The Flying Deuces (1939)

• Year: 1939
• Released: 03 Nov 1939
• Country: United States
• Adwords: N/A
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031322/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_flying_deuces
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: Approved
• Genre: Comedy, Family, War
• Runtime: 69 min
• Writer: Ralph Spence, Charley Rogers, Fred Schiller
• Director: A. Edward Sutherland
• Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Jean Parker
• Keywords: paris, france, escape, suicide attempt, desertion, foreign legion, male friendship,

	6.7/10
	83% – Critics
	63% – Audience

The Flying Deuces Storyline

Oliver is heartbroken when he finds that Georgette, the inkeeper’s daughter he’s fallen in love with, is already married to dashing Foreign Legion officer Francois. To forget her, he joins the Legion, taking Stanley with him. Their bumbling eventually gets them charged with desertion and sentenced to a firing squad. They manage to escape in a stolen airplane, but crash after a wild ride.—Paul Penna

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The Flying Deuces Movie Reviews

Laurel and Hardy in the Foreign Legion

THE FLYING DEUCES (RKO Radio, 1939), directed by A. Edward Sutherland, stars the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in their first feature film away from their home lot of the Hal Roach/MGM Studios. It also marked their return to the screen since BLOCKHEADS (1938), during which time Oliver Hardy had teamed up with another comic, Harry Langdon in ZENOBIA (United Artists, 1939). While it’s interesting watching Hardy interact with another comedian other than Stanley (who never worked alone after being initially teamed with Hardy in the late 1920s), it clearly shows that Laurel and Hardy are the screen’s most perfect pair. With this being their welcoming return, and more feature films ahead into the 1940s, THE FLYING DEUCES has the distinction of being a Hal Roach comedy without being a Hal Roach comedy. It also marked the team’s return into the foreign legion, having already done so in their four-reel featurette, BEAU HUNKS (1931), a “Beau Geste” spoof. Aside from their usual antics, there’s also James Finlayson, their frequent foil, doing his familiar double-take as a harassed jailer in the latter portion of the story, and Charles Middleton (of BEAU HUNKS) adding some more of his usual no-nonsense flavor as their commanding officer.

This time around, Stan and Ollie (as they are simply billed in the closing credits), are Americans from Iowa vacationing in Paris. On their last days before returning to their jobs at the fish market, it is learned that Oliver has fallen in love with Georgette (Jean Parker), a café hostess whom he hopes to marry. Refusing his proposal, Ollie decides to end it all by attaching himself to a huge rock, throwing himself into the Seine River (unknown to them to be infested by a shark), and taking Stanley with him. After some failed attempts, thanks to Stanley, Francois (Reginald Gardiner), a legionnaire who happens to be passing by, advises Ollie the best way to forget his troubles is to join the foreign legion, which they do. All goes well until Stan and Ollie learn from their stern commandant (Charles Middleton) that they’ll be paid “three cents a day” for their chores, and that Georgette, who’s seen around the base, happens to be the wife of Francois. Will Oliver try more suicide attempts? Will Stan and Ollie move up to the ranks in the foreign legion? Will they ever return to their old jobs in Iowa? Stick around and find out.

What’s does all this have to do with the flying deuces? Although the title promises air travel, it really doesn’t take off until much later where Stan and Ollie escape jail and a firing squad, leading to a merry chase around the base before seeking refuge inside an airplane that takes them to the air but not with the greatest of ease.

In true Laurel and Hardy tradition, slapstick and chase scenes are the focal point along with Oliver telling Stanley the familiar phrase, “Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into.” There’s also a nice musical interlude where Oliver displays his fine vocalization to “Shine On, Harvest Moon” (by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth) at the post courtyard while Stanley does his own style of dancing. There’s also another musical moment where Stanley plays a harp on a prison bed spring to “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” in the best Harpo Marx tradition while waiting to be shot at sunrise with his pal for desertion.

In the wake of home video, movie rentals and cable television in the early 1980s, THE FLYING DEUCES, was easily accessible by numerous distributors. Some VHS copies contained shorter prints with missing bits from airplane climax, others with inferior picture, sound quality, or both, as well as colorized. Beware of similar problems that may be found on DVD. The best quality happened to be one by Hal Roach Home Video with excellent visuals, sound, and the original RKO Radio Pictures studio logo and closing cast credits restored. In recent years, American Movie Classics has presented the complete 68 minute print into its lineup of Laurel and Hardy festivals from 1994 to 1999; followed by Turner Classic Movies where THE FLYING DEUCES premiered January 5, 2006.

While not quite as spectacular or hilarious as some of their comedies for Hal Roach, yet better than the ones Stan and Ollie made during their declining years over at 20th Century-Fox (1941-1945), THE FLYING DEUCES is something to consider whether it be from the wild airplane ride, the cameo appearance by talking horse with a familiar sounding voice, or for the comedy team of Stan and Ollie. (***)

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy vehicle filled with tons of sight gags

Olli is broken heart when aware which Georgett(Jean Parker), a beautiful girl, is already married to officer Francois(Reginald Gardner). Oliver is depressed and attempts to commit suicide in river Seine, taking Stan Laurel with him. But the newspapers publicize : ¡ famous men-eating shark escapes, ferocious fish battles keeper in Paris Aquarium, believed at large in Seine, boaters, swimmers, Beware! . Later they enlist the French Foreign Legion commanded by a stiff commandant(Charles Middleton). Of course, the comic pair cause wreak havoc wherever they go . Their botchers lead them charges of desertion and condemned to death penalty. They’re imprisoned but receive a letter in the jail saying the following : ¨ Lift up floor board and you’ll find a tunnel which leads to the outer wall use your own judgement, a pal ¨. Hilarity ensues when they try to escape and avoid a firing squad.

Zany comedy seeing the misfit couple in all kinds of troubles involving French Legion. This entertaining Laurel and Hardy recital provides too much amusement in detailing the duo’s exploits in Foreign Legion . Lots of physical comedy and hilarious dialogue including some musical interlude . Furthermore sympathetic introduction of fantastic elements as when Oliver Hardy’s reincarnation as a horse . Comical and spectacular final flying is one of the film’s highlights. Based on screenplay and sketches written by the comic Harry Langdon, among others. ¨Flying deuces¨ is well directed by Edward Sutherland. He was producer, director , actor and one the original Keystone Kops. He began in films as an actor for Mack Sennett , turning filmmaker and usually worked for W. C. Fields.

the only Laurel and Hardy movie I would unequivocally recommend

That statement right above goes without saying that I haven’t seen too many of Laurel and Hardy’s films (I’ve also seen their Christmas nutcracker film, and one about making a movie or other, though the memory is now hazy for the most part on what I did or didn’t see as a tot). But this is not just a classic from the duo, but one of the funniest comedies I’ve ever seen. It’s refined slapstick, made up of facial gestures, anger, repetition, big life decisions like falling in love, suicide, joining the French foreign legion, and flying a plane without much control of a wheel. The director, Sutherland, also somehow crafts out the single funniest joke ever crafted around (as silly as it sounds) a mountain of laundry. It’s not a very complex storyline, as Hardy falls for a girl, can’t get her, feels down about it almost enough to jump into the river, but gets a word of advice right before it happens by a fellow traveler to join the foreign legion to forget about it. But they get in over their heads by joining, and want to quit, and soon become the biggest bumbling boobs to ever join up, leading to many chases, and that death-defying plane ride (or is it?)

It’s the kind of film that unless getting head-on into Laurel and Hardy’s distinctive and influential comedy timing will only really be of interest if passed on down as a child. It’s a great comedy though for all ages- if the term ‘family comedy’ might be a little too pat a description, but one that does have a central appeal as smart physical comedy- as it doesn’t pander to anyone, and even has a sincerity to it. I still remember most fondly the song and dance number Laurel and Hardy do in a moment of a jam (Shine on Harvest Moon, I think it was called), and the supporting character work is also a fine plus. And, quite frankly, one of those quintessential wacky end scenes that keeps me smiling, and laughing depending on who I’m talking with about it, where a certain horse with a mustache and hat appears saying “another fine mess you got me into.” A pick-me-up comedy of manners and pratfalls, it’ll always have a place in my collection not only for nostalgic reasons (it was one of the first videos I ever owned), but for its stamina so many years later.