A Review From Daily Variety
Hal Roach production and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
release. Stars Laurel and Hardy. Directed by
William A. Seiter. Frank Craven, Byron Morgan,
story and continuity; Kenneth Peach, camera; Bert
Jordan, editor. Cast; Charley Chase, Mae Busch,
Dorothy Christy, Lucien Littlefield. At Loew's
Metropolitan, week Jan. 5. Running time, 65
mins.
Announced as an original, this appears to be a
blowup of a two-reel comedy. We Faw Down, in
which this team was seen three or four years ago.
In the original the comedians used a visit to a
vaudeville theatre as an alibi for their dalliance.
They describe the performance at length to their
wives only to be confronted with a newspaper
telling of the destruction of the theatre by fire
during the performance they were supposed to have
witnesses. In the longer version it's a trip to a
lodge convention. With a supposed voyage to
Honolulu as a cover. They return home to find that
the steamer on which they were supposed to have
sailed, foundered and the passengers returned to
the home port on another vessel.
Stretched to feature length, with no additional
plot material, the story is thin to the point of
attenuation but the idea is adhered to, which at
least supplies a peg on which to hang the build up.
The later chiefly belly laughs with a bit of
production in the middle' pre-Code Hawaiian dance
in a cafe set led by a highly personable young
woman who knows it pays to advertise.
Most of this section, the part devoted the
convention, is given to a visit with Charley Chase,
who's in to give movement to the more deliberated
comedy of the stars. He's the exuberant practical
joker, and he works hard -- too hard. That is the
only development for the convention episode, with a
few clips of the parade. No attempt has been made
to build around shots of an actual convention as
has been done in the past, and better so.
Realizing the distance to be traveled and the
impossibility of building on too fast a pace, the
story starts slowly and seldom hits the speed
limit, but it gets along well enough until the
close. Climax is devoted to the old hokum of thrown
crockery, falling into the rainwater barrel,
getting locked out in the rain and other tired and
tested, but no longer fresh material.
About the only injection of novelty is a slick
bit in which Laurel hysterically breaks down and
tells the truth, which gets him a Japanese dressing
gown and permission to smoke cigarettes, while
Hardy is on the receiving end of the family china
and tinware.
Some idea of the speed may be gathered from the
fact that Laurel gets a couple of minutes in which
to eat a wax apple. Fine pantomime, but too much
footage.
There is nothing to give offense and the
fez-wearers will not be around clamoring for the
excision of this or that.
Stars are about as usual with Mae Busch giving a
big boost to her scenes. Ann Christie's limited in
her opportunities. There's the makings here of a
real comedy femme team if given material. Chase is
hog-tied by the authors.
Production elaborate, sound capital and
direction generally good, but it's still a
two-reeler that runs three times that long. It will
get laughs, but no new business and will have to be
satisfied with sub-normal receipts in a majority of
the important spots.
Chic - January 1934
It should be noted that not all Laurel and Hardy
films received poor reviews from the critics of
their day; quite the contrary, in many cases. But
Daily Variety was almost always critical,
finding fault where nobody else possibly could.
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Reviews From Fans
I couldn't disagree more with the 1934 "Chic"
review of this film. It is by far my favorite
full-length Laurel and Hardy feature, and I watch
it every couple of months. I feel that it remains
the ultimate movie about the relationships between
husbands and wives--and what happens when friends
convince us to do things we know are wrong. It is a
truly funny and insightful film--a real classic.
--Mike Bender
Sons of the Desert is memorable because
it allows it's stars to do what they do best. Hardy
steals every scene with his exasperated, pained
expressions while Laurel triumphs when the moment
calls exclusively for his poignant, childlike
charm. But for my taste, this is Hardy's film; with
Laurel more of a supporting; albeit, indispensable
part.
The plot centers around their timeless
predicament. Trying to have a good time without the
wives finding out. In this instance it's a trip to
Chicago for the annual convention of their
fraternal Sons of the Desert. Hardy fakes an
illness and gets Laurel to setup a doctor who will
recommend an ocean voyage to Hawaii; just for the
two of them ! The plan oddly works; despite Laurel
bringing in a Veterinarian, but then He "didn't
think his religion made any difference'. The real
laughs are saved for the landing home and their
discovery that the liner from Honolulu sank!
Hardy's ukelele strumming to Honolulu Baby is
classic.
This is one of those films that enjoyable
because it moves along from one great scene to the
next, gaining comic momentum until the
unforgettable Laurel crying confession that does in
poor Hardy.
L&H fans wouldn't have it any other way !
--Dave Ball
Like two peas in a "poda" Laurel and Hardy are
at their best in Sons of the Desert. It is
certainly the best of their "wives" films and
without a doubt the best "Sitcom" ever made. From
the very beginning Stan and Babe set the tone for
their subtlest feature. Set in low light, the
pompous gathering of the Sons of the Desert puts
the entire plot into motion in just a hand full of
shots. Of course the boys make a special entrance,
albeit late, to the affair. As the "exhausted
ruler" commands all members to gather in Chicago
for their annual meeting he reminds them that the
weak should the strong. This piece of dialogue is
beautifully punctuated by a mere glance by Babe at
Stan. By the way. Stan's fascination with doors and
entrances should be noted in this film. Actually if
you watch their films closely you'll notice Stan
makes sure their is always a piece of business
whenever they enter a scene through a door. Their
best and longest door routine, if you set aside the
full reel of film they use to enter Billy Gilbert's
house in the Academy Award winner, The music Box,
comes right after they leave the meeting. Their
taxi drives up in front of their homes. Of course
they live side by side, the two front doors
constructed next to each other. The camera shows us
their marital status as it gets a close up shot of
the door bells. First reading "Mrs. and Mr. Stan
Laurel" then the camera pans right to show Babe's
bell, it reads "Oliver Hardy and wife." Nuf said.
From here on out it's a tale of one lie leading to
another lie as the boys concoct a way of getting
their wives to let them go to the convention. Bill
Seiter is the director here and it is a shame he
did not have the opportunity to work with the boys
again. He manages to hold a slightly tighter reign
on Stan and Babe and the result is heir finest
feature film effort. It was a film not lost on
Jackie Gleason. Next time you see a Honeymooners
episode please note that the Kramden and Norton
characters have a marked similarity to the boys in
the Sons of the Desert, not to mention the
Raccoon lodge. Don't just rent this film, go out
and buy it.
--Haig Tufankjian
"Honesty is the best politics," so sez Stan in
their best ever comedy that is places the Boys at
the height of 30s male political
correctness...bossy wives, smoking, drinking in
Prohibition, male bonding clubs (i.e. the
Shriners*), etc.. how's that for "scholarly
overtones" as demanded in Article 1.?
One of the things that makes this film different
is that the Boys' marriages are given some depth so
that we can see some attraction to each mate. Mae
Busch is softened in blond hair, and by her genuine
care for her sick and drowning Ollie...but don't
push it or pay the cost of a new set of china and a
black eye. Dorothy Christy makes us glad that she
is Stan's wife with her sense of forgiveness and
great taste in lounging attire.
My idea of decorating has always been Early
Laurel and Hardy (try telling this to a Margret
Dumont-type decorator), and Sugar's Egyptian decor,
made popular from the recent discovery of King Tuts
tomb, makes us pea green with envy for a home as
cozy as two peas in a pod..ah. In costuming the
Honolulu Babies' shimmering hula outfits are only
rivaled by Marilyn Monroe's "...Hot" nightclub
dress. My fourteen year old, who has been reared on
L&H, constantly asks if these styles were
acceptable in the 30s (see "International House").
What can a mother say, except "Zowie! "
The scripting is perfectly tight (the recent
"Clueless" almost achieved this too), and it's
logic flows from one seamless scene to another.
This is one reason for my rating of perfection;
that and it's just plain fun. And the Boys have a
lot of fun, for once, in which we can share; such
as the uninhibited joy of dancing in the street,
twirling umbrellas, admiring pretty girls, making
telephone calls to long lost sisters, or singing
that musical masterpiece "Honolulu Baby"
accompanied by a rousing ukelele. L&H are the
epitome of American humor: the worse the situation
the funnier it is, but even harder to achieve is
the humor of zaniness; Sons of the Desert has it
all.
I want to put in a word for the Shriners on
which the movie was based, and in which my father
was Potentate in San Francisco. He was never an
exhausted ruler, for nobody has the invigorating
parties of the Shriners (not even Kentuckians at
the Derby). Men raised around the turn of the last
century were closer to life and death, so life had
to be made more fun; it's saving grace was humor
and every household had it. All men of prominence
were Masons and/or Shriners from Mason Thomas
Jefferson to Shriner Roy Rogers (whose idea of a
good time was jumping up and down on the couch with
his numerous kids). The men from way out west were
raised on the tradition of anything goes and good
will. The Shrine exemplifies the good hearts of the
Boys with the great philanthropy of helping sick
kids for free while continuing the occult mysteries
of the Egyptians, and they get to wear great
costumes. S.O.D. Article VIII is strictly followed
at Shrine meetings. If any Son ever wants to wear
their fez more often and act silly like the Boys
for real, clown with the Shrine. At the least it
would do for the Sons of the Desert and the local
Shrine clubs to get together for a great
movie...This one is tailor made.
--Tory Braden
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