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makeitquietly · 1 month

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Angora Love (1929)

#Stan Laurel #Oliver Hardy #Laurel and Hardy #Angora Love #1929 #1920s #silent films #movies

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kevinpshanblog · 10 months

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Angora Love Dec 14th, 1929

Next up in the quest to watch the entire Laurel and Hardy filmography in chronological order, is their final silent short, “Angora Love”.

In this one, Stan and Ollie are two kind-hearted men who feed a stray goat some doughnuts outside a pet store. The goat, named Penelope, becomes attached to them and follows them to their apartment. However, their landlord is very strict and does not allow any pets in the building. Stan and Ollie try to hide Penelope from him, but she causes a lot of trouble with her noise and smell. They also have to deal with a neighbor who complains about the water leaking from their bathroom, and a policeman who suspects them of stealing the goat from the store owner. The film ends with an all too common “reciprocal destruction” chaotic water fight involving all the characters, and the landlord getting arrested for assaulting the policeman. Stan and Ollie manage to escape with Penelope, who is still loyal to them.

Reciprocal destruction is a term that refers to the comedy technique of escalating a conflict between two or more characters by having them retaliate against each other with increasing violence and absurdity. It is often used in slapstick comedy, where physical humor and exaggerated reactions are emphasized. Reciprocal destruction is one of the signature elements of Laurel and Hardy's films, especially their silent shorts. They often played two hapless friends who get into trouble with authority figures, rivals, or each other, and end up destroying property, vehicles, or themselves in the process. Some examples of reciprocal destruction in their films are:

In The Battle of the Century, one of their earliest films, a simple banana peel prank leads to a massive pie fight that involves hundreds of people and thousands of pies. The film is famous for having the largest pie fight in cinema history.

In Two Tars, Stan and Ollie are two sailors who go on a road trip with two girls. They encounter a traffic jam and get into an argument with another driver. Soon, all the drivers and passengers start to demolish each other's cars, until nothing is left but a pile of junk. The film is considered one of their best.

In Big Business, Stan and Ollie are door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen who try to sell a tree to a grumpy homeowner. The homeowner refuses to buy the tree and chops it up with an axe. Stan and Ollie retaliate by destroying his house and furniture, while he destroys their car and clothes. The film is regarded as one of their masterpieces and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Reciprocal destruction is a way of creating comedy from conflict, chaos, and exaggeration. It also showcases the chemistry and timing of Laurel and Hardy, who were able to make their audiences laugh with their facial expressions, gestures, and reactions. Reciprocal destruction is a classic comedy device that has influenced many other comedians and filmmakers, such as the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, and Monty Python.

Some of the other stars of this film are:

Harry Bernard as The Policeman: He was a character actor who appeared in many Laurel and Hardy films, usually as a cop or a waiter. He also worked with other comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

Charlie Hall as The Neighbor: He was a British actor who was a frequent foil for Laurel and Hardy, often playing a hostile or irritable character. He appeared in more than 50 films with them, making him their most regular co-star.

Edgar Kennedy as The Landlord: He was a comedian and actor who was known for his "slow burn" expression of frustration and anger. He often played authority figures who clashed with Laurel and Hardy, such as policemen, judges, or landlords. He also appeared as Kennedy The Cop in the Our Gang series and had his own series of comedy shorts called "The Average Man".

While this is not one of their best silent shorts it as also far from the worst. And an average Laurel and Hardy comedy short is far superior to any of their contemporaries.