Saps at Sea

Saps at Sea (1940), directed by Gordon Douglas, is a Laurel & Hardy comedy you can watch online on iFILM. Ollie works in a horn factory. The constant noise breaks him; he starts having violent reactions every time he hears any kind of honking. The doctor orders sea air and rest.

Stan's solution: rent a boat and stay moored in port. No sailing, no drama. They bring a goat because the doctor also prescribed goat's milk for Ollie's nerves. The goat raises questions. The boat drifts to sea. A violent escaped convict climbs aboard. Everything proceeds exactly as expected, which is somehow never less funny.

This was the last film the duo made for the Hal Roach Studios — the end of a particular chapter in American comedy. At 56 minutes it is tight and cheerful, with the essential Laurel and Hardy dynamic fully intact: Stan accidentally solving things by breaking them, Ollie suffering with elaborate dignity. Watch Saps at Sea online on iFILM.