TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "The Chimp" is a black-and-white comedy short film from the year 1932, so this one is already over 85 years old and the names Parrott and Walker maybe tell you already that here we got another Laurel/Hardy comedy. This one is from their sound days and the use of spoken language, effects as well as the music do not sound as shoddy as they do in the earliest sound films by the duo. The transition from silent film has worked out nicely for them, even if this film here is not exactly an example of that. Stan and Ollie are better than the material they work with here for sure, but the scene stealer this time is an ape named Ethel. Is he really supposed to be a chimp? Anyway, this was not as funny as it could/maybe should have been and in theory it is not the most animal friendly film either. The really funny moments here are not enough simply, even for a film that stays under the 25-minute mark. For good reason this is not among the two's most known or most famous works now almost a century later. Anyway, let me say that the more I watch of these, the more my preference is shifting towards Hardy with me being initially certainly more of a Laurel fan. The ending here with the mix-up between the two Ethels is kinda funny, but it really cannot make me forget about all the mediocrity from before that. I think you should skip the watch here. Not recommended.

alexanderdavies-99382 I have a fondness for "The Chimp" as it was the first time I saw a Laurel and Hardy film. That was about 1983 and I haven't stopped laughing at Stan and Ollie's antics ever since. In the above film, they are members of the local circus. Due to their blundering incompetence, the circus has to close up. Regulars James Finlayson and Tiny Sandford make welcome appearances during the opening scene. Ollie doesn't particularly care for a comment made by Stan at the beginning of the film. The owner being flat broke, gives his employees a share of the circus in place of their salary. Each person draws a certain animal. In the case of Laurel and Hardy, the former picks the box of fleas and the latter a gorilla named Ethel. After being chased by the lion of the circus, the three of them need to find a room for the night. That is where the trouble begins! I laugh myself silly, every time I watch the bit where Ollie can't retrieve his own trousers and Ethel lends a hand! Her and Ollie don't get on too well but she likes Stan alright. The scene where Ollie is stalked by the same lion is very funny. Billy Gilbert is on top form as a somewhat perturbed landlord of the boarding house where Ollie attempts to procure a room. He has hardly rung the doorbell before he is yanked into the building and wonders what the hell is going on! To his credit, Billy Gilbert is sincere in his apologises. Gilbert was certainly blessed with a powerful voice and he puts it to good use (David Niven eat your heart out). The dancing scene was well done as Stan and Ollie struggle to get some sleep. "The Chimp" is a bit longer than the usual comedy short, clocking in at 25 minutes. It is a joy though.

Neil Doyle Only true Laurel and Hardy addicts will appreciate this sub-standard short that has the boys doing their best to demolish a circus tent with explosive gun powder, after which STAN LAUREL is given a flea circus for a parting gift, and OLIVER HARDY, a chimp called Ethyl.Naturally, when they decide to look for lodgings they get a hard time from landlord BILLY GILBERT who refuses to have them under his roof when he spies the chimp. Gilbert is already in a dither because his wife hasn't come home yet--his dear Ethyl.The rest of the short has the boys getting into one sticky situation after another, but the laughs are meager and the obvious use of a man inside an ape costume takes a lot away from the gags. Funniest line has Stan sighting a loose lion on the prowl and Oliver asking him what's the matter. "I've seen MGM," is his straight answer.But the slapstick happenings are not on par with the duo's best comedy shorts. This is strictly an early Laurel and Hardy featurette from Hal Roach that needed a much better script. At least BILLY GILBERT gets to do his customary energetic job as the irate husband who overhears Hardy telling the chimp, "Come to bed, Ethyl."Good potential material, but it should have been a lot funnier.

Coxer99 The boys find themselves inheriting a chimp named Ethel in this classic comedy short that features a wonderful dance sequence with the chimp Ethel, wearing a tutu.