The Fighting Kentuckian

Unusual juxtaposition of Oliver Hardy with John Wayne as the comic duo - and French exiles with Kentucky militia as the plot premise.

Not a bad film and a surprise to see Oliver Hardy without Stan Laurel, Anyhow the most amusing parts of this film is how the camera changes shot everytime Oliver goes to climb on a horse or how nervous Oliver looks in the shots where he is actually riding a horse.

John Wayne auditions to take Stan Laurel's place! This was one of the very few feature films Oliver Hardy did without his trusted partner. So what we get here is Wayne & Hardy. The chemistry doesn't quite work the same way as Wayne insists on being The Duke and barely does any of Laurel's antics. Joking aside, the production of The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) felt a little lightweight. There are absolutely enjoyable bits, but overall, it felt like a minor John Wayne outing at Republic Pictures.