My review title for this silent comedy short consists of a directive given by Mrs. Culpepper(Anita Garvin) to Oliver Hardy, who transmitted it to Stan Laurel to carry out. You can bet Laurel is going to misinterpret this to mean that he's supposed to serve in his underwear, which he attempts to do, to the shock of everyone, and especially Mrs. Culpepper, who socks Hardy, who destroys his 3rd cake by falling on it. Besides the cake destruction, there are several other running gags. Periodically, the Mrs.'s loose-fitting tiara(I don't know what else to call it)falls down off her forehead to cover her face, as if she's at a masquerade party. Also, she is repeatedly shown having difficulty scooping up or stabbing her cherries in her fruit dish. Unlike her husband, she's intent on appearing to be a member of the sophisticated upper crust, and these quirks don't help. Neither does the clumsy actions of L&H.......In 2 of Hardy's mishaps with cakes, he supposedly slips on a banana peel: a common excuse for people falling in comedies of this period. Some question whether this reflects any reality in danger. According to a 2001 UK report, there were at least 300 banana-related injuries that year in the UK. However, I don't have the stats on how many were caused by slipping on the peels. Other information suggests that the peels are most likely to be a hazard if they have been around for several days, and have gotten slimy. Also, massed peels are more dangerous than single ones. Finally, slip-resistant soles are much more common today, at least for men, than 100 years ago, and throwing the peels on the sidewalk or floor is now much more a no no than back in those days.. In the kitchen, Hardy reminds Laurel to remove his hat, which he does, but then chastises the cook for wearing a hat. Laurel takes it off for him, this being repeated several times, until the war escalates to breaking dishes over the other fellow's head. Incidentally, the kitchen maid was played by knockout blond Edna Marion. Anita Garvin, who played Mrs. Culpepper, was also a striking beauty. Hardy confides in a man, who's actually her husband, that she's "quite a wiggler". ........I don't agree with the claim by one reviewer that Laurel and Hardy were not yet a functioning team.........A decade later, near the beginning of "Chumps at Oxford", a rather similar scene is enacted, with Laurel playing a maid. However, it's much shorter than the present rendition, and not nearly as funny, to me........See it at YouTube.
Review of From Soup to Nuts
