Laurel and Hardy in Oliver the Eighth

Also known as "The Private Life of Oliver the Eighth"

Written and filmed December, 1933 - January, 1934. Released by MGM, February, 1934. Produced by Hal Roach. Directed by Lloyd French. Three reels.

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Mae Busch, Jack Barty.

STORY: Barbers Laurel and Hardy both answer a personal ad from a wealthy widow in search of a husband. The widow turns out to be a homicidal maniac who has murdered seven husbands, each named Oliver. Naturally, she chooses Ollie for her next victim. The Boys spend a terror-filled night in the widow's mansion. Just as the widow's knife is about to find its way into Ollie's throat, he awakens in a barber chair to find Stan shaving him; the entire experience has been a dream.

Commentary

JB: As empty as a politician's promise. How curious it is that they seem to follow their classics with really sub-par efforts. Perhaps they ran out of energy for a short or two?

JL: About the only praise I can afford this hollow effort is that is moves better than The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case. But it's equally unfunny.

Laurel and Hardy Central