Edgar Kennedy and the In-Law Nightmare

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for those old-school, short-form slapstick comedies from the thirties, yeah, give this a spin. It’s breezy, low-stakes, and moves faster than you can finish a bag of popcorn. If you need a sprawling narrative or complex character arcs to stay awake, look elsewhere. You’ll probably hate this if you get annoyed by people shouting in black and white.

Edgar Kennedy always had that specific, perpetually flustered energy, like a guy who just realized he left the oven on after he’s already halfway to work. In In-Laws Are Out, he’s trying to be a better husband. He’s promising to fix his temper. But honestly? The universe—and his wife’s family—has other plans. 🙄

The interference factor

The mother-in-law and brother-in-law characters aren't just annoying; they are practically professional saboteurs. Watching them derail Edgar’s good intentions is almost painful, but in a funny way. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Rough on Romeo, where things just spiral out of control because people won't stop talking over each other.

There’s this one moment where Edgar tries to act cool, and he just... fails. Completely. His face does that classic slow-burn collapse. You know the one. It’s pure Edgar Kennedy, and it’s why people still watch these things.

• The pacing is frantic.
• Nobody listens to anybody else.
• The kitchen set looks like it’s about to fall over if someone slams a drawer too hard.

I caught myself wondering why they don't just move to another state. But then, there’d be no movie. It’s not exactly high art, but it’s got a rhythm that feels like a chaotic Saturday morning breakfast.

If you like this, maybe check out The Campus Flirt or maybe even Doggone Torchy if you want to keep the vibe going. They share that same DNA of people running around in circles while trying to solve problems they probably created themselves. 🤷‍♂️

The whole thing wraps up before you get tired of it. That’s the real secret to these old shorts. They know when to quit. Unlike my brother-in-law at Thanksgiving dinner, am I right?