The Flying Deuces

I'd have to say that this is one of my favourite outings for Stan and Ollie - but like most of the slapstick comedy of the 30s, it has not aged at all well. Ollie has fallen for a young French woman, but she has eyes on a refined, posh, Captain and so he is rejected! In the depths of despair, he considers (joint) suicide in the Seine (inhabited by a deadly killer shark) before alighting on a cunning plan to join the Foreign Legion, thereby assured of certain death.... well, hmmm - not quite: instead they end up in charge of the largest mountain of laundry since the Ark landed on Mount Ararat after 40 days of rain - and, for a mere 3 cents per day. Of course, chaos ensues and when he bumps into his long lost love again, that just makes matters worse... The bond between the stars, and their wonderful affinity with each other is great to see; but the jokes are all very tame and the inclusion of "Shine on Harvey Moon" though really quite accomplished, has no obvious place in the narrative... It is simple, harmless fun that ought to be seen.