The Finishing Touch (1928)

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This two-reel Laurel and Hardy silent is especially rich in slapstick. The comic duo have been promised five hundred dollars to finish a house, but the racket is disturbing the quiet of a nearby hospital, and both a nurse (Dorothy Coburn) and policeman (Edgar Kennedy) insist that the noise be kept… More This two-reel Laurel and Hardy silent is especially rich in slapstick. The comic duo have been promised five hundred dollars to finish a house, but the racket is disturbing the quiet of a nearby hospital, and both a nurse (Dorothy Coburn) and policeman (Edgar Kennedy) insist that the noise be kept to a minimum. Of course, with Laurel and Hardy, this request is impossible. A board flips up and hits the nurse on the behind; roof shingles go flying and land on the cop, glue side down. Stan's genial help results in various injuries and indignities to Ollie. But they get the job done, and the owner (Stan Lufkin) happily hands over the money -- until a tiny bird lights on the chimney, causing it to collapse. The rest of the house follows suit. The home owner retrieves his money and gives Stan a kick; this results in a battle of mutual retaliation that ultimately includes the policeman and nurse. This silly little film doesn't have much plot to speak of, but it's so well constructed, and the humor is so solid, it doesn't matter. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi