Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

mark.waltz Normally, the domestic oriented Laurel and Hardy films don't interest me as much as the ones where they are alone together. I find that the harpy women are violent and unlikable, and it takes away from the silliness of what made them such a great team. But in the case of this one, it's fun to see harpy wife Mae Busch get it even better than she gives, literally ending up in hot water, literally!If this doesn't almost seem like a plot line from an episode of "The Honeymooners", then I don't know what else to compare it too. Hardy and Busch are a parallel to Ralph and Alice Kramden while Laurel and the rifle toting Dorothy Christy are identical to the Norton's. The plot concerns their efforts to go to a convention while Busch insists that they are going to the mountains. Oliver fakes a breakdown, and Laurel hires a fake doctor to prescribe a trip to Honolulu. An encounter with his own brother in law (Charley Chase) nearly exposes them, but it is the sinking of their boat coming back from Honolulu that is the real threat. At just over an hour, this is their third feature, and perhaps their best. Chase is only on screen for a few minutes, which was fine for me because I can barely tolerate his shorts. A plus is the musical novelty, "Honolulu Baby", complete with Busby Berkkey over the head shots. Busch and Christy believably go from being nagging wives to loving caretakers (and back again), all with great hilarity. This deservedly became the name of Laurel and Hardy's fan club, creating another Hollywood legend and one of the most beloved comedy duos of all time.

gavin6942 When Stan and Ollie trick their wives into thinking that they are taking a medicinal cruise while they're actually going to a convention, the wives find out the truth the hard way.This is not my favorite Laurel and Hardy. I am now beginning to think that their shtick works best in smaller doses, maybe 25 or 30 minutes. The first half of this film is really good, then it begins to sag with only a few parts really attempting to redeem it. The gag is pretty simple and does not require a full hour.That being said, I do appreciate the influence this film has had on others. As others have pointed out, it seems to have been directly lifted for a Flintstones episode. (And with the Flintstones being more in the 25-minute range, it is perhaps more effective.)

tavm It was in 1979-when I was a kid of about 11-that I first watched this movie (my second viewing of Stan & Ollie after Way Out West) at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library (which today has been paved but the new version is now on the other side of the street). I stumbled in the middle of that one just as a singer was going to sing "Honolulu Baby" by Marvin Hatley (who plays the piano during the number). It didn't matter as I figured out the plot by the dialogue between their wives-one of whom is Mae Busch who often played the shrew in the Laurel & Hardy films. I eventually watched the whole thing when I bought the VHS tape from Video Treasures in 1992 and boy, did I find the whole thing hilarious from beginning to end which, having just watched for the fourth time, continues to this day! All the slapstick scenes are just sublime especially when Ollie does his hand gestures. And Charley Chase just adds to the funniness by playing an obnoxious fellow conventioneer! I think I've said enough to on that note, I very much recommend Sons of the Desert if you haven't yet! P.S. On that VHS tape, Stan's daughter, Lois, shows some photos of her father as a young man, as part of Fred Karno's troop with Charlie Chaplin, and some home movies of Stan with his father and aunt.

ALauff Although this is considered Laurel and Hardy's greatest feature, the comic promise of their clandestine getaway isn't fulfilled until the boys return from Chicago and have to convince their wives that they're survivors of a shipwreck. Stan and Ollie were clearly at their expressive peaks, with Laurel's sudden crying fits, malapropism, and head-scratching proving hilarious once their ruse is up, and Hardy's trademark, dainty finger wave and pedantic diction coming across as an effortless personality quirk. My favorite moment is Stanley's sudden burst of articulate speech in the attic—Oliver's wide-eyed surprise and put-out gaze into the camera is priceless. In fact, the last 20–25 minutes are best-ever material, but it isn't as compelling for its entire length as Way Out West or their best shorts, such as Tit for Tat and The Music Box.