![]() ![]() At the first home they visit a nice old lady answers the door, and Ollie explains that they are "victims of the Depression" and asks her for buttered toast. Within minutes Stan has managed to ruin the soup, wreck their clothes and destroy the pup tent, so the guys are reduced to going door to door, begging for a handout. They're camping in a field, and right off the bat Ollie is irritated with Stan, who is cooking their soup and hanging up their laundry. Stan and Ollie are homeless and broke, though they still own a car, and it appears that the car and a pup tent are their only shelter. But when One Good Turn opens their situation has all but unraveled already. Gradually, of course, and despite their best efforts, things unravel. Normally at the beginning of an L&H comedy we find a fairly stable situation: the boys are workers of some sort, or suburban husbands who've assigned themselves a home fix-it project. When I first saw this short as a kid it left me upset, and watching it again today I remember why. If you care about Stan and Ollie as buddies this one can even be a somewhat traumatic experience, for in this film the pressure of unemployment and homelessness put a serious strain their friendship, causing not just the usual knockabout quarreling, mind you, but a genuine crisis that leads to a misunderstanding, hurt feelings and, worst of all, a rift in their partnership that is left unresolved at the end. ![]() Over and above the comedy it's their relationship I savor, and for that reason I've always found One Good Turn a rather disturbing short. Their best movies are delightful, and even in their lesser efforts I find that their impeccable teamwork and special idiosyncrasies usually carry the day. I've always loved Laurel & Hardy, no matter which of their films I'm watching. Reviewed by wmorrow59 6 / 10 Hard times put a strain on a famous friendship When the truth is revealed, Stan exacts painful retribution. ![]() In the confusion surrounding the auction, Stan finds himself in possession of a fat wallet and Ollie accuses him of stealing the old lady's money. Not realizing that they are hearing a rehearsal for a play, the boys decide to auction their car to help. While they are eating they overhear a villainous landlord (Finlayson) threatening to evict her if she does not pay the mortgage. Stan and Ollie are down on their luck and beg at an old lady's house for food. ![]()
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