Generally thought to be the first official Laurel and Hardy release(although PUTTING PANTS ON PHILLIP is also put in this bracket),the boys don't wear their Bowler hats and have their heads shaved,but are very much a team in this early effort,more so than PPOP where they play against each other rather than for.There's plenty of amusing incident and situations(especially when they attempt to escape the jail as painters);one slight quibble is that as convicts,the characters they have to play here have a very slightly more unpleasing edge than they would be establishing only a few films later in the partnership.Still funny though,and Jimmy Finlayson's double take and fade away is worth a few more laughs as well here;in early publicity material the boys were sometimes billed as 'Hardy and Laurel' in this film;that soon changed.
13 Reviews
Two hundred years with Stan & Ollie? Bliss
andy stew25 July 2001
Originally advertised as the first 'official' Laurel & Hardy film (although still part of the Hal Roach 'All-Star' films - designed to feature old stars of the Roach 'stable' on the downgrade, and showcase those whom Roach hoped would be future stars - in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had been appearing since the previous year; the first film in the 'Laurel & Hardy' series would be SHOULD MARRIED MEN GO HOME?, released in 1928), this is a mildly amusing little comedy, with Stan ('Little Goofy') and Oliver teamed as convicts who escape from prison and assume different disguises. Part of the interest surrounding this film stems not only from the fact that it is the first 'official' Laurel & Hardy film, but also from it being the film that led Stan Laurel to acquire his famous spiky hair that became a part of his screen image. Both Stan and Oliver had their heads shaved for this film, and later, as his hair was growing back, Stan noticed that his constant attempts to keep his hair under control were causing the crew and other people on the Hal Roach lot to laugh. So Stan, the greatest gag inventor (and gag executor) that ever lived, decided to keep his hair spiked in his films, due to its usefulness as a laugh-getter. Stan and Oliver's shaved heads can also be seen in the next film they made together, a cameo in the Max Davidson comedy, CALL OF THE CUCKOOS.
This film can be enjoyed to a greater extent (as can all the silent films) with the addition of wonderful recreations of the Shields and Hatley tunes by the Beau Hunks orchestra - those who own a copy of THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS on VVL as I do are fortunate enough to have these marvellous little melodies playing in the background; if you don't, buy the CDs and play them while you're watching.
This film can be enjoyed to a greater extent (as can all the silent films) with the addition of wonderful recreations of the Shields and Hatley tunes by the Beau Hunks orchestra - those who own a copy of THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS on VVL as I do are fortunate enough to have these marvellous little melodies playing in the background; if you don't, buy the CDs and play them while you're watching.
Laurel & Hardy in one of their first teaming ups. I wish I could say it also was one of their best..
Boba_Fett11389 August 2006
The movie is amusing enough but it's far from being the best Laurel & Hardy silent comedy shorts. The movie is at certain points dragging to much for that, especially toward its stretched out ending.
It's a movie that certainly does have its great comical moments but not quite enough to really stand out as a comedy. The movie has a fun premise and some good comical moments and situations. However these moments and situations are rather stretched out in this movie, which causes them to be too long with as a result that it loses some of its comical power. This especially is the case in the ending of the movie, which takes too long. It makes the movie as a whole also feel too long, even though it of course is shorter than 20 minutes.
But yes, the good moments in this movie certainly make sure that you'll still be entertained by this movie as a whole.
The boys are in good form in this movie, which was one of their first teaming ups as a comedy duo. Especially Stan Laurel is in his element, while Oliver Hardy was still clearly searching and developing his character. It was a bit weird to see the boys without hair but unlike Samson, they don't lose any of their power. It's always fun to see James Finlayson in a Laurel & Hardy movie, even when it's a silent one. I thought I also noticed Walter Long as one of the convicts but I'm not too sure of this, also since he isn't credited.
Slightly disappointing when compared to Laurel & Hardy's other work but entertaining enough to watch nevertheless.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
It's a movie that certainly does have its great comical moments but not quite enough to really stand out as a comedy. The movie has a fun premise and some good comical moments and situations. However these moments and situations are rather stretched out in this movie, which causes them to be too long with as a result that it loses some of its comical power. This especially is the case in the ending of the movie, which takes too long. It makes the movie as a whole also feel too long, even though it of course is shorter than 20 minutes.
But yes, the good moments in this movie certainly make sure that you'll still be entertained by this movie as a whole.
The boys are in good form in this movie, which was one of their first teaming ups as a comedy duo. Especially Stan Laurel is in his element, while Oliver Hardy was still clearly searching and developing his character. It was a bit weird to see the boys without hair but unlike Samson, they don't lose any of their power. It's always fun to see James Finlayson in a Laurel & Hardy movie, even when it's a silent one. I thought I also noticed Walter Long as one of the convicts but I'm not too sure of this, also since he isn't credited.
Slightly disappointing when compared to Laurel & Hardy's other work but entertaining enough to watch nevertheless.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Have seen a lot better
rbverhoef3 May 2005
'The Second 100 Years' is a nice silent comedy from Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, but it is only nice, nothing more. The short start in jail where the two share a cell. They are about to escape through a tunnel. Their plan fails so they have to come up with something else. They pretend to be painters to get out of jail. After that, to escape a police officer they steal clothes from two French prison inspectors. Of course the inspectors were on their way to the prison Laurel and Hardy just escaped from.
The first part of this short has some laughs. The funny thing here is that not Laurel and Hardy are that funny, but the written words on screen between scenes. The middle part, when they are painters, is the best. While the police officer is following them they paint everything white on their way, including a certain person that could be offensive to some. Unfortunately it ends with a sequence that plays too long and therefore becomes dull.
I guess this could be a nice comedy short for fans of silent films or simply Laurel and Hardy comedies. I liked it up to a point, but compared to most other films I have seen from the two comedians this was a little disappointing.
The first part of this short has some laughs. The funny thing here is that not Laurel and Hardy are that funny, but the written words on screen between scenes. The middle part, when they are painters, is the best. While the police officer is following them they paint everything white on their way, including a certain person that could be offensive to some. Unfortunately it ends with a sequence that plays too long and therefore becomes dull.
I guess this could be a nice comedy short for fans of silent films or simply Laurel and Hardy comedies. I liked it up to a point, but compared to most other films I have seen from the two comedians this was a little disappointing.
Amusing but sub-par
planktonrules31 August 2008
Stan and Ollie are in prison and are constantly trying to escape. The problem is that they are idiots and every plan they try fails. Some of them are pretty funny and some a bit too silly in this film. This is one of the earlier Laurel and Hardy films, so I'm cutting it a bit of slack in scoring it a 6. The problem is that this prison comedy, while funny, also has a couple bits where the timing is just awful and they milk gags way too long--something you'd never see in their later and more polished films.
The first of these over-long bits is when prisoners Stan and Ollie try to escape by pretending to be painters. When a guard becomes suspicious and follows them out of the prison, they start painting EVERYTHING in sight. When I was a kid and saw this, I thought it was hilarious. Now, as an adult, it just seemed stupid--and NOT in a good way! The second was the awful dining scene where Stan chases a cherry all around the table with his spoon. This "funny" bit was often seen in films before this with other comics and it just isn't funny--and it goes on and on far too long.
Overall, even poor Laurel and Hardy is pretty funny and worth seeing. So give this one a look but understand it's not up to their usual high standards.
The first of these over-long bits is when prisoners Stan and Ollie try to escape by pretending to be painters. When a guard becomes suspicious and follows them out of the prison, they start painting EVERYTHING in sight. When I was a kid and saw this, I thought it was hilarious. Now, as an adult, it just seemed stupid--and NOT in a good way! The second was the awful dining scene where Stan chases a cherry all around the table with his spoon. This "funny" bit was often seen in films before this with other comics and it just isn't funny--and it goes on and on far too long.
Overall, even poor Laurel and Hardy is pretty funny and worth seeing. So give this one a look but understand it's not up to their usual high standards.
The Second Hundred Years
jboothmillard17 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Stan as Little Goofy and Ollie as Big Goofy are prison convicts (in stripy uniforms), and they decide to finish off and escape from the tunnel they have made under the floor boards of their cell. But with Stan's backside set alight by a candle, and Ollie bursting a water pipe, they decide to take a detour, leading to the office of the Prison Warden (Frank Brownlee). While they manage to escape into a queue of prisoners going out for exercise, the Warden's office is flooded. After finishing exercise the boys try to sneak away from the queue backwards and forwards, before seeing a pair of painters, and they turn their clothes inside to escape as them. They are followed by a suspicious prison guard, and they are painting everything in their path until he leaves them alone, until they finally decide to run. They manage to steal the clothes of two posh men, but they did not realise their car was taking the boys back to the prison, so they have to pretend to be posh. Of course there are problems at the dinner table, and the real two posh men are found eventually, and it ends with the boys marching back to their cell. Also starring Charlie Hall as Convict and James Finlayson as Gov. Browne Van Dyke. Filled with wonderful slapstick and all classic comedy you could want from a silent black and white film, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Good!
Escaping prison with Laurel and Hardy
TheLittleSongbird7 August 2018
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.
'The Second Hundred Years' is nowhere near classic Laurel and Hardy, later films, short and feature, had stronger chemistry when fully formed and used their considerable talents better. At this point, Laurel was much funnier and more interesting while Hardy in most of the previous outings had too little to do. 'The Second Hundred Years' is still worth watching though and is an improvement on some of their previous short films, along with 'Duck Soup', 'While Girls Love Sailors' and 'Sailors, Beware!' it was up there as among Laurel and Hardy's best up to this point.
Personally would have liked more sly wit that made their later entries better.
The story is a bit busy at times and both slight and formulaic. Have to concur too with the ending sequence being too long and over-stretched.
Laurel however is very funny, and sometimes hilarious, like as was said for a few of his previous outings 'The Second Hundred Years' is worth seeing for him alone. Hardy is at least not wasted, and he does give one of his funniest and most interesting appearances of his pairings with Laurel up to this point despite his persona being not as fully formed as Laurel's. The chemistry is much more here than in previous outings of theirs if still evolving. Support is nice.
A good deal of the humour is well timed, hugely energetic and very funny, with everything going at a lively pace, and there is a lot of charm and good nature to keep one going. 'The Second Hundred Years' looks quite good.
To conclude, decent. 7/10 Bethany Cox
'The Second Hundred Years' is nowhere near classic Laurel and Hardy, later films, short and feature, had stronger chemistry when fully formed and used their considerable talents better. At this point, Laurel was much funnier and more interesting while Hardy in most of the previous outings had too little to do. 'The Second Hundred Years' is still worth watching though and is an improvement on some of their previous short films, along with 'Duck Soup', 'While Girls Love Sailors' and 'Sailors, Beware!' it was up there as among Laurel and Hardy's best up to this point.
Personally would have liked more sly wit that made their later entries better.
The story is a bit busy at times and both slight and formulaic. Have to concur too with the ending sequence being too long and over-stretched.
Laurel however is very funny, and sometimes hilarious, like as was said for a few of his previous outings 'The Second Hundred Years' is worth seeing for him alone. Hardy is at least not wasted, and he does give one of his funniest and most interesting appearances of his pairings with Laurel up to this point despite his persona being not as fully formed as Laurel's. The chemistry is much more here than in previous outings of theirs if still evolving. Support is nice.
A good deal of the humour is well timed, hugely energetic and very funny, with everything going at a lively pace, and there is a lot of charm and good nature to keep one going. 'The Second Hundred Years' looks quite good.
To conclude, decent. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Two L&H shorts
Michael_Elliott13 March 2008
Second Hundred Years, The (1927)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Laurel and Hardy play convicts who make an escape but they find themselves in a more dangerous place than prison. There's small laughs scattered throughout this short but in the end the only real highlight is seeing boys with shaved heads.
Call of the Cuckoo (1927)
** (out of 4)
A man (Max Davidson) swaps houses, sight unseen, due to his wacko neighbors. When he moves into the new house it turns out the thing is falling apart in every way possible. The only real highlight is the few scenes with the neighbors who are played by Laurel, Hardy and Charley Chase.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Laurel and Hardy play convicts who make an escape but they find themselves in a more dangerous place than prison. There's small laughs scattered throughout this short but in the end the only real highlight is seeing boys with shaved heads.
Call of the Cuckoo (1927)
** (out of 4)
A man (Max Davidson) swaps houses, sight unseen, due to his wacko neighbors. When he moves into the new house it turns out the thing is falling apart in every way possible. The only real highlight is the few scenes with the neighbors who are played by Laurel, Hardy and Charley Chase.
Silence isn't always golden...
JoeytheBrit19 August 2009
There are some good sight gags in this silent Laurel & Hardy comedy, but there's very little plot to speak of. The boys sport shaven heads as they play a pair of convicts attempting to escape from prison and the film follows their various doomed attempts. They dig a tunnel only to strike a water pipe and end up surfacing in the warden's office. Sent to the exercise yard, they're forced to perform exercises. They eventually escape disguised as painters but are followed by a cop and end up painting half the town in their attempts to shake him off. They find themselves back in prison when they hijack the car of a pair of French dignitaries visiting the prison.
Most of Laurel & Hardy's silent films lose some of the boy's inimitable character simply because we can't hear their voices, and this one's no exception. There are a few funny moments – when the pair instantly assume the marching position, hand on the shoulder of the man in front, when the dinner gong sounds as they're pretending to be the French dignitaries, for example, but you can't help feeling it would be more enjoyable if you could just hear them speak. When Ollie can't voice his frustration and Stan can't squeakily express his distress we only really have half the act.
Most of Laurel & Hardy's silent films lose some of the boy's inimitable character simply because we can't hear their voices, and this one's no exception. There are a few funny moments – when the pair instantly assume the marching position, hand on the shoulder of the man in front, when the dinner gong sounds as they're pretending to be the French dignitaries, for example, but you can't help feeling it would be more enjoyable if you could just hear them speak. When Ollie can't voice his frustration and Stan can't squeakily express his distress we only really have half the act.
Laurel And Hardy's First Movie as a Well-Oiled Comedic Team
springfieldrental20 April 2022
Comedian Stan Laurel, actor, writer and part-time director with 50 films under his belt, was hired by Hal Roach's studio in 1926 as a director and gagwriter. An accident in the kitchen that resulted in a severe burn from a hot leg of lamb sent Roach veteran actor Oliver Hardy to the hospital, giving Laurel an opportunity to appear before the camera again. He was asked to fill in for 'Ollie' in the studio's upcoming 'Get 'Em Young,' as well as the 1926's "45 Minutes from Hollywood." Laurel agreed.
Hardy, who had appeared in over 250 films, returned to work and found himself slotted in several shorts with Laurel. Observant studio director/writer Leo McCarey saw a certain chemistry between the two actors when they appeared together. Composing a script contoured to the pair's acting style, McCarey linked the two as a couple of convicts who share a prison cell together in October 1927's "The Second Hundred Years.". The pair make their getaway by stealing paint cans and brushes and impersonating themselves as painters. Stumbling upon a police officer, Laurel and Hardy paint railings, cars, shop windows, women's buttocks, anything to throw the cop off guard.
Hal Roach loved the interaction between the two and asked McCarey to oversee their on-screen presence. Despite directing only three Laurel and Hardy shorts in the next two years, McCarey was instrumental in their guidance by personally writing several of their screenplays and supervising others directing their films.
In "The Second Hundred Years," Roach realized McCarey's instincts were correct, launching one of cinema's most successful and funniest comedic pairing.
Hardy, who had appeared in over 250 films, returned to work and found himself slotted in several shorts with Laurel. Observant studio director/writer Leo McCarey saw a certain chemistry between the two actors when they appeared together. Composing a script contoured to the pair's acting style, McCarey linked the two as a couple of convicts who share a prison cell together in October 1927's "The Second Hundred Years.". The pair make their getaway by stealing paint cans and brushes and impersonating themselves as painters. Stumbling upon a police officer, Laurel and Hardy paint railings, cars, shop windows, women's buttocks, anything to throw the cop off guard.
Hal Roach loved the interaction between the two and asked McCarey to oversee their on-screen presence. Despite directing only three Laurel and Hardy shorts in the next two years, McCarey was instrumental in their guidance by personally writing several of their screenplays and supervising others directing their films.
In "The Second Hundred Years," Roach realized McCarey's instincts were correct, launching one of cinema's most successful and funniest comedic pairing.
I preferred the first 100 years
Horst_In_Translation14 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"The Second 100 Years" is an American 20-minute live action short from 1927, so over 90 years old, and this one stars Laurel and Hardy, the greatest comedic geniuses of their time probably and it is still a work from their days of silent filmmaking before they managed the successful transition into the movie world of sound. The two writers should be well-known, the director perhaps not so much, but several cast members' names should strike familiar too unless you are really completely new to old (silent) films, but then again you most likely would not start with this one here. This one here can be cleanly split into two parts. The first part takes place inside a prison and there is a whole lot of slapstick comedy going on with the duo and other inmates or guards of course too. The guards seem funnily more annoyed all the time than the prisoners. The second half then takes place "outside" as our two chaotic heroes manage to get out of prison posing as painters, but they are quickly messing up when Laurel for example accidentally paints color on a woman's dress and a cop watches them closely all the time and is on the chase afterward. Then it becomes a fake identity movie as the two pose as visitors from France and go see what? That's right. The prison as they are posing as enforcers of the law and they are finding a lot on their way there. Laurel even expresses interest in a lady. The slapstick comedy continues, but even an opulent dinner scene does not reach the level the film had early on, so as for all I care it should have stayed on the prison premises from start to finish. Jokes like "Ice Cream Cohen" aren't too shabby, but they do not make up for all the mediocrities and anyway these are made up for early on also by many intertitles (loved it) for example about how non-excessive drinking and smoking is bad. Okay I forgive them for that. All in all, I am a bit surprised this L&H short is not one of their most known as I liked it, enjoyed it more than some of their most famous works and thus give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out.
An Early Laurel And Hardy Short
film_poster_fan2 June 2022
One of the first short films where Laurel and Hardy are a team, this is not a very good outing and soon becomes quite tedious. The routines of the two comics are quite dull and seem to go on endlessly. One reviewer writes "This is one of the earlier Laurel and Hardy films, so I'm cutting it a bit of slack in scoring it a 6. The problem is that this prison comedy, while funny, also has a couple bits where the timing is just awful and they milk gags way too long." Why cut it a bit of slack? If the film is bad, why not say so? This short was made in 1927, the same year Buster Keaton made what is considered his masterpiece, "The General," a feature length film. No one cut him any slack, because it was not necessary.
Stan 'n' Ollie cause chaos in jail!
Libretio12 March 2005
THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Sound format: Silent
(Black and white - Short film)
Two jail birds (Laurel and Hardy) escape from custody and assume the identities of French dignitaries who turn out to be prison inspectors (Otto Fries and Bob O'Conor) on their way to the very jail from which L&H have just escaped! Havoc ensues.
One of the best of L&H's silent comedies, and certainly their best collaboration with director Fred Guiol. This one features a full range of amusing set-pieces, including an inspired sequence in which The Boys elude a nosey cop by pretending to be painters (only to end up painting everything in sight, including someone's car!), and the lengthy scene in which they're mistaken for visiting VIP's and received at the prison as guests of honor by warden James Finlayson, only to cause chaos at the dinner table. The escalation of comic incidents is entirely believable throughout. However, the film also contains an offensive sight gag, when L&H accidentally slap white paint all over the face of an African-American passer-by.
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Sound format: Silent
(Black and white - Short film)
Two jail birds (Laurel and Hardy) escape from custody and assume the identities of French dignitaries who turn out to be prison inspectors (Otto Fries and Bob O'Conor) on their way to the very jail from which L&H have just escaped! Havoc ensues.
One of the best of L&H's silent comedies, and certainly their best collaboration with director Fred Guiol. This one features a full range of amusing set-pieces, including an inspired sequence in which The Boys elude a nosey cop by pretending to be painters (only to end up painting everything in sight, including someone's car!), and the lengthy scene in which they're mistaken for visiting VIP's and received at the prison as guests of honor by warden James Finlayson, only to cause chaos at the dinner table. The escalation of comic incidents is entirely believable throughout. However, the film also contains an offensive sight gag, when L&H accidentally slap white paint all over the face of an African-American passer-by.
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