Jason goes to Niles for a Laurel and Hardy afternoon with THE SONS OF THE DESERT

Ugh. I've officially fallen more than a month and a half behind on my blog. So...here's a data dump.

Sons of the Desert is the name of the official Laurel and Hardy Film Appreciation Society (don't call it a fan club, but the express wishes of Stan Laurel they do not have a fan club) and the title of the feature last September 14. But, as always, a few shorts first.

MIDNIGHT PATROL (1933): Which happens to be the name of the local "tent" of the Sons of the Desert (all local chapters are "tents" and all are named after L and H films.) Stan and Ollie were chased by the cops in so many of their films, this is kind of a change of pace--now they are cops! They of course still get in plenty of trouble, accidentally helping a jewel thief and harassing the chief of police. Very funny.

SOMETHING SIMPLE (1934): Charley Chase in a beautifully convoluted plot, where he suffers from dizzy spells. So he goes to the doctor, but little does he know he's actually seeing an escaped mental patient who's posing as a doctor. He advises Charley to sit down, relax, and recite something simple like a nursery rhyme. Unfortunately publicly reciting nursery rhymes is the sure sign of the escaped mental patient that everyone is looking for. Obviously, wacky hijinx ensue.

Then intermission, and the feature.

SONS OF THE DESERT (1933): In the interest of time/effort, I'll reuse what I wrote the last time I saw it:

Laurel and Hardy are in a fraternal organization and take an oath to join the national convention in Chicago. Now they just need their wives's permission. Or failing that, they need to get there without their wives knowing. Hilarious, and a great supporting role by under-appreciated comic Charley Chase.

Total Running Time: 108
My Total Minutes: 370,015