Busy Bodies (1933)

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This is one of Laurel and Hardy's most entertaining sound shorts, and perhaps its beauty is in its utter comic simplicity -- there's no plot, just a lot of great, well-paced gags. Stan and Ollie are cheerfully driving to work and listening to their "car radio" -- actually a gramophone, hooked up to… More This is one of Laurel and Hardy's most entertaining sound shorts, and perhaps its beauty is in its utter comic simplicity -- there's no plot, just a lot of great, well-paced gags. Stan and Ollie are cheerfully driving to work and listening to their "car radio" -- actually a gramophone, hooked up to the dashboard. They playfully give co-worker Charlie Hall a scare by honking their horn at him; the ill-tempered Hall is not amused. Then the boys get to work and the real mayhem begins. For example, Stan gets Ollie's fingers trapped in a sticky window frame, and when Ollie asks, "Would you mind opening the window?" he opens a totally different one. Stan ends an argument with Hall by giving him a cigar. But it's not exactly a peace offering, as Stan immediately lets the foreman (Tiny Sanford) know that Hall has lit it up in a "no smoking" area. Simple construction chores are treacherous in Stan and Ollie's hands -- the seat is shaved off of Ollie's overalls, then a paint brush dipped in glue winds up stuck to his chin. When they finally destroy the foreman's shack -- and almost destroy the poor foreman in the process -- the boys decide it's time to make a fast retreat. In their haste, they drive their car through a saw, slicing it nicely in two. Stan happily discovers, though, that the "radio" still works; Ollie is not so thrilled and chases him away. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi