The Flying Deuces
The Flying Deuces
NR | 03 November 1939 (USA)
The Flying Deuces Trailers

Ollie falls in love with a woman. When he discovers she's already married, he unsuccessfully attempts suicide but he and Stan then decide to join the Foreign Legion to get away from their troubles. When they’re arrested for soon trying to desert the Legion—they escape a firing squad by stealing an aircraft.

Reviews
Huievest

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

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ChicDragon

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

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Bessie Smyth

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

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Stephanie

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

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Hitchcoc

Ollie is in love but it turns out she is already married. He decides to kill himself and suggests that Stan should do the same. But they goof it up and meet a guy who tells them that the French Foreign Legion is the way to forget a crushing romance. Of course, off they go. We know from every military movie they were involved in that disaster is on its way. Naturally, the fact that people like Jimmy Finlayson were already in the Legion doesn't speak all that well for their choices. Soon they are getting a reputation as the worst soldiers in the battalion. They finally manage to get themselves listed as AWOL and as deserters. They risk facing a firing squad. The Flying Deuces thing is from the fact that they end up plane-napping a plane. We all know that while nothing goes right for them, some sort of miracle is going to keep them alive. It doesn't mean things are hunky-dory. There is a great rendition of "Shine on Harvest Moon," one of those great songs they occasionally did.

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Mark Honhorst

This was my introduction to the classic comedy stylings of Laurel and Hardy. I bought it at Half Price Books for one dollar, on a double feature with "Utopia" which I haven't seen yet. I must say, it was a delightful introduction to their craft for me. I love both of the duo's personalities. I love Laurel's mellow, dimwitted, and carefree persona, as well as Hardy's constantly frustrated, irked, and grumpy one. The film gives us scene after scene of great comedic sequences, and culminates in an exhilarating climax in a plane. The very end is funny too. I won't give it away, but I will say it involves a very funny horse. It is by no means a perfect film, though. Some of the plot lines go nowhere, ie: Ollie in love, and the escaped shark;The lines are often said with little to no emotion, and the pacing is sometimes bad (a more frequent musical score probably would have helped these two problems), but it is still a very amusing film with plenty of moments you just can't help laughing out loud at. Thanks to this film, I'll probably be shelling out money left and right to get my hands on more of their stuff.

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tavm

This is my second attempt in reviewing a movie that connects two classic movie comedy teams: Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello. In this case, the connection is the director but I'll get to that later. Having just reunited with Oliver Hardy after Hardy briefly went solo in Zenobia due to some contract dispute with Hal Roach, Stan Laurel and Ollie would be loaned to independent producer Boris Morros for The Flying Deuces. It ended up being a remake of their four reeler Beau Hunks with Charles Middleton once again playing a mean commandant. In this one, Ollie is trying to forget a girl who turned him down for marriage so he and Stan join the Foreign Legion. Plenty of funny gags abound during the first 30 minutes while the last 40 is uneven especially toward the end but the boys are charming throughout even during the number "Shine On, Harvest Moon" with Hardy warbling while Laurel dances though I did wonder if Stan really played the harp in a later jail sequence (probably not, judging from Ollie's reactions). Among Roach veterans involved are cameraman Art Lloyd, writer Charles Rogers, and usual L & H supporting regular James Finlayson. Another writer, comic Harry Langdon, also provided the drawing of the boys in the first scene (and perhaps during the opening credits). One more note about the supporting cast: Jean Parker, who plays the girl Ollie's trying to forget, had previously played his daughter in Zenobia. That movie's producer was A. Edward Sutherland who also directed this film. He didn't like the experience as he wasn't accustomed to the star calling some of the shots. In fact, before his death, Sutherland said of Laurel, "I'd rather have worked with a tarantula." He probably had a much better time the following year when he introduced another comedy team on film that had just finished a Broadway run in "Streets of Paris"... P.S. This was where Hardy met his future wife, Virginia Lucille Jones, who was the script clerk here.

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ma-cortes

Olli is broken heart when aware which Georgett(Jean Parker), a beautiful girl, is already married to officer Francois(Reginald Gardner). Oliver is depressed and attempts to commit suicide in river Seine, taking Stan Laurel with him. But the newspapers publicize : ¡ famous men-eating shark escapes, ferocious fish battles keeper in Paris Aquarium, believed at large in Seine, boaters, swimmers, Beware! . Later they enlist the French Foreign Legion commanded by a stiff commandant(Charles Middleton). Of course, the comic pair cause wreak havoc wherever they go . Their botchers lead them charges of desertion and condemned to death penalty. They're imprisoned but receive a letter in the jail saying the following : ¨ Lift up floor board and you'll find a tunnel which leads to the outer wall use your own judgement, a pal ¨. Hilarity ensues when they try to escape and avoid a firing squad.Zany comedy seeing the misfit couple in all kinds of troubles involving French Legion. This entertaining Laurel and Hardy recital provides too much amusement in detailing the duo's exploits in Foreign Legion . Lots of physical comedy and hilarious dialogue including some musical interlude . Furthermore sympathetic introduction of fantastic elements as when Oliver Hardy's reincarnation as a horse . Comical and spectacular final flying is one of the film's highlights. Based on screenplay and sketches written by the comic Harry Langdon, among others. ¨Flying deuces¨ is well directed by Edward Sutherland. He was producer, director , actor and one the original Keystone Kops. He began in films as an actor for Mack Sennett , turning filmmaker and usually worked for W. C. Fields.

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