rebecca-ry
'Busy Bodies' is my favourite short from Laurel and Hardy. Even today it still makes people laugh. It's strange seeing real stunts in films now but it makes this short much funnier. Stan Laurel plays his character very well, evoking sympathy from the audience and providing most of the comedy in this part as usual. Oliver Hardy's role is the ordinary guy (as ordinary as he can be) and his character reacts to Laurel's unusual character. They both work together very well and it is easy to see why they both had such successful careers together. The script in this short starts out with them on a normal day going to work, getting on well with each other, singing in the car (or trying to in Stan's case). As soon as they arrive at work their behaviour and intelligence is shown to be anything but normal and hilarity ensues. From start to the very end this short will make you laugh despite them both only saying a few lines each. If you have not seen any Laurel and Hardy films then this would be a great place to start, it is by far one of their funniest.
Jackson Booth-Millard
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Stan and Ollie are happy to be driving to work with a record player under their car bonnet. They work at the wood works factory, and as soon as they arrive passing planks of wood are going in their faces, and a water pipe bursts when Stan puts a nail in for a coat hook. Ollie starts by fixing a stuck wooden window frame, and when Stan gets it open, Ollie's fingers get stuck. Stan tries all angles, looking at some blue prints (of the boulder dam) and turning the frame, till eventually he stands on the table, pulling too hard, and they both topple over breaking the frame. A co-worker (Charlie Hall) is annoyed that he is knocked over again (like near the beginning), and after a little punch up Stan offers him a cigar when he's being nice, but gets him in trouble for smoking. So the boys continue work, with Stan's wood shaving plane going over Ollie's backside, and of course after Ollie hits back, Stan puts the glue brush on Ollie's face and pushes him, causing a crash and falling objects on his head. Stan of course tries to help Ollie get the brush off his chin, well, he manages the handle (looks like he has a Jewish beard), so he practically shaves the rest off. Stan turns the hose back on, and Ollie pulls it and the sink off the wall, falling backwards and going up a conveyor belt strap, through the floor, down a chute, through the tunnels, smacked by a paddle, and stuck at the end. He and Stan both fall off the ladder at the tunnel's end, crashing on top of their boss. forcing them to get their car and drive away. The end of the film sees them drive the car through a horizontal working saw, splitting the car in half, and all that still works is the record player. Filled with wonderful slapstick and all classic comedy you could want from a black and white film, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Good!
Michael_Elliott
Busy Bodies (1933) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Classic Laurel and Hardy film has the boys working at a sawmill and you can just imagine everything that goes wrong. This is probably one of the most busy L&H films out there because there isn't a frame in the film where they aren't trying to get a laugh and for the most part they get all of them. There's a wonderful sequence where Hardy gets a brush glued to his face and Laurel, trying the best he can, goes to get it off but just creates more problems. The physical nature of the gag with Hardy getting his hands stuck in the window is also very well done. There are countless gags running throughout the 19-minutes including the classic scene where the boys get their car cut in half. All of this is surrounding by another gag featuring a co-worker who keeps getting in their way. I really appreciate how hard this film works in making the viewer laugh and it gets even more kudos for actually making the majority of the jokes work.
Theo Robertson
One thing that puzzles me is how many of these L&H shorts feature absolutely no plot but I never seem to notice this because I`m too busy laughing . BUSY BODIES is set in a sawmill but that`s it , there`s no central plot , just a series of incidents which show the genius of Stan and Ollie .This is certainly one of the best shorts because it showcases the duo at their most typical , Ollie gets gets hit over the head by falling objects while Stan turns to the camera and shrugs . There`s also a fight scene that had me in stiches , okay I knew what the pay off was going to be as soon as Stan said " Cigar " but you`d need to be crippled by clinical depression not to surpress a smile at this A seventy year old black and white film with no plot and it made me laugh . I can`t think of a better compliment
