I must start by pointing out. I tried for months to obtain this film on DVD. I finally traced a copy in New York. This copy has a poor picture print, so I may have missed facial ques and expressions.
The plot is clear two mature neighbours fall in love, they both inform his Son and the maiden Aunt informs her Niece . The youngsters rush home to stop the wedding after their final year at college. Travelling home in their respective cars they are involved in a crash with a van carrying crates of chickens.
Several minutes of comedy as the young couple retrieve the chickens. The couple are angry blaming each other for the accident. That does not stop them both attempting to sabotage that evenings get together dinner at the Aunts home, or at the next evening at the social dance in the local hall. The final part of the film has the eloping couple being chased by the young couple in the girls car with the police after both cars and couples.
Universal obviously had a great script with plenty of action/plot, but the film is so short we loose much of the potential comedy and plot enhancement. EG The Father, Edmund Lowe has hay fever. His Doctor prescribes his own remedy sniffing a white powder. At the dance Father starts sneezing, he goes behind a palm plant to take this medication. Peggy Moran, the young girl mis understands this, making an embarrassing moment instead of a comic one.
Two other comedy plot points could easily have been improved given more time. During the dawn elopement Edmund holds a ladder for his intended to climb down, a playful dog tugs at his pants leg causing his intended to fall down the ladder onto him.
At the public dance Peggy Moran unwittingly gives a thief a ride to the nearest train station. More comedy from the dog and thief could easily have been developed.
The comedy highlight of the film I have yet to mention. The happy/giggly very well rounded Maid of the Aunts. When the young Girl arrives home, the Maid rushes out to met her, in the Maids excitement the Maid pulls the door off the car, then she flattens a rear car tyre leaning on the car to retrieve the Girls suitcases. The Maid then finds an escaped chicken in the car. The chicken struts around the garden, the Maid bounces behind catching the chicken and flattening the boundary hedge at the same time.
The comedy highlight for me was during the dinner party Edmund standing to the side of the dinner table sneezes, slapping his hand down on a loose middle table leaf. The opposite side shoots up hitting Una Merkel his intended under the chin, knocking her out. Una falls back onto a chair. The 3 Family members rush to her aid. Edmund shouts out "Bring something", the Maid rushes over with a tray of sliced buttered bread. The Maid says "Here". Edmund grabs a slice putting it to his intended lips. Realising what he is doing he tells the Maid "You do not give bread to someone who has fainted.
I end my review saying the film would have been far better with more character development and a longer running time .
