I never saw this documentary when it first came out and that is a bit of a surprise since I am a huge Laurel and Hardy fan. However, I recently obtained a three DVD set of Fox's later Laurel and Hardy films (you know, the bad ones they made in the 1940s) and this short documentary was an included bonus feature.
Well, given that I love the team, watching a Sons of the Desert convention from the 1980s was pretty interesting to me. I was already aware of the organization as well as its founder, John McCabe--as McCabe wrote the definitive book about the films of Stan and Ollie AND started the fan club--listing its bylaws in his book as well. So for me, it was great and watching all the geeky people dressing and acting like the boys made me laugh.
However, with very low production values and a sketchy format, I doubt if anyone but Laurel and Hardy fans would be much interested in the documentary. Especially since it comes off looking like someone's home movie. Fortunately, though, if you buy the gift set, you probably ARE the right audience. All others need not watch.
