Film Introduction "Be Big!" is a 1931 short funny film directed by James W. Horne and produced by Hal Roach. The film stars the iconic comedy duo, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, known for their slapstick humor and comical timing. This extremely entertaining black-and-white traditional represented early movie theater's funny genre, where facial expressions, body language, and easy, amusing circumstances formed the core of a successful comedy.
Plot Overview The movie starts with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy preparing for a night out with their partners. Nevertheless, when Hardy's partner receives a phone call from the couple's sick mutual buddy, she and Laurel's other half decide to pay her a visit. Upon learning this, the duo faces a skillfully designed strategy to avoid their husbandly responsibilities and rather participate in a fraternal lodge meeting where they're about to be initiated. Hardy feigns illness, therefore putting the obligation on Laurel to persuade their partners to go without them. In return, the duo promises to stay at home, take care of each other, and behave.
A Night of Laughter and SchemesAfter their wives leave, Hardy and Laurel prepare to head out, however their strategies quickly descend into a series of ridiculous and uproarious accidents. Oliver's shoe gets stuck in a boot-removing device and in their ridiculous efforts to release it, the pals unintentionally flood their entire flat. Since the manual removal stops working, Laurel turn to sawing Hardy's shoe off, causing additional hilarity. On the other hand, their efforts to repair a collapsed bed make them unsuspectingly miss their fraternal lodge meeting.
Consequences and Resolution The circumstance aggravates when their better halves return early, having actually discovered the deceit. Panic-stricken, the duo tries to clean things up rapidly and produces more mess, emphasize being Hardy getting stuck in a Murphy bed. Understanding they 'd been lied to, the wives decided to teach their husbands a lesson. That's when they discover Hardy stuck in the bed and begin to suspect a burglar's existence. As they return with a police officer, a nervous Laurel inadvertently drops the bed back into the wall, freeing Hardy just in time. The other halves, discovering everything in order, say sorry to their completely innocent-looking husbands for doubting them.
Performance and Legacy The movie functions as a testament to Laurel and Hardy's natural skill for comedy and their brilliant on-screen chemistry. Director James W. Horne's reliable usage of space and timing, in addition to Laurel and Hardy's physical slapstick technique to humor, detailed body movement, and amusing expressions, make "Be Big!" a timeless funny masterpiece.
The comic experiences of the duo and their skillful execution of absurd yet comedic scenarios form the crux of the plot in 'Be Big!'. The film celebrates their tradition, appealing to audiences of all ages by using pure enjoyable and laughter. Regardless of the film's minimal depth of story and character development, "Be Big!" remains a much-loved work in early American movie theater due to its simple humor and innovative representation of easy yet funny situations.
Top Cast
