Chickens Come Home
Chickens Come Home
NR | 21 February 1931 (USA)
Chickens Come Home Trailers

Ollie is running for mayor when an old flame tries to blackmail him with a old photo.

Reviews
Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!
Sexylocher Masterful Movie
Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) Well, not really. Only the background plot is about Hardy running for office and the rest is the unpolitical comedy they always do. This is one of the duo's longest short films at almost 30 minutes. Of course it is in black and white and we hear them talking as the silent era is long over already by 1931. And everything is as always too for Stan and Ollie, especially in terms of the cast and crew. The director, writer and co-stars in here worked with the two comedians on many occasions. I have to say in terms of comedy I did not find this half hour too successful and I don't think it's among the duo's best works. However, it is an interesting watch for one other reason namely the perception of politicians in general media in the 1930s. Lets be honest, the photo that the woman used to bribe Ollie was really tame for today's standards, but it would have been quite a scandal back in the day I guess. Oh yeah and we also learn that Mrs. Laurel is a tough one and definitely the dominant half in their relationship. Not enough though to make it work for almost 30 minutes. Not recommended.
JoeytheBrit This is a remake of the silent comedy short Love 'em and Weep, with Ollie promoted from the role of judge to that of the prospective mayor who finds himself the target of blackmailing former girlfriend Mae Busch, while James Finlayson, who played Hardy's role in the first film, is relegated to that of butler. The original was a reasonably decent comedy with a few laughs, but this version is a much more polished effort. It's not the greatest Laurel & Hardy short, but it's still pretty good even though the duo don't share that much screen time.My favourite gag from this film is one that doesn't actually receive any attention from the cast. Check out Stan as he pays a visit on the blackmailing femme fatale's apartment - you'll see the hooked top of a clothes hanger poking out from the back of his coat. Priceless.
bob the moo Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel are the heads of a successful fertiliser company. Hardy is ahead in the race to become the new Mayor of the city and is due to host a gala reception that night. However at work a lady comes out of the woodwork with incriminating pictures of a more carefree and loving Hardy which threatens his political career. Can Laurel keep her busy and away from the gala and, more importantly, Mrs Hardy?I noticed this short lasted 30 minutes which was 10 minutes longer than the last number of Laurel and Hardy shorts I had watched. I had assumed this was because it demanded a longer time and was a amalgamation of several really good sketches into a longer plot. Sadly this was not the case and the film didn't really work for me. The plot was simple and didn't need 30 minutes to deliver, and as a result it felt stretched beyond it's reasonable time span. There was no one scene that really stood out and I found myself waiting for `the scene' that most of their shorts have at least, unfortunately it wasn't there and none of the scenes really had the magic that they usually show at some point.The main reason for this for my money, was the fact that Laurel and Hardy were in separate scenes for a lot of the film. In this respect they didn't have each other to work off and this is to the film's detriment. While Hardy is at the gala, Laurel is trying to prevent the woman from getting to him – this is the body of the film and it means that both men are working without their partner. Both are lesser performers due to this – they are operating with one hand tied behind their back. The support cast includes the solid Finlayson but the film is too spoilt by the split to be redeemed by his trademark d'oh (which feels like it is rushed and doesn't fit in to the action).Overall I have seen several Laurel and hardy shorts and have yet to write a bad review of one – until this film. I just found that Laurel and Hardy's strength is the `and' – ie they are a partnership and work best when they are together. Here they are apart for too long and the film suffers as a result.
Ron Oliver A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short.It's CHICKENS COME HOME to roost when a crazy lady from Ollie's past shows up to blackmail him just as he is to receive the nomination for mayor. When she threatens to disrupt a dinner party at his home, Ollie sends Stan to distract her. That's when the trouble really starts...This is a hilarious little film, with the Boys & Mae Busch, as the frantic female, at their best. Lots of laughs. That's Thelma Todd as Mrs. Hardy, Norma Drew as Mrs. Laurel, Patsy O'Byrne as the busybody & the long-suffering James Finlayson as Ollie's butler.