"Twice Two" is an American 20-minute live action short film from 1933, so this one has its 85th anniversary this year and to show you how old it is let me say that even a decade after this one was released, World War II was still going on in full force. So it is a black-and-white movie of course and you should not be fooled by the color versions out there. It is already a sound film though, so not from the very early days of comedy duo Laurel & Hardy. The director is James Parrott, who worked with these two on many occasions. The main reason to see this one is that Laurel and Hardy also play their own sisters in drag in this one, who are at the same time each other's wives. The voice acting comes from female actors though. I personally would say that Hardy mastered the silent drag part better, but Laurel is fine too. This felt really strange watching them like that, especially in the second half where they are together having dinner and it results in pretty tumultous events, not only involving a huge cake. I guess you know what happens with this one. Overall, I must say though that I wasn't too entertained seeing this one here. It was more the bizarre elements that kept me watching rather than the story or characters, even if the "bizarre" obviously refers to the latter. All in all, nowhere near my fav Stan and Ollie works. Extraordinary yes. Good not so much, even if the 2 (4?) elevate the material here too. The story may be the problem. This one here gets a thumbs-down from me. Not recommended.

To me, this is one of the team's creepier and less funny shorts. Stan and Ollie play dual roles--they play themselves and female versions of themselves. According to the strange plot, Stan and Ollie both have sisters that look exactly like them in drag AND they both marry each other's sister! Aside from being a very unbelievable and contrived idea for a short, it was also pretty weird seeing Stan and Ollie in drag and then marrying the other!! To make matters worse, the wives (in particular, the female version of Stanley) have horrid voices--the type that could get any person to stick an icepick in their ears to stop the pain!!! The novelty of the idea wears off pretty quickly, as the film features far fewer laughs than their average short. It frankly isn't one of their better efforts and is pretty skip-able unless you are like me--a die-hard fan. For a similar type movie where the boys play dual roles, try watching the much funnier and better-made BRATS. In this film, Stan and Ollie play themselves and their kids. Technically speaking, this is an amazing film to watch and is a film worth seeing.

There are certain clichés that almost every comedian has done some time. One of them is dressing as the opposite sex and in this film you get to see how well Laurel & Hardy manage to entertain as ladies. The best individual concept in this bit is the fact that the pair has married each others sisters, who both "unfortunately" look like their brothers. Mr Hardy is very "Ollie" when he even states about his wedding day "It was the happiest day of my life." The best in this film are the insults that the two "ladies" present to each other. Some people might not necessarily find the insults enjoyable, but they are definitely something you never hear in other Laurel & Hardy films. Not their best film, but despite the possible not-very-good-taste element, among the funniest "men as women" flicks ever.

In "Twice Two", Laurel and Hardy each play a dual role, with the idea being that they have each married the other one's sister. It's a creative setup, and they are both pretty good as the spouses. (The men do the acting, with the voices dubbed in by women.) Most of it takes place as the four have dinner together, and plays off of the tangled relationships among them. It is slower paced than usual, and is not really as funny as their best films. It's still worth watching, although it is probably of interest primarily to those who are already Laurel and Hardy fans.