Don't listen to the negative reviews

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Producer: Hal Roach. Copyright 12 February 1936 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corp. New York opening at the Rialto: 16 February 1936. U.S. release: 14 February 1936. 8 reels. 70 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Based on the operetta by Balfe, this is a tale of gypsies who, offended by the master of a noble house, kidnap his only child, and raise her as one of their own. Years later, the gypsy band returns to the same locality, where the old nobleman still mourns the loss of his daughter. The girl, now a young lady, in love and unaware of her past, is betrayed by a jealous gypsy woman.NOTES: Final film appearance of Thelma Todd, who died on 16 December 1935. In order to eliminate controversy, most of her scenes were dropped. This film M-G-M's biggest box-office success in France for 1936.COMMENT: One could be nasty and say that it was difficult to tell which was funnier: the scenes that were meant to be funny or those that were meant to be taken seriously. The directors lost a grand opportunity to really send up this ridiculous old operetta by having most of the players including Moreno, Wells, Busch and Carleton play with heavy theatrical over-emphasis admittedly but perfectly straight nonetheless — and even Hardy himself is guilty in his few dramatic scenes. One could say this except that the funny scenes in the hands of such two accomplished masters of timing are so funny, particularly the last couple of reels with Stan doing some delightful business with some empty bottles and a climactic run-in with our old friend James Finlayson and Stan delightfully putting the soldiery to flight with a whip; and we love Oliver's masterful fade-out on the scene in which he is suddenly presented with a six- year-old child — "Come, Stanley, let's spread the glad tidings!" enunciated with delightfully comic emphasis. Where some critics get the idea there are only two songs I don't know. The 52 minute TV version is full of songs, not only solos for some romantic gypsy, Miss Wells and Mr Carleton, but numerous choruses of gypsies and soldiers and an insistent music score that heavily underlies every scene whether "dramatic" or comic. The songs themselves are not bad and some are quite catchy but in keeping with the film's generally drab production values, the sound recording is tinny and the staging is straight out of a stage presentation of the operetta by the Lower Podunk Amateur Dramatic Society. At least the corny and unintentionally ludicrous presentation matches the wheezes of the dialogue (which seems to have been lifted straight from the stage) and the ridiculously melodramatic turns of the plot. Oddly enough the 52 minute TV version in which some unsung genius has made a game try to improve the film by extremely sharp editing and elaborate cross-cutting in the first 30 minutes or so is a reasonable success. Aside from L&H, Finlayson and Zeffie Tilbury alone of the players enact their ludicrous lines with the tongue-in- cheek heartiness they deserve.OTHER VIEWS: The full 70 minutes version is entertaining and also moves fast, though there is still a bit of inventive cross-cutting and the censor has chopped Moreno's flogging scene (which is accompanied bizarrely by a light-hearted tune from the background orchestra). Laurel and Hardy's fortune-telling episode which was deleted from the 52 minutes version has been restored — and a very funny sequence it is too. Oddly it also boasts one of the most effectively inventive camera angles of any L&H movie (not generally noted for their photographic finesse). L&H are remarkably at home in the weird plot, but the support players fare less adroitly. Fin is great but doesn't enter till the climax. On the other hand, Tilbury and Todd (who has virtually nothing outside of her introductory song, which is dubbed anyway) disappear without explanation after their initial scenes. When she finally enters, Julie Bishop makes a fetching heroine, though saddled with obvious dubbing for her famous solo, "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls". Despite the poor sound quality and primitive staging, the songs come across excitingly enough to maintain interest in the overly melodramatic plot. A bizarre fade-out with the boys saved NOT just in the nick of time is typical Laurel and Hardy.

While we are watching a relatively unknown operetta written by a guy named Balfe, we get to watch some of the funniest stuff Stan and Ollie ever did. I realize they are not on screen as much as we would have liked, but there is a fun plot and they are really interesting characters. They are stereotypical gypsies, stealing stuff from people. They are also victims because Ollie's wife, Mae Busch, takes his money and runs off with some wolfy guy. The boys are left care for a little girl (Darla Hood) who we have seen kidnapped by gypsies (another stereotype) earlier in the film. Anyway, there are so many treats in this, the normal byplay of the two guys, is precious. Stan holds forth with his weird stuff that flabbergasted Oliver. Of course, the scene in the winery where Stan is supposed to fill the bottles will have you on the floor. I still get pains from laughing as I'm watching it. I know that some of the opera is hard for contemporary audiences, but there are a couple of beautiful songs in this one that make it worth listening.

With the Code now firmly in place I'm kind of surprised that The Bohemian Girl made it through the censors. Such subjects as adultery and child kidnapping are part and parcel of this film. And since Laurel&Hardy were now draws in the children's market via their previous venture into operetta Babes In Toyland, that makes this film all the more curious.Unlike Babes In Toyland Stan and Ollie's roles were definitely shoehorned into the plot of this operetta. The Bohemian Girl which debuted in 1843 had no parts that were the equivalent of who Laurel and Hardy portrayed. Usually Stan was the naive one, but Ollie's naiveté in this film makes him sound backward. Even Stan is bright enough to see how brazenly Ollie's wife Mae Busch is carrying on with Antonio Moreno, the notorious Devilshoof. To take vengeance on a Bohemian count for ordering the gypsies off his property, Busch and Moreno kidnap the count's little daughter Darla Hood of The Little Rascals. Then they flee leaving Stan and Ollie to raise the child who grows up to be Julie Bishop.Speaking of which it is patently obvious that Ollie much prefers the company of Stan than his wife. It's as close as I've ever seen the much discussed notion that Laurel&Hardy were gay on the screen.Unlike other features Laurel keeps getting the better of Hardy and his best moments are getting totally plastered trying to bottle some bubbling freshly fermented wine. Just when Ollie needs him to rescue Bishop.Because their parts are not integral to the real plot of The Bohemian Girl, the film as a whole is not structured right. But fans of Stan and Ollie should be pleased with their comic genius here.

The first recollection I have of seeing Laurel and Hardy movies goes back to the 1950's when we would huddle around a TV set watching 15 minute shorts.The huddle was made up of grade school classmates and the reason for it was that not every family had a TV set at home.Most the time watching L&H I would end up laughing till I cried rolling around on the floor holding my sides because they hurt,unforgettable.Bohemian girl I remember enjoying even though in butchered up segments and knowing there must be more to it.Finally in the 1960's I would see the complete version and found it a jewel.There are so many funny lines and scenes in this movie.One of my favorites is after the Dandy has been duped of his valuables Oliver starts to put on airs to the point of rapping his new cane demanding service,real rags to riches.The opera part sets well with me especially the songs where the words are clear enough to be understood even though I've never been to an opera.What I like is the Gypsy theme with the setting,costumes and romanticism.For me it makes for something that I seek in movies...escapism.Part of this is brought about because some of the Gypsy parts were being played by persons with ethnic looks.Some times the movies really miss the target when casting persons in an ethnic part and I find it a distraction.On that subject the Gypsy Queen parts in this movie I would not miss if they were taken out.Laurel and Hardy don't have to look like Gypsies,no matter the setting they still are always Stan and Ollie.An opera that provides escapism combined with L&H is a total winner for me.