The nouveau riche really are something. Just like Russian dolls, the first over-dressed figure hides a second, which betrays their uncivilised origins. In this case, a lady of the house of humble origins hosts an elegant dinner which needs to go perfectly. Naturally, nothing goes right. The idealised grand soiree has to contend with a tiara that refuses to remain in place and a dessert cherry that proves impossible to pick up. Moreover, fate has yet more in store for the poor lady, with Laurel & Hardy acting as waiters. Imagine what happens when she orders that the salad be served undressed. Or when a banana peel ends up on the floor just as the soup is about to be served. The strength of From Soup to Nuts would appear to lie in its stubborn refusal of plot. Its goal is to build a sustained rhythm of sure-fire gags. It has a reassuring, functional and functioning compactness. The sumptuous Anita Garvin, a frequent and refreshing presence in the duo’s adventures here playing the role of the parvenu, takes up at least half the film. Imogen Sara Smith defines her as a “mistress of white-hot fury”. We can only agree.

Andrea Meneghelli