Laurel gets to use one of Oliver's key lines in this excellent short, spoofing political scandals, not that those exist anymore. I feel sorry for the city that would have Hardy as a mayoral candidate, but indeed he is, and blackmailed by old flame Mae Busch. Since Hardy is married to the perky Thelma Todd, I can see why he'd not want to risk for the prune faced Busch. Ollie gets Laurel to stand in for him to find out Busch's demands, causing issues with Laurel's wife, too. Busch's temper (and suspicious Todd's too) will certainly leave scars in this rather adult entry in their series of shorts. Long running rival James Finlayson plays Oliver's nosy butler. Patsy O'Byrne is very funny as a nosy spinster with more than a passing resemblance to Margaret Hamilton.

Chickens Come Home (1931) *** (out of 4)Hardy is ecstatic that he's in the running for Mayor but this joy soon turns to fear when a woman from his past shows up with a photo of the two that could cause trouble if it reaches the press. The woman, wanting money to keep quiet, tells Hardy to be at her house that night but the wannabe Mayor is having a dinner for various judges so he sends Laurel to do his dirty work. Laurel, being too weak to stop the woman, gets in trouble with his own wife who thinks he's having an affair but the real havoc occurs back at Hardy's house when the three meet head on.Chickens Come Home isn't considered the best L&H short but it still manages to get some big laughs all the way to the outrageous end. The one thing that's always amazed me about the L&H shorts is, usually, they run towards the thirty-minute mark yet it feels as though these films run mere minutes due to the high energy level brought to the screen by the two stars. The story of blackmail isn't any original or new but the boys make it seem as fresh and full of life as if this had been the first time we've ever seen something like it.The biggest highlight comes towards the end of the film when the boys must try and sneak the blackmailer out of the house without Hardy's wife finding out about the past. This little scene has the boys putting the woman on their back and making it appear she's walking out on her own. Another wonderful segment is when Laurel goes to the woman's house and does all in his will to keep her there. This includes a hilarious scene where he blocks the door with all sorts of items only to have her throwing the stuff back at his head. The dialogue is also very fresh and we get several laughs from it. The best moment is when Laurel asks the blackmailer if he can smoke and she tells him he can burn if he wishes.

"Chickens Come Home" truly is among the best of the Laurel & Hardy shorts. The story is very simple but gives the boys lots of opportunity to show their silly antics. The end result is a simple but very hilarious movie.The movie is filled with many humorous moments. Especially the ending is an hilarious, as well as a memorable one. It's a very consistent, constantly funny comedy short in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are at their best and in the prime of their careers.Lot's of Laurel & Hardy regulars also show up again in this movie. Especially notable is James Finlayson as Oliver's butler. He is fantastic and absolutely hilarious in his role. As always, he doesn't try to steal the show but he unwillingly still does so. Other notable regulars in the movie are; Mae Busch and Baldwin Cooke, among others.Among their very best work and therefor also simply a must-see for the Laurel & Hardy fans!8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

"Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W) A Review by Jonathan Fain[7/10]This 30 minutes shorty is remake of their silent film from 1927 "Love 'Em and Weep". It is awkward, yet, has its moments. The editing was terrible, many cuts were out of their place, and made the movie look like a mix of unrelated shots. One scene for example, Laurel is on the phone and his response to the dialog comes 20 seconds late. The acting is so theatrical. Some respond shots are extremely overacted and don't match the scene. At the end when Laurel and Hardy try to get out of the house, the amazed faces of the servant and Laurel's wife are just embarrassing. Maybe the comedy doesn't hold the times. Maybe the audience has developed a different sense of humor. However, the social issues in this film are ahead of its time, and the women in this film are powerful (Though they still faint at a point of a gun).Highlights:* Hardy's wife picking up an Axe to find him. Great.* The ending scene where Laurel carries the blackmailer to hide from his wife is silly and amusing."Chickens Come Home" (USA, 1931, 30 Min., DVD - B&W) | Genre: Short, Comedy, Slapstick, Farce | Director: James W. Horne | Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy | Rating: 7/10