Good concept, poorly executed.

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

1929, over 85 years ago, was a pretty prolific year in terms of films for Laurel and Hardy and this one also came out back then. It is black-and-whit and we still do not hear their voices, even if it is not a silent film anymore. As usual, it runs for 20 minutes roughly and with this one Laurel and Hardy try to satisfy the steadily-growing number of audience members who loved to see animals in movies. This one has a goat from start to finish. The duo takes care of her, but hides her from a landlord. When the police officer finally finds her in the end, a cute surprise is waiting for our heroes. I must say the only thing I liked here were the last 2 minutes. Some nice drama and comedy and of course the cute ending I already mentioned. Everything before that is fairly forgettable and not as funny as I hoped it could be. Laurel and Hardy have many funnier films out from the late 20s and early 30s. Maybe it's the goat's fault, maybe the writer's. But I do not recommend this one. The last 2 minutes are not worth sitting through the first 18. Thumbs down.

Turner Classic Movie historian Ben Mankiewicz cites this Laurel and Hardy short as their last silent film. The opening title card states it's 'the dramatic story of a goat', and I guess you could call it that if you want, for me it was just funny. After the Boys make their acquaintance with said goat outside a pastry shop, the animal is immediately befriended by Stan with one of the tasty morsels, thereby making a friend for life, or at least the twenty minutes or so of this picture.Having just watched their 1928 silent "Habeas Corpus", I noted a gag they repeated here when Ollie falls into a huge hole in the street filled with water trying to outrun the goat. I thought it might have been the same location used, but this time the street corner building was occupied by a shop whereas in the earlier film it was just a large drab structure. I suppose it could have been urban renewal.Following the boys to their room in a hotel, the goat becomes an unwanted guest, with constant attempts by the landlord to figure out what all the noise is about. Edgar Kennedy was the perfect foil for these kind of roles, and his effort to proclaim his establishment as a respectable hotel leads to a sight gag of a sailor following one of the tenants to her room down the hall. That was probably pretty risqué stuff for 1929 but it slipped by to the amusement of this viewer.I'm not enough of a Laurel and Hardy student to know if this was one of their better silent efforts, but it was amusing in most respects. If made today, I don't think the PETA folks would have taken kindly to the way the boys manhandled the goat getting him to take a bath, but it didn't look like the animal minded too much. Somewhere along the way it rewrote the rule book on reproductive anatomy, since the short ended with three cute but tiny goats emerging from under a cabinet. Not baaaad.

This was Laurel and Hardy's last silent film for Roach Studios. However, since the public had a real thirst for "talkies", this same short was re-made by the team just a few years later with only a few small plot changes. LAUGHING GRAVY was essentially the same plot except that Stan and Ollie were trying to hide a cute puppy from their grouchy landlord--not a goat like in ANGORA LOVE. This whole goat angle is the worst part of the film. While you could understand the boys wanting to keep a cute little dog (after all, it is snowy outside), why exactly they bring a goat home is just contrived and pointless. According to the plot, the goat followed them home and so they got tired of shooing it away and kept it. Huh?! This just doesn't make any sense--if it had been a giraffe or a cow, would they have done the same thing?! Apart from being an unconvincing plot, the movie itself is pure Laurel and Hardy, with a familiar plot and familiar roles for the comedians. This film features quite a few laughs, but unfortunately isn't one of their better films to wrap up their silent careers. This aspect of their careers just seems to have ended with a whimper.

No this is not an Ed Wood movie. "Angora Love" is Stan Laurel's and Oliver Hardy's last silent movie. The end of an era! In the '20's Laurel & Hardy left a real mark on the silent movie genre with movies that are still popular and being watched and aired regularly, this present day.It's a shame that this movie is however not among their best.The premise of the movie sounds good and is good. The boys team up with a goat this time, which of course leads them into trouble and for us some hilarious situations to watch. It however at the same time is extremely silly and just totally unbelievable to watch the boys doing comedy stuff with a goat. Most of the jokes in the movie still work good but the movie just however never gets truly hilarious or memorable. The comedy and story really feels lacking at times and is mostly too simple and predictable.Of course still good and fun enough to watch for the fans but still a slightly disappointing last silent Laurel & Hardy entry.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/