SONS OF THE DESERT are Laurel & Hardy, in the 1933 outing usually cited as their best sound feature film, followed by Babes In Toyland and Way Out West. It was their top-grossing picture, and the 14th most attended in its year, which was flush with comedies now regarded as classics. Made for $165,000, the take was $3,700,000, a 22-to-1 home run whose 65-minute course of laugh medicine helped lighten the woe-load of The Depression. *

“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.”

Playing characters with their own names, Stan Laurel, 43, and Oliver Hardy, 41, are here presented as next door neighbors in Los Angeles who are also members of a fraternal lodge. When called by the ‘Sons Of The Desert’ to attend the seriously silly outfits national convention in Chicago, the guys must resort to subterfuge. That’s because their dominating wives (Mae Busch as Ollie’s plate-throwing ‘Lottie’, Dorothy Christie as Stan’s shotgun-toting ‘Betty) have other plans. Slapstick gags rain down.

Aficionados of the comedy team love this movie. In the politely appreciative section, we duly recognize and sincerely applaud their skill set, but have to fess: we tend to get restless after about ten minutes. Hey, that’s five more than we can sacrifice to Martin & Lewis.

Frank Craven came up with the story; nine people including the stars and producer Hal Roach contributed to the screenplay. William A. Seiter directed. Supporting work comes from Charley Chase and Lucien Littlefield; in the crowd of extras look out for newbies Robert Cummings (23, first feature) and Ellen Corby, 22.

* The duo made one other feature that year, The Devil’s Brother, also a moneymaker ($2,400,000, 25th place) as well as six shorts. Competing for smiles, chuckles, guffaws and hoots in ’33 were I’m No Angel, She Done Him Wrong, Tugboat Annie, Dinner At Eight, Duck Soup, International House and Design For Living.

Those bums! Just wait’ll they get home!