If I were asked what the most unusual Laurel and Hardy film was I would easily answer, A Haunting We Will Go. While the duo's first three films for Fox (of which this is one) were not typical Laurel and Hardy movies (the other three Fox films would be more in line with what the duo is known for), none of them would quite move as far away from the team's typical movies as A Haunting We Will Go. Much of this is due to the director Alfred L. Werker. Werker was not a comedy director, and was often noted by people on the set for his lack of humor. This can be felt when you watch the film. Not because the comedy scenes are not good but because they often seem to take a backseat to the dramatic story. There is no parodying or jokes about gangster movies and instead the gangster parts of this movie are played with the upmost seriousness. While movies like Swiss Miss, Bonnie Scotland, Great Guns and Babes in Toyland, combined Laurel and Hardy comedy with other less jokey stories there is a big difference here. Those films always treated Laurel and Hardy as the main attraction (even if not the only) and the subplots remained subplots. There is also the fact that the subplots were lighthearted romance stories of the type you might see in a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie. Though not as joke filled as the main Laurel and Hardy plot, they kept the light hearted feel happening throughout the movie. The dramatic plot in A Haunting We Will Go is not the subplot but the main plot and is not a light hearted romance. It is instead a tough gangster movie and this makes Stan and Ollie feel completely out of place. It is strange to see murders that are meant to be taken seriously and tough guy gangsters without a trace of silliness in a Laurel and Hardy film. None of this is to say that I think A Haunting We Will Go is a bad film, because I don't. This is an enjoyable little gangster movie with a good story and a lot of great atmosphere. Personally I think a lot of people would simply enjoy this film more if they take it as a B-movie gangster flick, because taken as that it is pretty darn good. While Laurel and Hardy are a bit out of character at times here, they do get a few good comedic moments in. I absolutely love the telephone booth bit and that skit makes me laugh out loud each time I watch it. The casting is excellent. I was quite impressed with Dante the Magician, who while not a great actor has a very likable screen presence. Elishia Cook Jr. (who most of you would recognize as Wilmer in The Maltese Falcon) steals the show as one of the gangsters and Shelia Ryan is just as likable her as she was in the boy's previous movie, Great Guns. So in summary, this is a good movie, but it will turn off most Laurel and Hardy fans as director Alfred Werker seems to prefer the gangster story over Stan and Ollie. -Michael J. Ruhland
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