Laugh and Get Rich is basically Edna May Oliver being annoyed for 70 minutes

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a soft spot for 1930s character actors or if you’ve ever had a family member who thinks they’re a genius inventor while sitting on the porch in their undershirt. 🎟️

If you need high-speed pacing or a plot that actually makes total sense, you are going to hate this. It’s slow and it wanders around like a lost dog.

But for people who like watching real pros do their thing, Edna May Oliver is the whole reason to stay tuned. She has this face that looks like she just smelled something slightly off, and it never changes. It’s wonderful.

The whole thing takes place mostly in a boarding house run by Sarah Austin (Oliver). Her husband Joe, played by Hugh Herbert, is the kind of guy who makes you want to reach into the screen and shake him. He’s lazy, he’s a dreamer, and he’s incredibly lucky he hasn't been kicked out yet.

There is this one scene where Joe is trying to explain his big ideas while Sarah is just trying to survive the day. You can see the exact moment she stops listening. I think we’ve all been there during a family dinner. 🤨

The movie really kicks off when Joe finds out Sarah has been stashing money away in a jar. Naturally, he does the worst possible thing and takes it to invest in an oil well because some guy in a flashy suit told him to.

I noticed the sound in this movie is a bit crunchy. It’s an early talkie from RKO, and you can tell they were still figuring out where to put the microphones. Sometimes people sound like they are shouting from a well, and other times they are so loud it distorts. It adds to the charm, I guess?

It reminds me a bit of the vibe in The Life of Riley, where the dad is just a walking disaster. Joe is lovable in a way, but mostly he’s just frustrating.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Laugh and Get Rich (1931) through its definitive frames.

The daughter, Alice, has a subplot with a guy named Bill. It’s fine. It’s very 1931. They talk in that fast, clipped way that makes you wonder if everyone back then was drinking ten cups of coffee a day. ☕

Dorothy Lee plays the daughter and she's okay, but she doesn't have much to do besides look worried. She was in a lot of these RKO comedies, usually with Wheeler and Woolsey, so she knows the drill.

Wait, I have to mention the party scene. There is a party later in the movie that feels like it was filmed in a closet. 🏠

Everyone is packed in, and the extras in the background are doing some very strange things. One guy is just holding a sandwich and looking at it like it’s a piece of alien technology. He never takes a bite. I spent five minutes just watching him instead of the main characters.

The script was co-written by Gregory La Cava, which is probably why the bickering feels so sharp. He was great at making people sound like they actually lived together and hated each other’s habits. It’s much more grounded than something like The Love Trap, which feels a bit more theatrical.

Things I scribbled down while watching:

• Edna May Oliver’s hats are basically supporting characters.
• Why does every 1930s kitchen look so cold and terrifying?
• The oil well guy, Larry, wears a suit that is definitely too big in the shoulders.
• Hugh Herbert does this little giggle that is either cute or the most annoying sound on earth. I haven't decided yet.
• There is a radiator in the hallway that hissess so loud I thought my own house was leaking.

The middle of the movie drags a bit. There’s a lot of talking about money that doesn't really go anywhere. You could probably skip ten minutes and not miss a single plot point.

It’s not as polished as Good Intentions, but it has more heart. Or maybe just more grit because everyone is so broke.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Laugh and Get Rich (1931) through its definitive frames.

I love how the boarding house feels like a real place. It’s cluttered and messy. Most movies from this era have these giant, empty mansions, so seeing a cramped living room is refreshing. 🧹

There is a weird bit of logic where Joe thinks that even if the oil well is a scam, it doesn't matter because he meant well. It’s that classic 'delusional husband' trope that was big during the Depression. People wanted to believe a big break was coming.

The ending is... well, it’s a comedy from 1931. You can probably guess if they stay poor or not. But the way they get there is a bit of a stretch. It feels like the writers realized they only had five minutes left and needed to wrap it up fast.

I actually think this movie would be better if it was just 40 minutes of Edna May Oliver yelling at the boarders. The whole oil well plot feels like an excuse to get them out of the house, but the house is where the fun is.

If you’ve seen Black Waters, you know how these early talkies can sometimes feel like a filmed stage play. This one escapes that a little bit because the camera actually moves once or twice. 🎥

It’s a slight movie. It’s thin. But it’s got a soul.

I wouldn't go out of my way to find it, but if it pops up on a late-night broadcast or a weird streaming corner, it’s a decent way to spend an hour. Just don't expect it to change your life. 💸

Also, watch out for the scene with the telegram. The actor receiving it looks like he’s forgotten how to read for about three seconds. It’s a great little human blunder they just left in the final cut.

Final thought: Edna May Oliver is a national treasure. Even when the movie is just okay, she makes it feel like it matters. She’s like that one aunt who tells you the truth even when it hurts, and you love her for it.