Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.
A vast majority of their output at this point was solid to classic (as said several times in previous reviews the only one really to not do much for me was '45 Minutes from Hollywood' which was right at the beginning pretty much), much of their early stuff was very interesting and fun to watch but it was around 1928 or so when the boys as a duo had found their mojo and had fully settled. 'The Bohemian Girl' has often been considered one of the duo's lesser outings, some have even said their worst. Whether it is their worst is up for debate, for me though it is a lesser effort of theirs and one of their weaker operetta-style feature films. Not a terrible film, but an uneven one.
One of the primary problems of 'The Bohemian Girl' is the story. Not because it is very flimsy (which it is), but more because it is also very silly and choppy. The first half is too heavy in story and drags badly, while not being without upsides. While quantity of songs has very seldom been an issue for me in film, being someone who loves musicals and opera (where the music mostly is continuous), there is a sense that in 'The Bohemian Girl' that there are too many.
It is even more of a problem when (from personal tastes this is) apart from the lovely "I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls" the songs are at best forgettable and generally not very good. Thelma Todd is unforgivably wasted in a way that one doesn't really remember her abridged contribution, while the direction is not as in control as it is in the second half.
However, whatever faults 'The Bohemian Girl' has they do not lie in any way with Laurel and Hardy. Laurel and Hardy in fact are thankfully the best thing and their dominating presence in the second half is what makes the film pick up in momentum (while also feeling like a different film as a result, a bit of a disjoint here). Both have impeccable comic timing, especially Laurel, their sly and snappy verbal wit and well-timed and nimble physical comedy being put to great use. Their chemistry sparkles and Laurel boasts the highlight sequence of the film, in the winery, that is one of his funniest ever routines.
Mae Busch is absolutely terrific, very funny and formidable, and the clear standout of the more than capable cast, so much so she nearly steals the film. James Finlayson looked as though he was having fun too, despite his appearance being too brief. 'The Bohemian Girl' looks good visually, with more care in the production design than with 'Bonnie Scotland', while the second half is very engaging and the direction seems more at ease in the latter stages too with the material being better.
On the whole, not that bad but uneven. The first half is very patchy but the film does pick up significantly when Laurel and Hardy properly get to shine. 5.5/10 Bethany Cox
A vast majority of their output at this point was solid to classic (as said several times in previous reviews the only one really to not do much for me was '45 Minutes from Hollywood' which was right at the beginning pretty much), much of their early stuff was very interesting and fun to watch but it was around 1928 or so when the boys as a duo had found their mojo and had fully settled. 'The Bohemian Girl' has often been considered one of the duo's lesser outings, some have even said their worst. Whether it is their worst is up for debate, for me though it is a lesser effort of theirs and one of their weaker operetta-style feature films. Not a terrible film, but an uneven one.
One of the primary problems of 'The Bohemian Girl' is the story. Not because it is very flimsy (which it is), but more because it is also very silly and choppy. The first half is too heavy in story and drags badly, while not being without upsides. While quantity of songs has very seldom been an issue for me in film, being someone who loves musicals and opera (where the music mostly is continuous), there is a sense that in 'The Bohemian Girl' that there are too many.
It is even more of a problem when (from personal tastes this is) apart from the lovely "I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls" the songs are at best forgettable and generally not very good. Thelma Todd is unforgivably wasted in a way that one doesn't really remember her abridged contribution, while the direction is not as in control as it is in the second half.
However, whatever faults 'The Bohemian Girl' has they do not lie in any way with Laurel and Hardy. Laurel and Hardy in fact are thankfully the best thing and their dominating presence in the second half is what makes the film pick up in momentum (while also feeling like a different film as a result, a bit of a disjoint here). Both have impeccable comic timing, especially Laurel, their sly and snappy verbal wit and well-timed and nimble physical comedy being put to great use. Their chemistry sparkles and Laurel boasts the highlight sequence of the film, in the winery, that is one of his funniest ever routines.
Mae Busch is absolutely terrific, very funny and formidable, and the clear standout of the more than capable cast, so much so she nearly steals the film. James Finlayson looked as though he was having fun too, despite his appearance being too brief. 'The Bohemian Girl' looks good visually, with more care in the production design than with 'Bonnie Scotland', while the second half is very engaging and the direction seems more at ease in the latter stages too with the material being better.
On the whole, not that bad but uneven. The first half is very patchy but the film does pick up significantly when Laurel and Hardy properly get to shine. 5.5/10 Bethany Cox