Load of rubbish!!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I'm told this is the second sound film for Laurel and Hardy. They really look young in this one. They are a couple musicians, trying to get to a gig. They manage to get an upper berth on a train, so both have to sleep in the same bed. As they work their way through the close quarters, they do some troubling things. This time they don't pay the price because other people are mistaken for their actions. The ongoing joke has to do with people ripping up each other's clothes. The boys spend their time trying to locate music that Stan has misplaced and everywhere they go, trouble ensues. We can see the comic genius here. Obviously, they also did many silent features.

Berth Marks (1929) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Laurel and Hardy are a vaudeville team who are trying to catch a train so that they can reach their next gig. They barely catch the train but once on there they run into one problem after another with the biggest being trying to get up in their bed so that they can sleep.BERTH MARKS was the duo's first sound film, although it was also shown in a silent version in theaters that hadn't yet upgraded their systems. For the most part this is a mildly amusing comedy but at the same time there's no question that it falls well short of classic Laurel and Hardy films. The biggest problem is the fact that there's really not too many laughs and the one joke pretty much takes up the majority of the running time. This joke has the boys trying to get into their bed but constantly failing for one reason or another. This here just isn't funny enough to warrant it taking up most of the running time.

This short film means a lot to me. When I was young, my family would watch the likes of Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. My Grandad specifically likes Laurel & Hardy, who we had a one or two videos of. This, by far, was his favourite and mainly for one scene! More on that shortly.Berth Marks was made and released in 1929. It is the second sound film made by Laurel & Hardy. On some reviews on here it is stated that it was the first. This seems to be incorrect. Interestingly there was also a silent version made for cinemas who were not yet wired to show talkies! According to the book, 'Laurel & Hardy: The Magic Behind The Movies' by Randy Skretvedt, it was later reissued in 1936 with a music score added to introductory scenes. This is currently the only surviving version and was subsequently included on the 10-disc Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection DVD set. I have a the single film on DVD running at 20 minutes.The film opens with Stan and Ollie trying to meet at a railway station, they keep missing each other. When they finally meet, they ask a conductor as to whether the train they are about to catch stops at Pottsville. What ensues is the funniest moment of the film. The conductor mumbles a list of incomprehensible words while Stan & Ollie look on with confusion. Ollie asked him again and as the conductor walks of listing the same incomprehensible list, finally in the distance we hear him shout, "..and Pottsville". Now as stated before, my Grandad adored this scene. He could watch it again and again. Every time he would laugh out loud with tears streaming down his face. A wonderful memory that, as he passed in 1997, stays in the forefront of my memory.As the film continues, we see another great scene which plays off screen for the rest of the film, until the pay off at the end. We see passengers mistakenly assuming that the person stood behind is riping their suit. The complete orgy of people fighting at the end is a joy to see.Now to review this as an adult is difficult. The film means so much to me and by no means am I putting the film down, but one has to be honest about the rest of the film. Equally one must take into account that sound was still a new medium.The rest of the film sees Stan & Ollie really struggle. It is clear that they are having trouble with the newly invented talkies. Most of the second half of the film has them both entangled in each others clothes in their berth. They both seem to ad-lib, for effect, and it makes that section feel very disjointed.There really isn't that much else to say about it. I haven't seen that many of their films but from memory I remember in other films, there was more slapstick than is on show. By no way is it a criticism, it is rather a acceptance that they were on a learning curve.As a footnote, according to Wikipedia: Several train sequences (included a few not used in the English release) were used for foreign language releases versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case in 1930. Laurel and Hardy released three different versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case combined with Berth Marks for the foreign language market. In German, French and a the Spansih version which lasts for 49 minutes.Despite it's failings, this is still a much loved short for me and very much worth a watch. Especially if you want to follow on from this with their later films, to see how they developed from silent to talkies.

Laurel & Hardy play vaudevillians headed to their next gig in another town who must deal with the cramped conditions of a railroad sleeping berth.Many fans consider this film, their second sound short, to be their worst short. I have to agree with them. There simply isn't much too this film. The train station opening isn't particularly inspired, although their exchange with the stationmaster is amusing. The main problem is with the main action. There is simply too much of the boys trying to get undressed and comfortable in the upper sleeping berth. The sequence is probably hurt by the script-- or lack thereof. Without any memorable dialogue, we are simply left with general whining and complaining.There were better possibilities. Early in the film, the boys inadvertently set off an avalanche of tit-for-tat violence and retribution. Unfortunately, after they initiate it, they leave it and we only get to see the repercussions of it at the end. Laurel and Hardy were masters of that form of stylistic violence -- as evidenced in "Two Tars," "Big Business," and "Tit For Tat." I would have preferred more jacket ripping and less feet in the face.That said, the film isn't a total waste. Watching it now on the newly-released "The Essential Laurel & Hardy," did bring some smiles Since I never really sought it out since I originally saw in the 1970s, it did have the benefit of being somewhat fresh to me. Still, it is not one of their better shorts.