TheLittleSongbird Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.After their previous 1928 efforts saw a step in the right direction and the two were starting to hit their stride while still evolving, 'Their Purple Moment' sees a couple of steps backwards and something of a disappointment. Certainly far from terrible and it is a long way from a misfire of theirs (up to this point '45 Minutes from Hollywood' was the only one to fit this distinction), but 'Their Purple Moment' is far from a gem. It is a shame because their previous 1928 efforts were so promising and the concept here was not a bad one.Laurel and Hardy's work was never known to have particularly great stories, which tended to be the weakest element. 'Their Purple Moment' is no exception, on top of being flimsy it is also more predictable, hackneyed and repetitive than most with outcomes being easily foreseeable and some of the content being hit and miss as well as rather repetitive at times. The pace sometimes could have been tighter. 'Their Purple Moment's' weak link is the ending, a real fizzler that is rushed, uninspired and somewhat tasteless.On the other hand, Laurel and Hardy are more than very amusing, particularly Laurel, and they work well together. Three quarters of 'Their Purple Moment' does mostly amuse and has some fun and well timed moments and gags. It's not dull, is competently directed, has a nice supporting cast and holds up quite well visually.All in all, definitely worthwhile but not a Laurel and Hardy essential. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Robert J. Maxwell A silent short in with Stan and Ollie go to a fancy restaurant with two girls they've met, thinking they have outsmarted Stan's wife by Stan's having stashed a lot of cash from his paycheck in a secret hiding place. There is no hiding place that is a secret to one's wife, as many a husband with, say, a pornographic tape has discovered. Stan's wife has found the hidden wallet and substituted cigar-store coupons for the bills.In a gay old mood, Stan and Ollie invite strangers to their table for steaks and beer, and Stan passes out tips to the troop of midgets marching around the floor. Then the two evildoers find out that they have no money to pay for this big night on the town -- the cab fare (they invite the driver to dinner), the tips, the huge meals, the drinks, all coming to the throat-tightening, aqueous-humor-coagulating total of almost $29.Every time the lights go down, they try to crawl out, and every time a waiter trips over Stan's back and falls face first into the tray he's carrying.It all involves a good deal of slapstick, raising questions like "What is slapstick?" and "is slapstick funny?" Not to get into it but a slapstick was two slats of wood that produced a loud sound but little force when used to whack someone. The meaning has broadened to include pratfalls, tumbles down stairs, and other physical acts that take place in a comic context. It must be at least a little funny to some people because it's been around since the commedia dell'arte and before. Chaplin, an acknowledged genius, used it all the time. People slip in giant banana peels in Woody Allen's "Sleeper." The falling waiter gag is used, not once in this short, but three or four times. Once may not be funny, but EVERY TIME that Stan is on his hands and knees and the waiter's face plunges into the cake on the tray, it's a running gag and I find it kind of funny. Some might not.

MartinHafer Stan and Ollie have tough wives. No only are these women meaner looking than those you usually see in a Laurel and Hardy domestic comedy, but they are incredibly over-bearing and keep practically every dime the boys make. It didn't seem all that surprising then when they boys wanted to stash away a few bucks and go for a night on the town. The problem is that Stan's wife finds the stash and substitutes it for coupons. The other problem is that the boys run up a huge tab and chase after girls. Hmm....perhaps the wives DID have the right idea after all! I was very surprised when I looked at all the reviews on IMDb for this early Laurel and Hardy film because the ratings were so darn low. I can't understand this as this is a pretty typical Laurel and Hardy short--certainly NOT among their worst. Another thing that surprised me is that IMDb mentions a lost segment with midgets, but there were quite a few scenes in this film with midgets performing at a nightclub (the ubiquitous "Pink Pup").The film has more than its share of laughs and is highly reminiscent of many of the team's better efforts such as SONS OF THE DESERT and BLOTTO. Sure, it's familiar--but it's also quite funny.By the way, I mentioned The Pink Pup because I recently noticed that it also appears in at least two other Laurel and Hardy films made about this same time--THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY and THAT'S MY WIFE.

Michael_Elliott Their Purple Moment (1928) *** (out of 4) Laurel and Hardy hold out some of their pay so that they can go out on the town but their wives find their hiding spot. When the boys are out they run up a tab and must find a way out. There are plenty of laughs here including a wonderfully funny food fight at the end as well as a nice sequence with the two trying to sneak out of a restaurant.I viewed this in the UK, 21-disc set, which is a dream come true for fans of Laurel and Hardy. The price has recently dropped on the set so any fan should certainly look into picking it up.