Air Raid Wardens

''Air Raid Wardens'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was the first of two feature films starring the duo for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Plot

Set during World War II, Stan and Ollie face a series of misfortunes, depicted through a montage of failed business ventures. Their attempts to enlist in various armed forces branches meet with similar disappointment. Returning to their hometown of Huxton, they discover their bicycle shop has been commandeered by Eustace Middling, a purported businessman secretly engaged in espionage on behalf of Germany.

Assuming roles as air raid wardens, Stan and Ollie undergo training, yet encounter mishaps during a drill to rescue banker J.P. Norton, inadvertently burying him in sand. Assigned to ensure nighttime light compliance, they engage in a confrontation with troublesome resident Joe Bledsoe, leading to allegations of espionage at Joe's residence and their dismissal from duty.

Suspecting Middling's nefarious activities, Stan and Ollie trail him to a hideout, where they uncover a plot to sabotage the town's magnesium plant. Despite their efforts to alert authorities, they are captured by Middling's accomplices. Escaping, they alert civil defense forces in time to thwart the sabotage, ultimately exposing Middling's espionage activities.

Cast

Reception

Most trade reviewers considered this par for the course, a typical Laurel & Hardy comedy. "The full bag of Laurel and Hardy tricks is unloaded in ''Air Raid Wardens''," reported ''Motion Picture Daily''; "Their adventures in bungle, evolving in the capture of Nazi spies, are replete with the team's characteristic antics, and exhibitors have the Laurel and Hardy marquee value as a focal point in selling the film." ''Film Bulletin'' concurred: "Typical Laurel and Hardy horseplay which permits these comedians to pull most of their familiar tricks, ''Air Raid Wardens'' will get laughs from their numerous followers." "Every possible blunder known to man is committed by the boys," said ''Photoplay'', adding that "Stan and Ollie are in rare form."''Showmen's Trade Review'' noted that the studio's injection of pathos slowed the pace of the comedy: "Avid Laurel-Hardy fans will find it a fair-to-middlin' example of that team's comedy, but average audiences are more likely to find the proceedings on the dull side." In ''The New York Times'', Ted Strauss wrote, "The pair still insist on traveling the longest distance between two points; the simplest acts such as pulling a rope or climbing a ladder become operations hardly less complicated than the invasion of Europe... Meanwhile, the folks in the Rialto pews are laughing their heads off." ''Motion Picture Reviews'' recommended the film as excellent juvenile entertainment: "Against a background of efficient civil defense, Laurel and Hardy epitomize all the pathos and comedy of incompetence, representing the misfits in the world who are long on good intentions but short on ability. It is slapstick fun which has high moments of hilarity and should delight the comedians' followers."''Motion Picture Reviews'', Mar.-Apr. 1943, p. 3.

References

;Bibliography

* Everson, William K. ''The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy''. New York: Citadel, 2000, (first edition 1967). .
* Louvish, Simon. ''Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy''. London: Faber & Faber, 2001. .
* McCabe, John. ''Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy''. London: Robson Books Ltd., 2004. .
* McCabe, John with Al Kilgore and Richard W. Bann. ''Laurel & Hardy''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1983, first edition 1975, E.P. Dutton. .
* McGarry, Annie. ''Laurel & Hardy''. London: Bison Group, 1992. .
* MacGillivray, Scott. ''Laurel & Hardy: From the Forties Forward''. Second edition. New York: iUniverse, 2009 (first edition 1998). .

External links

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{{Edward Sedgwick

1943 films
Laurel and Hardy (film series)
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Edward Sedgwick
Films set on the United States home front during World War II
Military comedy films
1943 comedy films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films with screenplays by Charley Rogers
Films scored by Nathaniel Shilkret
Films produced by B. F. Zeidman
1940s English-language films
1940s American films