Chasing the Chaser

At Hal Roach Studios, many of the actors were also given a chance to direct films as well. The most famous of these was Charley Chase, who under his real name "Charles Parrot" directed dozens of comedy shorts. In the case of this film, Stan Laurel (who at the time was a solo comedian) was given a chance to direct. Aside from James Finlayson in the lead, the film is full of people who are unknown today, but the overall effort is pretty good and watchable.

The most interesting part of the movie is the cross-dressing private detective Finlayson hires to prove that James is cheating on her. Unlike in THE SLEUTH, where Stan Laurel looks pretty as a private eye in drag, the guy who cross-dresses to uncover the dirt on Finlayson is amazingly convincing as a girl! You have to see it to believe it, that's for sure! Not a great film from the era, but a little better than average and a decent time-passer. Give it a look.