"The Second 100 Years" is an American 20-minute live action short from 1927, so over 90 years old, and this one stars Laurel and Hardy, the greatest comedic geniuses of their time probably and it is still a work from their days of silent filmmaking before they managed the successful transition into the movie world of sound. The two writers should be well-known, the director perhaps not so much, but several cast members' names should strike familiar too unless you are really completely new to old (silent) films, but then again you most likely would not start with this one here. This one here can be cleanly split into two parts. The first part takes place inside a prison and there is a whole lot of slapstick comedy going on with the duo and other inmates or guards of course too. The guards seem funnily more annoyed all the time than the prisoners. The second half then takes place "outside" as our two chaotic heroes manage to get out of prison posing as painters, but they are quickly messing up when Laurel for example accidentally paints color on a woman's dress and a cop watches them closely all the time and is on the chase afterward. Then it becomes a fake identity movie as the two pose as visitors from France and go see what? That's right. The prison as they are posing as enforcers of the law and they are finding a lot on their way there. Laurel even expresses interest in a lady. The slapstick comedy continues, but even an opulent dinner scene does not reach the level the film had early on, so as for all I care it should have stayed on the prison premises from start to finish. Jokes like "Ice Cream Cohen" aren't too shabby, but they do not make up for all the mediocrities and anyway these are made up for early on also by many intertitles (loved it) for example about how non-excessive drinking and smoking is bad. Okay I forgive them for that. All in all, I am a bit surprised this L&H short is not one of their most known as I liked it, enjoyed it more than some of their most famous works and thus give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out.
Review of The Second 100 Years
