Twice Two (1933)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Too much of everything

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

This is one of Laurel and Hardy's weaker efforts with only limited laughs and some horrendous dubbing of female voices for the characters of Stan and Ollie's sisters (played by Stan and Ollie). There's also something a little unsettling about each of them being married to their friend's identical twin sister... The funniest moments come in the earlier part of this 20-minute short when the boys are at work and taking part in their usual tit-for-tat abuse - Ollie blowing ink down the phone in an attempt to spray Stan only to receive it in his own face gets the biggest laugh. The rest of the film is amusing enough but never comes close to the heights of their better shorts.

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 (brain specialist) and Stan (associate adviser) have married each other's twin sisters (played by themselves), and it has been one year since, so they need to head home for an anniversary meal, and there is apparently a surprise for Ollie, that Stan wasn't meant to tell him about. It should be said that the twin sisters are just as clumsy and argumentative as their brothers. Stan is sent out to buy some strawberry ice cream, but he manages to go into the wrong place (it was next door) and spend the 15 cents on the three phone calls to home. There is the final squabble with all arguing about family differences, and it ends with Stan's sister "giving" a new anniversary cake to Ollie's sister. Also starring Charlie Hall as Delivery boy. Filled with good slapstick and all classic comedy you want from a black and white film, at just over an hour, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Worth watching!

To me, this is one of the team's creepier and less funny shorts. Stan and Ollie play dual roles--they play themselves and female versions of themselves. According to the strange plot, Stan and Ollie both have sisters that look exactly like them in drag AND they both marry each other's sister! Aside from being a very unbelievable and contrived idea for a short, it was also pretty weird seeing Stan and Ollie in drag and then marrying the other!! To make matters worse, the wives (in particular, the female version of Stanley) have horrid voices--the type that could get any person to stick an icepick in their ears to stop the pain!!! The novelty of the idea wears off pretty quickly, as the film features far fewer laughs than their average short. It frankly isn't one of their better efforts and is pretty skip-able unless you are like me--a die-hard fan. For a similar type movie where the boys play dual roles, try watching the much funnier and better-made BRATS. In this film, Stan and Ollie play themselves and their kids. Technically speaking, this is an amazing film to watch and is a film worth seeing.

In "Twice Two", Laurel and Hardy each play a dual role, with the idea being that they have each married the other one's sister. It's a creative setup, and they are both pretty good as the spouses. (The men do the acting, with the voices dubbed in by women.) Most of it takes place as the four have dinner together, and plays off of the tangled relationships among them. It is slower paced than usual, and is not really as funny as their best films. It's still worth watching, although it is probably of interest primarily to those who are already Laurel and Hardy fans.