I definitely wouldn't say this film shows Laurel and Hardy at their best, but, they're obviously still excellent, as they always were in their Hal Roach films. I gather this is one of their last films for Roach, before the farrago of their time at Fox. There's no doubt in "A Chump At Oxford" that this is still the true Laurel and Hardy portrayed correctly in an appropriate plot. Well, I say plot tentatively, as the plot is a ragbag of parts. The early part of the film has the boys doing odd jobs and later, they are enrolled as students at Oxford. I would definitely say that few of what one would think would be many comic possibilities of this, are fulfilled. It is funny, however, often. But much of the humour is increasingly familiar. I liked the bit in the maze, where Stan is fooled by an errant hand; performed with incomparable timing; it's a kind of miniature Mirror scene (Marx Brothers' "Duck Soup"). The part where Stan "becomes" one Lord Paddington is enjoyable, if only to see Laurel playing what is a rare different role. I think they could have played it for more pathos perhaps. Maybe it was time for Laurel and Hardy for a change, but the contract at Fox obviously wasn't the answer, it transpired. Anyway, this film is fun, showcasing the cinema's funniest, most lovable comic double-act of all.
Rating:- *** 1/2/*****
Rating:- *** 1/2/*****