If there are two people you wouldn’t want anywhere near an incredibly painful part of your anatomy, it would be Laurel & Hardy. I should at this point bring your attention back to one key element in the film that is the focus of a number of gags – Edgar Kennedy’s gouty foot. The remainder of the film takes place outside the house and concerns the ‘simple’ task of driving away. I absolutely adore Ollie’s expressions as he ‘accidentally’ hits Stan over the head with the metal platter, smiling at Stan and shooting us more honest looks right down the camera – just fantastic, Babe Hardy at his hilarious best. Of course, seconds later, they’re at it again. The boys then look sheepishly at one another and then with big smiles make up “No more arguments…isn’t it silly!” says Stan. Mrs Laurel ( Isabelle Keith) and Mrs Hardy ( Kay Deslys) finally step in and remind them not to fight as today is the sabbath. The sandwiches are then repeatedly stepped in, sat on and eventually thrown at each other a typical escalation of temper. But, it’s only a minor grumble and doesn’t really spoil the action. It’s a funny gag alright, but not executed to the boys’ usual fluid and seemingly effortless standard. As he’s bent over, the swing door behind him hits him up the behind and send him headfirst into Ollie, who drops the sandwiches all over the floor. A sandwich falls from Ollie’s platter and Stan bends over to pick it up. Uncle Ed simply does not want to go on the picnic as his heavily strapped gouty foot has kept him awake all night because “it was palpitating so!”.Īlthough I hate to criticise the boys’ gags, the first of this film I find a little too choreographed and forced. The role of the uncle was originally meant for James Finlayson, but for some unknown reason ended up being played brilliantly by fellow L&H Stock Company stalwart Edgar Kennedy. Sounds straight forward right? But, of course, this is Stan and Ollie, so nothing is going to go according to plan! We initially meet the boys proudly carrying a huge platter of sandwiches out of the kitchen to present to their wives and grumpy Uncle.

To put this all in context, the premise for the film is that the boys are taking their wives and Uncle Ed on a lovely family picnic. “ Step on it, Ollie!” Stan orders, to which Hardy’s wonderful retort is “ I’ll step on you in a minute!…and don’t call me Ollie!!” The moment in question comes whilst the boys and their family are sitting in the car attempting to get their perfect day underway. The film is also noteworthy as it’s the very first time we hear Mr. The dialogue is kept to a minimum, as it is in the best of the boys’ work, allowing the comedy to speak for itself, but where it is used it is very funny – if a little base at one point, but more about that later! The film also received much praise on its initial release for the innovative use of sound effects – primarily this related to the hollow clanging sound made when Hardy hits Laurel over the head with the clutch that Stan had just ripped out and chucked onto the street, after following Ollie’s instruction to “throw out the clutch” a little too literally. What I think makes this film particularly good is the clever use of both dialogue and sound. Indeed Glenn Mitchell in his ‘ Laurel & Hardy Encyclopedia‘ describes ‘Perfect Day’ as one of the team’s best shorts – praise indeed! Yet, all of the film’s ingredients and especially the talent on display make the film almost the perfect comedy. For Stan, Ollie, their wives and of course the gout-ridden Uncle Edgar Kennedy, this was far from a perfect day.

A perfect day laurel and hardy