Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

lynchfilmlover This short film means a lot to me. When I was young, my family would watch the likes of Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. My Grandad specifically likes Laurel & Hardy, who we had a one or two videos of. This, by far, was his favourite and mainly for one scene! More on that shortly.Berth Marks was made and released in 1929. It is the second sound film made by Laurel & Hardy. On some reviews on here it is stated that it was the first. This seems to be incorrect. Interestingly there was also a silent version made for cinemas who were not yet wired to show talkies! According to the book, 'Laurel & Hardy: The Magic Behind The Movies' by Randy Skretvedt, it was later reissued in 1936 with a music score added to introductory scenes. This is currently the only surviving version and was subsequently included on the 10-disc Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection DVD set. I have a the single film on DVD running at 20 minutes.The film opens with Stan and Ollie trying to meet at a railway station, they keep missing each other. When they finally meet, they ask a conductor as to whether the train they are about to catch stops at Pottsville. What ensues is the funniest moment of the film. The conductor mumbles a list of incomprehensible words while Stan & Ollie look on with confusion. Ollie asked him again and as the conductor walks of listing the same incomprehensible list, finally in the distance we hear him shout, "..and Pottsville". Now as stated before, my Grandad adored this scene. He could watch it again and again. Every time he would laugh out loud with tears streaming down his face. A wonderful memory that, as he passed in 1997, stays in the forefront of my memory.As the film continues, we see another great scene which plays off screen for the rest of the film, until the pay off at the end. We see passengers mistakenly assuming that the person stood behind is riping their suit. The complete orgy of people fighting at the end is a joy to see.Now to review this as an adult is difficult. The film means so much to me and by no means am I putting the film down, but one has to be honest about the rest of the film. Equally one must take into account that sound was still a new medium.The rest of the film sees Stan & Ollie really struggle. It is clear that they are having trouble with the newly invented talkies. Most of the second half of the film has them both entangled in each others clothes in their berth. They both seem to ad-lib, for effect, and it makes that section feel very disjointed.There really isn't that much else to say about it. I haven't seen that many of their films but from memory I remember in other films, there was more slapstick than is on show. By no way is it a criticism, it is rather a acceptance that they were on a learning curve.As a footnote, according to Wikipedia: Several train sequences (included a few not used in the English release) were used for foreign language releases versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case in 1930. Laurel and Hardy released three different versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case combined with Berth Marks for the foreign language market. In German, French and a the Spansih version which lasts for 49 minutes.Despite it's failings, this is still a much loved short for me and very much worth a watch. Especially if you want to follow on from this with their later films, to see how they developed from silent to talkies.

Jackson Booth-Millard Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Stan and Ollie are meeting each other at a train station, they are fiddler players, on their way to Pottsville, and they obviously start off badly with incomprehensible droning from the Stationmaster (Pat Harmon), and dropping all their music sheets before running for the train. As they go to their bed, Stan manages to go into the wrong room, and thinking another man was him, the man rips another man's jacket, then he rips the jacket of another man, and so begins a train full of people ripping each others clothes. Anyway, Stan and Ollie get to their bed, but they obviously complicate getting onto it, and getting undressed to sleep. When they finally do, their station is next up, and it ends with the conclusion that Stan forgot the fiddle, and it ends with Ollie losing his temper and chasing Stan. Also starring Charlie Hall as Train passenger and Silas D. Wilcox as Conductor. Filled with good slapstick and all classic comedy you want from a black and white film, at just over an hour, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Worth watching!

Boba_Fett1138 This first talking movie from Laurel & Hardy is a surprising good one. It has the typical Laurel & Hardy humor in it, for which they are so famous and loved over the world. This is one of their most typical shorts. It's simple and it's almost non-stop filled with slapstick moments. Laurel & Hardy at their purest and finest.The movie begins standard but from the moment when the two boys enter the train the movie becomes an almost fun and non-stop laugh-fest. The movie its humor is very simple and also predictable but executed brilliantly by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Especially the scene in which the two boys try to get in bed, which last at least 5 minutes, is one to remember and Laurel & Hardy hilarity at its best and purest form. Although the movie its humor and moments are rather stretched out, the movie never really becomes tiresome to watch.More than in other early Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts, the supporting cast also plays an important part when it comes to the humor. The movie is filled with comical moments, that don't even feature the two boys in it. Among the supporting cast is Laurel & Hardy regular Baldwin Cooke and movie icon Paulette Goddard. Talk about movie history!This movie is definitely better than Laurel & Hardy's other work from the '20's. It's humor and characters already have the shape and form as their later and best work from the early '30's.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Prichards12345 Several published works on Laurel And Hardy seem to rate this as one of the boys' poorest shorts. How dare they! This is extremely funny - if not quite top drawer - Stan and Ollie. An early talkie, half the film is simply our two heroes trying to get undressed in the upper berth of a sleeper train, getting entangled in each others trousers, night-shirts etc. The boys have also inadvertently set the rest of the passengers against each other, via a method I won't spoil by revealing. It's simplicity itself, yet it works wonderfully well. When most comedies of the twenties and thirties have long been forgotten, the films of these two lovable characters continue to delight.The real secret is surely in their universal humanity; there's a little bit of Stan and Ollie in all of us.