In the 1930s, Laurel & Hardy made some wonderful shorts involving misunderstandings with neighbors that ended up with them destroying each other's property. Films such as "Big Business" and "Tit for Tat" are classics--and among the team's best work. This same basic story idea is used in "Next Door Neighbors" but with an odd comedy duo--Edgar Kennedy and Arthur Housman. Now using Kennedy made sense, as he was a frequent foil in many comedies--including many of Laurel & Hardy's. However, Houseman was an odd choice. Aside from a few shorts with Kennedy, Housman always played drunks in films--and was very good at it. Here, however, he was totally out of his element and seemed to have little comedic flair.
The film finds Kennedy working hard at home to compose a song while his next door neighbor, Housman, has a headache (not apparently liquor-induced) and wants peace and quiet. However, Housman's telephone keeps ringing--and the calls are for Kennedy. So what do you do in a case like this? Yep, you start destroying each other's homes! This makes no sense at all, as their motivation appears lacking--an important problem with such a film. In addition, there is a plot involving their landlord, Franklin Pangborn, that simply isn't funny. While the overall package is watchable, it is not even close to the quality of the Laurel & Hardy films with similar plots.
If you are interested, take a look at the lady playing Housman's wife. She's Pert Kelton--the lady who played the first Alice Kramden on "The Jackie Gleason Show".
The film finds Kennedy working hard at home to compose a song while his next door neighbor, Housman, has a headache (not apparently liquor-induced) and wants peace and quiet. However, Housman's telephone keeps ringing--and the calls are for Kennedy. So what do you do in a case like this? Yep, you start destroying each other's homes! This makes no sense at all, as their motivation appears lacking--an important problem with such a film. In addition, there is a plot involving their landlord, Franklin Pangborn, that simply isn't funny. While the overall package is watchable, it is not even close to the quality of the Laurel & Hardy films with similar plots.
If you are interested, take a look at the lady playing Housman's wife. She's Pert Kelton--the lady who played the first Alice Kramden on "The Jackie Gleason Show".