This film is not even on par with any of the films they did for Hal Roach that were considered "not too good" such as "Swiss Miss" or "Pick A Star". Consider the times and the studio the boys were working at. First, this was made during the heyday of such comics as Abbott & Costello and the Hope/Crosby road pictures, where practically everything was based upon snappy dialog and wisecracks, not premise and development of a single gag or joke. Laurel & Hardy's method was to be methodical in their approach to humor and not just "whizz bang" type of running around, which in the long run is actually totally forgettable. Secondly, as the Marx Brothers had already realized early on after the untimely death of Irving Thalberg, their only support at MGM, Louis B. Mayer had absolutely no sense of humor and certainly didn't appreciate great comedians. Hence one of the main reasons Buster Keaton ended his days at MGM working as a "gag writer" for $200 a week and why the Our Gang series became a venue for maudlin "morality" plays. What else could anyone expect when Laurel & Hardy would have to work in such a comedic stifling environment? It's a wonder that they were able to get anything accomplished with a bunch of deadheads checking their every word and action in a script that was hopeless to begin with. It certainly answers the question as to why very early on Chaplin maintained absolute sole control over his own career. "Nothing But Trouble" has its moments but they are too few and far between. There isn't even the usual background music used as in their early shorts for Roach, which emphasizes the action taking place. Fow example at the end where our heroes are dangling on the ledge of a building ala Harlod Lloyd, there's only dead silence where appropriate music could have really added to the comedy and tension of the scene. My advice? Watch this one first then go back about ten years and watch something like the boy's "Sons of the Desert" from 1933 and really start laughing at the real Laurel & Hardy. Nothing beats a vintage L&H film.
Review of Nothing But Trouble
