Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

rmestl2 The only criticism of this film is that it has no plot--so what?????????? How many incidents in life have no plot--they just happen--forget any worries about a plot--this is the funniest encapsulation of life ever filmed--it just is as it is--God bless Laurel and Hardy!!!!!

BigStar303 . First let me say that I bow to no one on earth in my love for Laurel and Hardy. They were the greatest comics in cinema history, in my view. Yes, better than Chaplin, yes even better than Keaton (though I consider Keaton more of a film artist than a comic — in that realm, he's untouchable).So I feel fully qualified, knowing The Boys' oeuvre backwards and forwards, to state that this film, while good, is overrated.I used to believe that its status as the absolute apotheosis of their film career (and perhaps in all of film comedy) was simply a matter of a statement being repeated again and again until it becomes the truth without regard to its actual substance.This still may be so, though I would think at least some of the reviewers here may not have read every book on Laurel and Hardy that exists, as I have...so maybe this really is their unaided view.In any case — this is a one-joke film. There are some amusing bits, but there is very little of the character exploration and development that goes hand in hand with the slapstick and marks the best Laurel and Hardy comedies. Once the game is on with Fin, it's simply a series of ever-escalating spasms of childish destruction. They did this sort of tit-for-tat mutual destruction bit much more deftly in other films — and most of those films have additional L&H delights going for them that this one-trick pony does not.To me, the ultimate test is the laugh quotient. There are a great many Laurel and Hardy films that can literally put me on the floor, collapsed in helpless laughter. This is not one of them. I know that I may be virtually alone in my view of "Big Business," but that's OK. To those who are new to Laurel and Hardy, I just want to say that there are many other films in their canon that are superior to this one.

Steve Pulaski The Laurel and Hardy comedy short Big Business is predicated off of the reliable comedic screen writing device of persistency, where characters tirelessly chase after a certain goal or continue engaging in a dead-end action hellbent for success (and laughs). The result can often be tiring, but the theme finds its home efficiently in this eighteen minute short by two of comedy's greatest leading men. Big Business concerns Laurel and Hardy as a pair of door-to-door Christmas tree salesman, looking to score big from ill-prepared clientele this holiday season. The two stumble upon a grumpy customer (James Finlayson), becoming persistent in their efforts to make a sale with him and effectively alienating him more and more with every word.The man finally gets enough of it and proceeds to chop one of their Christmas trees with his hedgeclippers, which escalates a feud like no other. The men take turns by destroying whatever item they can get their hands on that belongs to the other person, meaning the home owner destroys Laurel and Hardy's inventory and their vehicle, while Laurel and Hardy take turns destroying the home of the home owner. This back-and-forth camaraderie catches the attention of a police officer (Tiny Sandford), who watches it all go down in awe.One of the funniest scenes of the entire short is seeing Laurel throw the home owner's vases out of a window onto Hardy, who is standing on the front lawn using a shovel to hit and break them. The scene makes for hilarious, rapid-fire comedy that is only all the more impressive being that it's clearly and impromptu skit. Furthermore, the zealous attributes of Laurel and Hardy keep the comedy flowing, with complete and total awareness in terms of pacing and structure, on part of writer H.M. Walker and directors James W. Horne and Leo McCarey. Big Business is one of the funniest Laurel and Hardy shorts I have yet to see.Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, and Tiny Sandford. Directed by: James W. Horne and Leo McCarey.

John T. Ryan The year of 1929 marked the Big Turnabout for Hollywood. The clamor for Sound Film, "the Talkies", "All Singing, All Talking" and what have you, had started out slow and was rapidly snowballing to the point that "sounded" the end of silents. In this year we had both sound and silent films released as well as some released in both sound and silent versions. If there were to be any more Silent Masterpieces, now was the time to do it, or forever remain Silent.As it just so happened that there was to be this one, truly unique Silent Laurel & Hardy Comedy Short coming down the pike! And this was 1929, it was surely none too soon!One thing for sure is that BIG BUSINESS was far better known by title to the public than most any other L & H Silent Short. This is mainly because of the Robert Youngson compilation film FOUR CLOWNS (1970). The film from Mr. Youngson centered on the Silent Screen work of 4 of the top artists from that period. They were: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase and Buster Keaton. Among the titles that were reviewed and condensed was BIG BUSINESS. Furthermore, back in the1970's, before the advent of Home Video Recorders, film buffs/collectors had film with which to pursue their hobby. There was 16 mm and 8 mm. And late in the game we saw the arrival of the format of Super 8 and finally, Super 8 Magnetic Sound films.Various catalogue houses around the country provided us with the titles we wanted. At that time, one firm, Blackhawk Films of Davenport, Iowa, was perhaps the greatest company in that field. As well as featuring titles from other companies (Castle Films aka Universal 8, Ken Films, Official Films), Blackhawk was probably the largest company to bring more titles into 16 mm, 8 mm and Super 8 formats under their own label.Furthermore, it was the folks at Blackhawk who had the exclusive with Hal Roach Studios to manufacture and offer for sale the titles from the Roach back-log. And that of course meant a legalized monopoly on Laurel & Hardy Films! So, an awful lot of collectors in those early days of yesteryear made their first Laurel & Hardy home film BIG BUSINESS. I know we did! OUR STORY: As the movie opens, we see Stan & 'Babe'* riding along in their truck with facial expressions betraying the fact that they haven't been doing so well that day. They stop and very ceremoniously unload a Christmas Tree from the back and proceed to go up to the door of the 1st house in front of them to sell their wares. After an absurd exchange with a Lady, they go to the second house. After having no more luck and even receiving a clunk on the head they finally get to the house of old nemesis, James Finlayson .The sale not only goes bad, but the three get involved in an ever escalating back and forth battle, which is in itself a classic example of what Roach Studios Directorial Supervisor, Mr. Leo McCarey had dubbed, "Reciprocal Destruction. As things continue to intensify, more and more neighbors are drawn into the gallery. At last, a Police Officer (Stanley J. "Tiny" Sandford) arrives via Prowl Car; but at first, rather than making his considerable presence known, 'Tiny' sits pen in hand, jotting down his observations in his notebook.Finally we see an official Police intervention and it has the effect of pouring oil on a choppy sea. One by one, the Beat Cop gets the story from each about the disturbance, and some questionable "Crocadile Tears" from "the Boys" turns the mood to sadness and conciliation. Peace is restored and tranquility reigns supreme, momentarily, that is until…..No, no Senor, I'm not gonna tell! See the Picture! Or better yet, buy the Picture! In the whole scheme of things, at least in regards to film history, BIG BUSINESS ranks as just about the zenith of the Laurel & Hardy silents. It showed a team that had been together for nearly 3 years, all the time finding their way and perfecting the business between the twosome that, to the public, was Laurel & Hardy.And BIG BUSINESS was perhaps the finest single film exponent of that above mentioned "Reciprocal Destruction". What a fitting way to bid a fond farewell to the '20's and the Silents, and a hello to an Exclusively Sound output.NOTE: * Oliver Norvell Hardy, while known on the screen and to the public as "Ollie", had, to all his friends, the nickname of 'Babe'.