The Second 100 Years (Short 1927)

The Second 100 Years (Short 1927). 20m | Passed

“There are some good sight gags in this silent Laurel u0026amp; Hardy comedy, but thereu0026#39;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 wardenu0026#39;s office. Sent to the exercise yard, theyu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMost of Laurel u0026amp; Hardyu0026#39;s silent films lose some of the boyu0026#39;s inimitable character simply because we canu0026#39;t hear their voices, and this oneu0026#39;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 theyu0026#39;re pretending to be the French dignitaries, for example, but you canu0026#39;t help feeling it would be more enjoyable if you could just hear them speak. When Ollie canu0026#39;t voice his frustration and Stan canu0026#39;t squeakily express his distress we only really have half the act.”