The Fixer Uppers: Laurel and Hardy stumbling through someone else's divorce

Is it worth your time?

If you have twenty minutes and a soft spot for the bumbling duo, absolutely. It’s light, it’s silly, and it doesn’t ask you to think too hard about the plot. If you hate old-school slapstick or feel annoyed by people who can't keep a conversation on track, skip it. This isn't exactly The Marriage Clause when it comes to deep emotional stakes.

Stan and Ollie are just trying to sell Christmas cards. They’re terrible at it, naturally. They wander into this woman's house and she's just sobbing her eyes out because her husband is off painting portraits instead of holding her hand. It’s a bit dramatic for a comedy short, but that’s the bit.

The rhythm of the thing

There’s a moment where Oliver Hardy tries to act like a serious relationship counselor. He’s got that look on his face—you know, the one where he’s trying to be dignified while his tie is likely crooked. It’s hilarious because he’s completely out of his depth. Stan just stands there looking confused, which is basically his default setting, but it works.

The pacing is all over the place, but in a good way. It feels like they’re improvising the solutions as they go. At one point, you realize the whole situation is ridiculous. The artist husband is so detached it’s almost impressive. He’s got that, 'I’m an artiste' energy that usually precedes a disaster in these kinds of shorts.

• That one scene with the telephone cord is pure gold.
• The way Ollie gets his hands dirty trying to fix a marriage he clearly doesn't understand.
• The sheer audacity of two salesmen deciding they’re qualified to stop a breakup.

It’s not as chaotic as Uppercut O'Brien, but it has that same sense of things escalating for absolutely no reason. You can tell they had a good time filming this. Sometimes you see the actors almost break character, or maybe that’s just my imagination playing tricks again. Either way, it’s charming.

Don't expect a masterclass in screenwriting. Expect a few laughs and some genuinely great facial expressions from Ollie when things start to fall apart. It’s a short, sweet distraction. Sometimes that’s all you need on a Tuesday afternoon. 🎄