Jitterbugs (1943)

Jitterbugs: Directed by Malcolm St. Clair. With Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Vivian Blaine, Robert Bailey. The boys team up with a likable con man to help a pretty singer’s mother who’s been taken in by swindlers.

“u0026quot;Jitterbugsu0026quot; (20th Century-Fox, 1943) features the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as themselves who meet up with an enterprising man (Robert Bailey) who has a formula that changes water into gasoline, and later all getting involved with swindlers. The movie is an update remake to an old Fox film, u0026quot;Arizona to Broadwayu0026quot; (1933) with James Dunn and Joan Bennett, with this comedy given the Laurel and Hardy treatment. I have fond memories of this particular movie mainly because it is the film that introduced me to Stan and Ollie way back when I was a fourth grader in 1969. Since then, Iu0026#39;ve wanted to see their other movies. I would later be in for a treat when I got to watch the comedies Stan and Ollie did for Hal Roach in the 1930s. Itu0026#39;s a pity they didnu0026#39;t get the freedom to be creative at 20th Century-Fox as they were for Roach. u0026quot;Jitterbugsu0026quot; co-stars Vivian Blaine, who sings like Foxu0026#39;s own Alice Faye in a deep and throaty manner, but has a personality all her own. A likable screen personality, she adds something to this comedy without being a dull romantic interest supporter. She sings u0026quot;The Moon Kissed the Mississippiu0026quot; and u0026quot;I Gotta See for Myselfu0026quot; (good lively tune). Directed by Malcolm St.Clair, with Douglas Fowley, Lee Patrick and Noel Madison in support. Laurel disguised as u0026quot;Aunt Emilyu0026quot; and Hardyu0026#39;s Southern gentleman interpretation as u0026quot;Colonel Bixbyu0026quot; are one of the comedy highlights here. To date this is the only Laurel and Hardy/ 20th-Fox movie to air on American Movie Classics. It premiered on that cable station February 7, 1997. Itu0026#39;s nice having it brought back once in a while since itu0026#39;s not, as of this writing, available on video cassette.(**)”