Oliver the Eighth 1934 ★★★★
(yes its a reposty)
Before the internet and Tinder, dating had to be done through the private add columns of the newspaper. Mae Busch a widow , is looking for a congenial young man to marry, Oliver seeing Stan cutting the advert dismisses the idea "some old crab with a face that would stop a clock". Stan manages to convince Olly that its a good idea with Stan's usual "Tell me that again" so they both send letters to the widow making a bet on whole get a reply, or do they? Oliver doesn't post Stan's letter a sign he was a bit insecure about the whole bet in the first place.
Stanley: No, listen... I'd take some of the money, and I'd have her face lifted. Then we could settle down, congenial, and we would have to scrape chins any more... wouldn't have to work hard any more.
Oliver: Tell me that again.
Stanley: Well, I could take some of the money... and I'd have her skinned... and she'd be able to look at a clock without having to work hard any more... and we could settle down and scrape each other's chin... and congenial... if I didn't have to work hard anymore.
Oliver: I know exactly what you mean.
Well Oliver wins the bet and goes off to marry the merry widow, when he arrives at the widows house he's greeted by the butler (Jack Barty) a raving loony who plays imaginary cards and serves imaginary food, this leads to two great gags one involving Stan showing Oliver a card trick, only for Olly to smack the cards out of Stan's hand. The Butler picks up the cards only for Stan to spot that he has left one of the imaginary cards behind. Also you can see Stan's rising confusion as the imaginary food is served by the Butler. Of course Mae's intentions are not only dishonest but homicidal, apparently dumped by an Oliver she now swears vengeance on any man called Oliver, by cutting there throats. I have read some reviews that say this short is too long and a little slowly paced, but the longer the short the better I say. In fact Oliver the Eighth does feel more like a feature film than a 3 reel short comedy. There are some bizarre scenes in the film, like when Stan finds a pump action shotgun in the bedroom? then blasts a pair of Oliver's long john's leaving a gaping hole. And seeing Mae Busch coming towards the camera brandishing a butchers knife is quite unsettling. Although its not an out an out horror, it does go to show you can mix comedy and chills pretty effectively given the right setting, this and the other short The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case really has an Old Dark House feel to it. But hey wouldn't you know it it was all just a dream THE END.
