Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Be Big!" is an American 24-minute black-and-white film from 1931, so this one is already over 85 years old and it stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, still considered the perhaps best comedy duo in film history today. This is one of their sound short films in fact and from the audio you can see that the medium sound film really hadn't progressed far at that point. It does sound a bit amateurish. But this is not the biggest problem here. I think it is the script that just feels pretty uninspired even if the two in the lead come close to making it work at least partially and probably nobody could have done it better then them. However, it all feels really uninteresting and that surprises me a bit as the two writers and the director were very successful and prolific back in the day and had also worked wih Stan and Ollie on several occasions. The one thing I found particularly weak was the wives reference, one that is common in the duo's films that they are bossed around by their wives and at least kinda deserve it. But the actresses did not impress me and honestly, they are their wives! There needs to be at least a bit of caring, sympathy and compassion there, but they were 100% antagonists. So all in all, this film is far from being as funny as I wanted it to be and for me it is npowhere near the best I've seen from Laurel and Hardy and I've seen a lot. Gotta give this one a thumbs-down. The material is maybe good enough for 10-12 minutes max if we take the better sequences only. Watch something else instead.

thejcowboy22 Excuses Excuses Stan and Ollie convince their wives that they can't go with them on a Vacation.They con-cocked a story of illness to stay behind.The whole short takes place in Ollie's abode complete with bathtub and boot jack remover.Pulling and tugging and trying to remove Ollie's tight boots that really belong to Stanley's feet. Hilarious for 5 minutes but the majority of the short focuses on the failure of the boot removal accompanied by that horrible background music which sounds like someone trying to defecate in a factory toilet.The only viewers who would be pleased would be the National Rifle Association when the wives come home with there shotgun in hands ready to fire!

rbverhoef Laurel and Hardy are both married in this comedy short. They are about to take their wives to Atlantic City when Hardy gets a call. The men at the club will honor Hardy tonight so he must be there. Hardy fakes he is suddenly ill and he wants Laurel to take care of him while the ladies must have their fun in Atlantic City. Laurel and Hardy change for the evening but there is some trouble with Laurel's boot on Hardy's foot. Hilarious sequences is what we get to see.Although almost the entire short deals with the boots, Laurel and Hardy find enough ways to make us laugh. Hardy takes some nasty falls and Laurel has some nice moments with his stupidity. A very entertaining short.

erwan_ticheler "Be Big" is one of the better short slapstick movies that the legendary couple made.Like always the story is not as important as the many jokes and visual expressions. The phone and doorbell of Hardy is hilarious as well as the doorbell of Laurel. Still,the biggest laughs come after the wives have left and when Ollie & Stan put on their boots for the club.These scenes are,although sometimes a bit long,really funny.Of course it ends all wrong,but that is typical for these short features.A very nice piece of work. 9/10