Hog Wild (1930)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy (themselves), Dorothy Granger (maid), Charles McMurphy (streetcar driver), Fay Holderness (Mrs Hardy).Director: JAMES PARROTT. Dialogue: H.M. Walker. Story: Leo McCarey. Film editor: Richard Currier. Photography: George Stevens. Song, "Smile When the Raindrops Fall", by Alice K. Howlett. Other songs composed by Hal Roach, and T. Marvin Hatley. Production manager: Henry Ginsberg. Sound recording: Elmer R. Raguse. Producer: Hal Roach. A Hal Roach Studios Production.Copyright 3 December 1930 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp. U.S. release: 31 May 1930 (sic). 2 reels.U.K. release title: Aerial Antics.NOTES: In addition to her role as Tillie, the Hardy maid, Dorothy Granger, also has a bit part as the leggy puddle jumper who almost causes Stan to have an accident. COMMENT: In excellent form here, the boys attempt to attach a radio aerial to the roof of the Hardy home with not unexpected results, culminating in a fine slapstick finale. One of the best of the team's many amusing shorts.

This is basically the essence of this Laurel & Hardy short film from 1930. it was made 85 years ago and it is one of their earlier sound films. The silent era was a thing of the past, bot not for really long at this point. However, it is still a black-and-white film. This movie runs for not even 20 minutes and was directed by the still pretty young James Parrott. He made many Stan & Ollie films, also many other movies and was one of the most prolific movie makers of his time. Hadn't he died in his early 40s already, he would have been even more prolific. And he was a talented actor too who appeared in over 100 movies. The writer is H.M. Walker and he worked on many Larel & Hardy films too. This short film here has a couple funny moments, but all in all not that many really. It's an okay watch once for fans of the duo, but the rest doesn't really need to watch it. Not one of their best in my opinion.

Hog Wild (1930) *** (out of 4)Hardy's wife won't let him leave the house until he puts up the radio aerial so he has Laurel help him and trouble follows. This is a nice little short from the duo that manages to have several laughs. Most of the laughs come from the physical type with Hardy constantly falling off the roof and landing in a small pond. The best gag of the film happens towards the end when Hardy, stuck on a ladder that's on Laurel's car, takes off for a wild ride through the streets of Culver City. The constant screams from the two are the best moments of the film especially the wild, over the top screech from Laurel. Another funny sequence involves an early fight between Hardy and his wife. Hardy thinks his wife has hidden his hat but he's too dumb to realize that it's just on his head. While this is a good short I don't think it ranks among the duo's best but even a middle ground short from Laurel and Hardy is still better than most.

Oliver is having memory problems and is losing stuff which causes a fight with his wife. In a strop she demands he put up the aerial so her radio can pick up stations from Japan. Stan comes round and is enticed by the chance to hear Japan that he offers to help put the aerial up on the roof. However with two men on the job the chances of accidents doubles!After a seemingly pointless and confusing start this short settles down to be a very enjoyable film that has good routines that sound basic but are very well executed and are, more importantly, very funny. The opening title card talks about Hardy losing his memory and Laurel never having had one to lose. There is then a short scene where hardy can't find his hat and then the whole amnesia thing is forgotten as the film moves to the aerial plot. It gets much better at this point and is very funny.Although really it is simply a list of ways for one of the characters to fall down - it is done well and some of the bits are clever. The final sequence of the film is the best and must have been the most difficult to film. As always it is the delivery of the lead duo who make the material work (and last over decades). They do sterling work here – as always my favourite is Hardy. In this short more than others you can see him when he jumps up in frustration and points his fingers into the air – it reminds me so much of modern characters (such as George from Seinfeld) and it shows what an influence they have had.Although on paper this doesn't sound that inspired I assure you that, if you enjoy the comedy of Laurel and Hardy, that you'll find much to enjoy here. But even if you are yet to discover them this is a fine example of their talents before they progressed from shorts into features.