"Night Owls" was one of the last Laurel and Hardy films for comic foil, Edgar Kennedy. He was soon to be replaced by Billy Gilbert. Released in 1930, Stan and Ollie are playing their vagrant characters who are offered the change of avoiding jail by carrying out a burglary for corrupt cop, Kennedy (who is on the verge of being fired from the force). The house in question, is none other than that of the police chief! Although this comedy short was all filmed in the "Hal Roach" studios, this doesn't affect the comedy in any way. James Finlayson is great as the put-upon butler of the said household. At one point, he takes a leaf out of Hardy's book by addressing the camera. I loved it! Stan and Ollie's attempts at burglary are like everything else they put their hand to - the final results being a disappointment. They both really squabble with each other during "Night Owls" but they always remain united against any adversity. One of their very best.

During the 1920's, Laurel and Hardy starred in silent films up until 1929 when they began doing talkies. The 1920's was very much a forming in their partnership. The 1940's saw them join various companies mostly 'Twentieth Century Fox' and in truth, there films in the 1940's and their final film in 1950 (Utopia which is arguably the worst film ever made) saw the duo in decline starring in some poor films. The 1930's saw Stan and Ollie in their prime starring in excellent shorts and excellent feature films. It is their 1930's work which gives them legendary status which has lived on for generations.

Their 1930's opener was 'Night Owls' a decent film yet much better was to follow. In 'Night Owls' Police Officer Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) is under great pressure from the Police Chief (Anders Randolf). There have been over forty burglaries on his patch in the last week and Kennedy has failed to make an arrest. The chief tells him, sort it out or you're sacked. That night, Kennedy sees vagrants Stan and Ollie on the street and threatens to arrest them for vagrancy. Yet he'll let them get away with it if they break into the chief of police house, he'll arrest them and then he'll fix it for them. They reluctantly agree to go through with it. Yet Stan and Ollie are as good as burglars as they are at everything else, totally useless. Making high amounts of noise during the robbery, will they be able to not get the attentions of the chief and his butler Meadows (James Finlayson). And where is Kennedy to arrest them...

This was a good film, with a decent beginning and middle, yet the ending is a bit disappointing, what happens to Kennedy? and who has been doing all the house breaking? Yet this aside, Stan and Ollie put in a great performance, being wonderfully noisy house-breakers. Also a good performance from the great James Finlayson as the Butler Meadows.

So Stan and Ollie's 1930's career had began with this good effort, better would definitely soon come.

My favourite part in this film is when Stan and Ollie try to climb on the wall and a cat runs past them at full speed making them fall off the high wall. Unfortunately, my DVD of this film has somehow cut this bit out. A shame.

Police Chief Anders Randulf is upset with beat cop Edgar Kennedy because of the burglars he hasn't caught. Kennedy has a brainstorm: he offers not to run in a couple of tramps if they'll burgle the chief's house so he can catch them. It's a brilliant plan, with one small flaw: his stooges are Laurel and Hardy.

Edgar Kennedy was a brilliant comic himself, who had been one of the Keystone Kops. He had directed a couple of the Boy's silent shorts, but he was largely a supporting comic at the Roach lot. He gets a couple of good gags here, although Stan and Ollie, of course, are the main show.