Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Western Noir
This could be the best western I have ever seen. Mostly because of its noir elements and absolutely standout performances, especially by Gregory Peck as the haunted gunfighter trying to leave his past behind, and by Millard Mitchell as his old partner-in-crime-turned-sheriff. I knew immediately upon watching this for the first time tonight that this was not your typical western. It quietly conveys doom almost from the beginning. I sensed a bleak outlook for Peck's character, Jimmy Ringo, from the start, and the movie conveys this mood very subtly throughout, building to the inevitable conclusion in understated and graceful tones.

That said, this movie has several very brief but very humorous moments that had me laughing outright because they caught me completely off guard. These humorous snippets will pass you by completely if you're not watching closely. And even if you are watching closely, they are so understated that you still could miss them. I'll give you a few of these scenes to watch for: When the old man comes in to talk to the sheriff (while the sheriff is talking to Ringo) to tell him someone set his house on fire (spot-on comedic timing by all concerned), when the kid who wants to gun down Ringo comes in for a haircut, makes boasts, then leaves. After he leaves, one of the men in the shop makes a comment (again, perfect timing). There's about three more that I noticed, but there could be more. As I said, it flies by so naturally, I'm guessing most people wouldn't notice it. Very subtle humor.

But this film is a strange sort of tragedy first and foremost, and the noirish element is definitely prominent throughout. It's amazing to me that all the actors' performances are toned down so far that they hardly move at times, and yet these performances are some of the most powerful I've ever seen. Director Henry King should have gotten an award for creating this masterpiece of understatement. If you're a fan of westerns or noir, you can't go wrong. A unique classic.

Great Peck Highlight
For a Western "The Gunfighter" is a little claustrophobic; it looks like a filmed stage play. But the performances and script are so great this drawback is turned into a virtue. Having just gunned another man in a barroom dispute, Gregory Peck is marooned in his friend marshall Millard Mitchell's village where Peck's estranged wife and son also live, perhaps under Mitchell's protection. The relatives of Peck's latest kill are also after him. It's a fascinating study of how reputation, good or bad, can trap a person in a life he may grow to detest. The climax is a little pat but the whole package is a great movie.

Old gunfighters can't just fade away
Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter, plays Jimmie Ringo, a lanky Texan acknowledged to be the fastest gun in the West. The trouble is that Peck has grown weary of having to prove his mettle time and time again. He is headed home to Cayenne to reunite with his wife and young son from whom he has been estranged for eight years.

Along the dusty trail, he stops to rest and quench his thirst at a saloon, where he is soon recognized by the locals. While minding his own business he is coaxed into a gun duel with a young, snotty and irksome Richard Jaeckel. Jaeckel unfortunately wins the silver medal in that battle. Word gets out and Peck is soon stalked by Jaeckel's three brothers.

Peck slows the brothers down by scaring off their horses on the route to Cayenne. This gives him a small window of opportunity to convince his wife to re-establish the family. He arrives in town and learns that the town marshall is none other than his old partner Mark Strett played by a sympathetic Millard Mitchell. Peck refuses to leave town until Mitchell brokers a deal to allow Peck to meet with his wife and son. The movie ends in the only way that these kind of movies could possibly end in 1950.

'BIG TOUGH GUNNEY'
THIS IS THE FILM THAT 'HIGH NOON' ASPIRED TO BE BUT FAILED.
AS MUCH AS I LOVE WESTERNS AND AS HIGHLY AS I REGARD GARY COOPER, 'NOON' JUST DIDNT CUT THE MUSTARD, BUT PECKS 'GUNFIGHTER' DID.

NO, BY TODAYS STANDARDS THIS CLASSIC PROBABLY IS PERCIEVED BY SOME AS SLOW, INDOORSY AND TRITE. BUT THIS IS ONE YOU HAVE TO WATCH WITH YOUR HEART.

PECK IS AN AGING GUNMAN WHO REGRETS HIS PAST AND IS PUSHING TOWARD A FUTURE THAT HE HOPES WILL INCLUDE HIS WIFE AND SON. HIS WIFE IS A SCHOOL MARM WHO GOES BY AN ALIAS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. AND THE BOY DOESNT KNOW THAT THE CELEBRATED OUTLAW IS DEAR OL, DAD. BUT AS PECKS CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO ARRANGE A FAMILY REUNION, THE FAMILY OF A MAN PECK WAS FORCED TO KILL IS HOT ON HIS TRAIL. THEREIN LIES THE KIND OF SIMPLISTIC PLOT THAT GREAT WESTERNS ARE KNOWN FOR.

AUDIENCES IN 1950 DIDNT CARE FOR PECK'S MUSTASHE AND THE FILM WAS NOT OVER PATRONIZED.

THIS MOVIE IS FOR THE INTELLIGENT, THINKING VIEWER WHO IS MORE INTO THE CHARACTERS THAN THE ACTION.

THE CHARACTER OF MARSHAL MARK STRETT IS EFFECTIVELY PORTRAYED AND THE DIALOGUE IS QUALITY AND GENUINE.

THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE OFFERINGS BY GREG PECK, AND GIVEN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF HIS WORK I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS ALSO PECKS FAVORITE SELF WORK AS WELL.

IN THE FINALLY PECK'S GUNMAN IS AMBUSHED BY A YOUNG PUNK LOOKING TO CASH IN ON THE VETERAN'S FAME. THE MARSHAL WANTS TO SEE THE BOY HANG BUT THE DYING GUNFIGHTERS LAST REQUEST IS TO LET THE KID GO ON BEING A "BIG TOUGH GUNNEY" SO THAT THE MISCREANT CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PAIN AND MISERY AWAITING HIS OWN UNTIMELY END.

THIS LITTLE FILM ADEQUATELY TELLS THE STORY THAT SO MANY OTHERS ATTEMPT TO BUT DONT QUITE GET IT DONE. AT ANY RATE 'THE GUNFIGHTER' IS AN ENTERTAINING PLAY THAT UNFORTUANTELY WAS FAR AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

A superlative Hollywood Western... highly recommended!
Wow. One of the best westerns I've ever seen, that's for sure. Everything about this film is spot-on perfect, from the cinematography and acting to the costuming, sound, blocking and general attention to detail... not to mention the script! Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, the fastest gun in the West, now turning to middle age, and ready to give up the life of a violent roustabout. The trouble is, of course, that everywhere he goes, people know and fear him, and every would-be badman in the territory wants to knock him down a peg or two. It's an old story, repeated in numerous pulps, films, dime novels and comicbooks over the years, but probably never as tersely and tensely as here. Honestly, there's not a false or flat moment in this film; director Henry King delivers a mournful masterpiece, and Peck is stunning in his role as a weatherbeaten, tired old gunny who'd gladly chuck it all in, if it weren't for the burdensome reputation he'd spent his entire youth building. Fans of the "Lonesome Dove" series should recognize the imprint of Jimmy Ringo, and his erstwhile pal, now the town marshall, Mark Strett (played perfectly by Millard Mitchell), two old-timers who know that the hard life isn't really as glamourous as most folks think. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hilarious!
Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).

Laurel and Hardy at their most bleakly Beckettian.
'The Flying Deuces' plumbs depths of despair that almost reach the tragic pitch of a Buster Keaton. From the opening sequence, where a lovestruck Ollie has his marriage proposal turned down by a French waitress who laughs at him with her friends behind his back, the comedy is soured by very real pain. The rest of the film sees the pair trying to drown Ollie's sorrows, so, appropriately, images of water humorously recur. This is especially ironic in that the action's bulk is set in the Moroccan desert, with Laurel and Hardy joining the Foreign Legion, only for the duration needed, they think, for Ollie to 'forget'.

Perhaps the desert suggests the emotional barrenness searing Ollie's soul; perhaps the film is merely having a laugh at the contemporary FL hit 'Beau Geste'. In support of the former conjecture is the film's best sequence, which takes place just before they leave for Africa. Stan flippantly asks his miserable friend why he doesn't just drown himself. Ollie takes him up on the idea, but insists Stan join him - how could he live without his old comrade, people staring at him without Ollie there to 'explain'. The business with the Sisyphean rock-weight to which they are both tied; the intrusions of an escaped monster-shark; the discussions about reincarnation (Ollie wants to come back as a horse); and the prolonged leavetaking, all make it difficult to tell where comedy ends and tragedy begins.

The film is full of brilliantly resonant sequences and images like this, such as the laundry episode, Stan wandering through an endless vineyard of clotheslines, and ending up on a mountian full of dirty linen; or the boys trying to rest only to be barked at by guards who are precursors to Beckett's malevolently unseen authorities. The gloriously inappropriate musical interludes, such as a choreographed 'Shine On Harvest Moon' at the height of a chase sequence, includes Stan playing harp on the eve of their execution for desertion, the instrument ominously looking like a gallows with numerous 'strings'/nooses.

It's a shame the humour isn't up to the ideas (the script was co-written by Harry Langdon) - the sparse funny moments bejewel long stretches of tedium, and the film climaxes with an interminable action sequence that is neither exciting nor witty. Worse, the print's quality, even on supposedly 'restored' DVD, is atrocious and presumably irredeemable, full of scratches, black-outs and missing shots - anything longer than a mid-shot is an impenetrable blur. Yet even this flaw can add inadvertant eerieness to the film - when the boys are arrested, their faces disappear against the desert bleach, like a strange surrealist tableau, or a James Whale fantasy.

Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)

Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!

The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood.

With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)

Vintage Laurel and Hardy
"The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime. ... Read more