Laurel and Hardy spend the first half of this film trying to get Laurel from under the watchful eye of his shrewish wife (the beautiful Anita Garvin who perfects the sour disposition of her character) who has forbidden him to leave for the night, but pretending to accept his excuse for an emergency when he does. The second half of the film surrounds her revenge when they succeed, which isn't pretty. Violent but often hysterically funny, this near three reeler shows how the woman who wears the pants in a rather dysfunctional family can get even with lying husbands. It's one of several of their films (shorts or features) which shows the woman in an unfavorable light, but in this age of pre-code comedy, it was all in fun. This has a cartoonish feel to it with the funny but one dimensional wife really stealing the show with her vampish look but evil demeanor. The ending gag doesn't really give a conclusion, but it is a classic.

I second an earlier poster who wishes "Blotto" was available here in the U.S. I've been longing to see this movie for years because I understand there's a scene where the boys smash hundreds of pieces of glassware. Oddly enough this type of glass, known as Ruba Rombic and made by the now-defunct Consolidated Glass Co. in Penna., is highly collectible and worth a fortune these days. It was pretty avant garde in its day, borrowing its design from cubism.Anyway, if someone knows where to obtain "Blotto" on VHS, please post. It is a testament to the comic skills of Laurel and Hardy that they can make almost any story or situation, no matter how slight, really funny.

Laurel and Hardy want to go out for a night at a bar, some sneaky drinking and an all round fun time. However, Laurel is unable to get out of the house as his wife has forbidden him. He manages to wrangle his way out of the house with the use of a faked telegram.Having half the film with Laurel and Hardy separated was a bit of a risk, but one that the duo just about carry off. The plot sees Laurel trapped in his house by his wife while Hardy tries to contact him by phone. Laurel trying to play his wife is pretty amusing but, once the short moves out of the house it becomes less funny as the routines in the bar are less funny. It is still amusing but not quite as much.As often happens, a Laurel and Hardy short that lacks one strong central sequence needs to achieve a consistent level of humour. This film neither has a peak or a high consistent level, meaning that it isn't as good as others in my opinion. Laurel does good work early on with his wife, and laughs convincingly towards the end. Hardy is less well used and his looks are used for reasons which are too slight and thus undervalue them slightly. Garvin is strong as Mrs Laurel though.Overall this short needed to be consistently funny but it didn't manage to deliver it. Still funny but it lacks any parts which rise above the rest and lift the short as a whole.

The boys find themselves in mischief again as Stan tries to sneak out of his house and out of the clutches of his wife to meet with Ollie. The Mrs. is smart to their plans as she then creates a wild concoction for the boys as they try to get their hands on a bottle of liquor. The boys get out safely and head for a club where the bottle would be unleashed. Even though the bottle is filled with tea and other non-alcoholic substances, that still doesn't stop the boys from causing a little mayhem. Constant laughter all the way, as only these two fellows can provide.