While quite stunning to look at with exquisite sets, lavish costumes and some beautiful snowy photography, at times this seems just too long even though it's got a full length plot line and a few musical numbers to pad it out. Oliver is married to the cheating Mae Busch who kidnaps a princess then runs out on Oliver anyway, leaving the young girl (Darla Hood as a child, Jacqueline Welles as a young lady) to be raised by Oliver and his sidekick, Stan Laurel.
Moving from shorts into features full time, Stan and Ollie were lucky to have material that could be extended into a full plot line. They had done a similar situation before in the 1933 full length operetta "Fra Diablo", so this needed a fresh take on an old story, having been based upon an opera itself. I would have loved a dance number with the gypsies, as the songs aren't all that memorable.
Heading into the Little Rascals series, Darla Hood manages to be cute without being cloying, something that left me cold to her in the shorts. The future Julie Bishop really has nothing substantial to do as the older young lady. Of the supporting players, Busch is a convincing shrew, while James Finlayson is funny with his double takes as a palace guard. The lovable Zeffie Tilbury is, as always, a delight as the gypsy queen, while Mitchell Lewis deliciously sinister as her son. Silent star Antonio Moreno is sensuous as the roving gypsy whom Busch carries on with in front of her own husband. It's pretty enjoyable, but I found myself more entranced by the setting and technical aspects of the film than the actual movie as a whole.
Be forewarned, a scene of Stan sawing bars is like nails down a chalkboard.
Moving from shorts into features full time, Stan and Ollie were lucky to have material that could be extended into a full plot line. They had done a similar situation before in the 1933 full length operetta "Fra Diablo", so this needed a fresh take on an old story, having been based upon an opera itself. I would have loved a dance number with the gypsies, as the songs aren't all that memorable.
Heading into the Little Rascals series, Darla Hood manages to be cute without being cloying, something that left me cold to her in the shorts. The future Julie Bishop really has nothing substantial to do as the older young lady. Of the supporting players, Busch is a convincing shrew, while James Finlayson is funny with his double takes as a palace guard. The lovable Zeffie Tilbury is, as always, a delight as the gypsy queen, while Mitchell Lewis deliciously sinister as her son. Silent star Antonio Moreno is sensuous as the roving gypsy whom Busch carries on with in front of her own husband. It's pretty enjoyable, but I found myself more entranced by the setting and technical aspects of the film than the actual movie as a whole.
Be forewarned, a scene of Stan sawing bars is like nails down a chalkboard.