[Inspector Abberline]

One Good Turn (1931)

It's kind of interesting that the comedy duo never shied away from portraying the down and outs,especially considering this was the period of America’s great depression,which just showed that they were pretty much the underdogs and the people's champion.Whereas James Finlayson always seemed to portray the money grabbing landlord or the unscrupulous businessman.In One Good turn Finlayson is pretty much sending himself up by playing an actor who is portraying a landlord who is threatening to evict a little old lady in a play that he is rehearsing. Stan and Ollie have to face the fact they are penniless and decide to beg for food,where upon they come across the house of Mary Carr who is billed unceremoniously as just the Old lady. One Good Turn is quite interesting,its a bit like Ken Loach directing one of there films,the boys are unemployed and desperate for food to the extent they will work for food,something that there audience at the time may have been familiar with during the depression,The other factor here,is that the two of them are constantly at each others throat ,it seems that being poor makes them even more irritable and argumentative.With misunderstandings a plenty and arguments and threats of betrayal as even more accusation's of dishonesty are banded about Oliver: "What". Don't try to alibi. You know you stole this money from that old lady. Why guilt is written all over you. It all ends on a rather apocalyptic note as Stan goes axe crazy and takes his revenge on Ollie.