More than a Laurel & Hardy, this is a Laurel & Finlayson. However, objectively speaking, it is impossible not to love Finlayson. Oliver plays second fiddle as the easy-going porker with a centre parting, moustache and glasses, who is casually inserted into a dinner scene. The Laurel & Hardy duo, it would seem,
was still in search of the right dynamic, so much so that some of their early films gave equal weight to Finlayson, as if they were a trio. In this case, the opening titles invert the hierarchy with the lead going to Mae Busch, who plays a deliciously bad-tempered character. Hiring her was entirely consistent with Hal Roach’s strategy, which always sought to raise his film’s prestige by employing big stars whose careers were beginning to decline. She also played a key role in the duo’s development (often in the role of Ollie’s wife), but less so than Finlayson, who would appear with them in 33 films. Here, she plays the old flame of a wealthy man with a dubious past (Finlayson) who pops up unexpectedly threatening to ruin his wedding. Stan, who plays a Don Juan, has the difficult task of keeping her at arm’s length. In 1931, the film would be remade as Chickens Come Home with Hardy taking Finlayson’s role and Finlayson demoted to playing the butler, but Mae Busch remained untouchable in a role that fit her like a glove

Andrea Meneghelli