Duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were among the few who successfully navigated the transition from silent to sound comedy, but their silent shorts remain their high-water mark. One of their best—at least available on streaming; Battle of the Century is a masterpiece but nowhere to be found—Big Business from 1929 finds the duo as door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen who call on a chap who really doesn’t want a Christmas tree. Things escalate slowly, and then very quickly, until Laurel and Hardy’s patented mayhem draws the attention of the neighborhood and a police officer. The two specialized in a brand of anarchy only The Muppets could mimic four decades later.

Big Business (1929)
Directed by James W. Horne, Leo McCarey
Produced by Hal Roach
Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, Charlie Hall, Retta Palmer, Tiny Sandford, Lyle Tayo
MGM, Not rated, Running time 19 minutes, Released April 20, 1929

---

---

The above blurb first appeared in Boulder Weekly Vol. 27, No. 44, “Home Viewing: Silent Clowns.”