mark.waltz Review of The Bullfighters

The Bullfighters (1945)

Laurel & Hardy's last major film has a skeleton of a plot.

[2/10 · 17 December 2012]

Going "Down Mexico Way" as private investigators, the boys once again are part of a case of mistaken identity with Laurel believed to be a famous (!) Spanish bullfighter. They discover that one of their old cases has come back to haunt them, a man they sent to jail for a crime he did not commit. In trying to hide from them, they decide to utilize the fake bullfighter persona, but as predicted, the real bullfighter arrives. This creates an hour of farce, some funny, but most tired. I still couldn't help but laugh at a repeat of the egg sequence from 1934's "Hollywood Party" in which a bowl of eggs is conveniently set down on a bar where it is used as a weapon between the boys and their foil (in this case the blonde Carol Andrews). There's also a similar bit with water used instead of eggs in the hotel lobby. Their antics here seem a bit tired, although there is a clever usage of special effects for the final gag that will literally leave you "rattling" with laughter.