Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Ollie and Stan are professional finishers who pull up outside an unfinished wood house. After stopping the truck from rolling away, the Owner (Sam Lufkin) says he'll pay $500 to finish the house by noon Monday, Ollie says they can finish by noon that day. They begin, and Stan causes Ollie to fall down a gap which would have had a walking board/plank across, and he snaps it when it's put back. While Ollie is chasing Stan, a Nurse (Dorothy Coburn) in the near hospital asks a Policeman (Edgar 'Ed' Kennedy) to stop the noise, which he does, but this quiet won't last for long. Ollie walks across a new bridge made by Stan, which snaps and he falls with his head going through the door he is carrying. The policeman is still there, and a long board appears in front of him, and at the eventually end is Stan, and when his takes this long board back, the policeman jumps seeing him again at the other end. Inside the house Ollie steps on a pile of nails, getting some in his shoe, so Stan comes in to clear them up, getting the bucket handle caught on the end of his shovel. Ollie treads on the nails again trying to help, and he throws his spare bucket out the window, hitting the policeman over. The nurse comes in to punch in the face to stop the noise, and she gets hit stepping over an angled plank, thinking it's Ollie she punches him in the stomach, making his hat spin, and Stan smiling gets it too, with his hat flying off. The nurse leaves before grabbing a hammer when Stan rips a bit of paper when she bends over, she obviously thinks it's her dress. So then they continue working, with Ollie putting a pile of nails in his mouth to use, swallowing it when he trips over with no step, and again when Stan tries to put up a window frame, the previous one fell apart. After kicking Stan, Ollie tries the step and it collapses on him, and the policeman's still snooping around, getting a punch in the face by the nurse still wanting quiet and respect. Ollie puts a walking plank on a window sill to walk on to reach the roof, and swallows yet another pile of nails in his mouth banging his head. Stan starts sawing this walking plank for a measurement, using a saw that keeps bending, and when it saws through and Ollie falls, so too does a glue can and pile of planks, all landing onto the policeman. Finally a strong walking plank is found to walk onto the porch, Ollie manages to walk on it safely, but the porch itself collapses. Eventually the house is finished, just in time for the Owner, but a bird lands on the chimney making it collapse, with a podium and two windows. They all quickly get squabbling for the money meant for payment, with glue and paint being used too, also for the policeman nurse too. The squabble leads to Stan and Ollie grabbing the large rock holding their truck, and it rolls into the house causing it to collapse. Filled with wonderful slapstick and all classic comedy you could want from a black and white silent film, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Very good!
Review of The Finishing Touch
