nathaniel Shilkret, with Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons and Harry McAfee.

Buster Keaton worked as a gag writer on the film at the request of his friend Stan Laurel.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8511

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