Wheeler and Woolsey have been mostly forgotten today even if they were the first comedians successful in full-length sound movies. While Laurel and Hardy were making their wonderful shorts, Wheeler and Woolsey were both making a lot of longer films--and they churned them out in huge numbers in 1930 and 1931--they made four and then five respectively. This was because the team was very popular and RKO wanted to capitalize on them. Unfortunately, because of that, their films are often very uneven. While a few are classics that hold up today, such as CAUGHT PLASTERED and PEACH-A-RENO, many others are tired duds that lack laughs--a serious problem when it's supposed to be a comedy!! When it comes to duds, films like HIGH FLIERS and THE RAINMAKERS come to mind, though HOOK, LINE AND SINKER isn't a whole lot better. It just ain't funny, though the story is pretty agreeable AND the boys don't waste time singing--a problem in some of their early films.
The film opens with the boys selling insurance. Along the way, they meet up with their perennial leading lady, Dorothy Lee, and she's in trouble. The boys being gallant, they offer to help. It seems that she's just inherited an old hotel, but the place is a run-down mess. With Bert Wheeler's and Bob Woolsey's help, the place becomes a haven for the rich who want to be seen. As for the boys, a familiar pattern emerges--Bert woos sweet Dorothy and Bob looks for the richest old lady he can find and does the same!
If you are a huge Wheeler and Woolsey fan, then by all means see this film. If not, I suggest you see one of the better films I mentioned above instead. Oh, and if you do want to see this or HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE, they are both in the public domain and can be downloaded for free at archive.org--and there's a link to this on IMDb.
The film opens with the boys selling insurance. Along the way, they meet up with their perennial leading lady, Dorothy Lee, and she's in trouble. The boys being gallant, they offer to help. It seems that she's just inherited an old hotel, but the place is a run-down mess. With Bert Wheeler's and Bob Woolsey's help, the place becomes a haven for the rich who want to be seen. As for the boys, a familiar pattern emerges--Bert woos sweet Dorothy and Bob looks for the richest old lady he can find and does the same!
If you are a huge Wheeler and Woolsey fan, then by all means see this film. If not, I suggest you see one of the better films I mentioned above instead. Oh, and if you do want to see this or HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE, they are both in the public domain and can be downloaded for free at archive.org--and there's a link to this on IMDb.
