The following is my second of two contributions to the Dual Roles Blogathon, being held Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 2016 by, appropriately enough, dual bloggers: Christina Wehner, and Ruth at Silver Screenings. Click on the above banner, and read bloggers’ critiques of movies where actors play more than one role!
Our Relations is a huge step forward for Laurel & Hardy in feature films. After the episodic nature of most of their feature films to date, the movie suddenly resolves many of the problems Laurel faced in making their films longer yet more palatable. This movie sports tasty production values, glistening cinematography (by Rudolph Mate), and a solid storyline.
It even uses the dual-role motif (last used very weakly in the short Twice Two) to satisfying effect. Here, Stan and Ollie come across an old photo of their twin brothers Alf and Bert, whom we are told are the black sheep of the family. Stan and Ollie haven’t told their wives about their darker halves, so they burn the photo (“We’ll burn our past behind us,” Ollie intones), thinking that will end the story. Guess who makes it to port shortly after that.
It must be said that Stan and Ollie have a radical notion of “black sheep.” Considering that Alf and Bert eventually get locked in a hotel room by their conniving captain (James Finlayson), their concept of worldliness wouldn’t fool a kindergartener. Nevertheless, it makes for a nice farce when the two pairs get mistaken for each other over and over.
The movie’s nicest surprise is how well Stan and Ollie actually get on with their wives. Stan’s wife is a tall blonde (Betty Healy) whom he refers to as “Bubbles,” and frankly, she’s almost nice enough for Stan to seem unworthy of her. Ollie’s spouse is the diminutive but ever powerful Daphne Pollard, yet she’s far more loving than she was in Thicker Than Water. When the wives eventually get indignant, it’s because of their sorrow at the (mistaken) thought of having been two-timed, not because they’re gun-toting maniacs. It makes you wish that the rest of The Boys’ movies had similarly vulnerable females.
Except for a couple of sequences that are prolonged beyond their comedic effect (a tousle with perennial drunk Arthur Housman, the waterfront finale where The Boys are placed in peril), Our Relations is one of Laurel & Hardy’s most thoroughly satisfying feature films.
If you enjoyed reading this blog entry, click here to read my first entry in the Dual Roles Blogathon: Buster Keaton in The Playhouse.)
moviemovieblogblog.wordpress.com 
Gonna have to check this one out! I’ve seen some of their silent short films, and only one feature film – March of the Wooden Soldiers, which I understand to be atypical of their work, so I’ve been wanting to see a feature length film that’s more representative. This sounds like a lot of fun!
It is interesting how using the dual role affect helped them to create a more cohesive story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The Dual Roles Blogathon: Day 1 Recap | Christina Wehner
I started watching this film on your site, but life got in the way, so I’ll have to come back to finish it. However, I love what I’ve seen so far! Any film that has double the Laurel and Hardy quota is A-OK by me.
Thanks for joining the blogathon – again – with another fabulous entry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your concern for the comfort of the domestic life speaks well for your soft heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Steve, I didn’t know this movie. Actually, I’m familiar with only Sons of the Desert from L&H’s feature films. I’ll make sure to check this film, and I’m certain it’ll be very enjoyable.
Cheers!
Le
LikeLike