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. In a boxing ring, the predicted winner Thunder-Clap Callahan (Noah Young) is about to fight less impressive looking Canvasback Clump, aka The Human Mop (Stan), and the audience blow raspberries at him and his Manager (Ollie). If they win they get $100, and if they lose they get $5, but it is obvious Clump is very slow witted, he doesn't move from the middle after the Referee (Sam Lufkin) explains the rules to them. Clump sees Callahan jumping in his corner to warn up, he assumes he's dancing, so he improvises some ballet-like stuff in his corner, till he falls. Then Clump is jumping around and swinging his fists ready to fight, his Manager advising him to use his left fist, and when the bell goes, he manages to unintentionally knock Callahan out with his left holding his arm out. The Referee can't finish the countdown till Clump is sat down, and the misunderstanding turn into a little scuffle between them, till he does sit down and Callahan comes round. After a quick fall and near countdown, Clump is ready for another round, but it ends very quickly when Callahan knocks him out, and his Manager faints too, and when he comes round, the whole audience has left, and Clump is sleeping on the ring floor. In the missing footage, a man at the fight recognises Clump, and his Manager buys accident insurance on his behalf, and they try to get money from this insurance by the Manager placing a banana peel on the floor for Clump to slip on. Instead, a Pie Delivery Man (Charlie Hall) slips on it, and presses one of his custard pies in the Manager's face, and when he throws two back, one hits the backside, and the second the face of a woman (Dorothy Coburn). She throws one back, and hits a man having his shows shined, and soon many other people, including a man in a top hat, a dentist patient, a sewer man hole guy, a pie shop customer and a barber shop customer are joining in, while a postman and a man posing for a photo get some pie too. Eventually the boys move away from the chaos, and Stan's last pie goes on the floor, for a woman (Anita Garvin) to slip on, and the rest of the missing film would have the boys questioned by a policeman about how the fight going all the way down the street started, and him chasing them away getting a pie in the face. Filled with good slapstick and all classic comedy you want from a black and white silent film, it is easily the shortest, but it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Worth watching!
Review of The Battle of the Century
