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Film Stills 1932
Film Stills 1933
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Film Titles 1932
Any Old Port
Laurel and Hardy, sailors on a few days' leave, come to the aid of
a girl being forced to marry the unsavory owner of a hotel. Ollie
hires Stan out as a prize fighter, to make money to help the girl.
Stan's opponent is the would-be bridegroom.
The Music Box (photo)
One of their most famous films, which won an Academy Award in 1932
for Best Short. The duo have to transport a piano to a house at the
top of a steep hill, to be reached by a long flight of stairs. After
many failed efforts, taking most of the day, they finally reach the
top. Here, a postman tells them there's a road leading right to the
property. So, they haul the piano back down the steps, load it on
their cart, and take the road to the house. The intended recipient is less than
happy with the delivery, since he hates pianos, and proceeds to destroy the music box with an axe.
The Chimp (photo)
Another remake of Angora Love, now with a flea circus and a chimp,
given to Laurel and Hardy when the circus they work for goes bust.
Complications arise when they take both home to their rented apartment
-- espcially because the chimp is called Ethel, like the landlord's
wife.
County Hospital (photo)
Stan visits Ollie in hospital, who has a broken leg. There are some
great jokes initially, such as Stan bringing hard-boled eggs to cheer
up Ollie -- but then eating them himself. The last part of the films
is disappointing, with Stan driving Ollie home from the hospital, very
clearly with a background projection which looks cheap.
Scram
In a heavy rainstorm, Lauren and Hardy encounter a drunk man,
who takes pity on them and offers them a place to sleep. However,
he takes them to the wrong house -- the one belonging to a judge.
The wife of the judge is at home, and gets into harmlessc fooling
around with the boys, jsut as the judge arrives home.
Pack Up Your Troubles
During World War I Laurel and Hardy promise a buddy to look after
his little girl should he die in action. After some funny moments
in the army, the rest of the film is too sentimental.
Their First Mistake
This film is one of their best with great gags and very funny dialogue.
Ollie and his wife don't get on too well -- she blames Stan for always
dragging her husband away. Whilst the boys ponder Ollie's predicament,
Stan has a fantastic idea: what the Hardys need, is a
baby! Then Mrs Hardy will be happy and preoccupied with the baby,
and Ollie can go out with Stan. Ollie falls for the idea, and they
set out to find a baby. On their successful return to the apartment,
they find Mrs Hardy gone, leaving a message saying she wants a divorce.
The remainder of the film shows Laurel and Hardy coping with the
reality of having a baby.
Film Titles 1933
Towed in a Hole (photo)
Making a living selling fish turns out to be difficult, so Stan has
a brilliant idea: they should buy a boat, go out fishing themselves
and make far more money that way. An old boat is purchased, and the
boys proceed to do it up, but not without many problems.
Twice Two (photo)
Laurel and Hardy play themselves, as well as each other's wives. The
couple are going out for an anniversary diner, and of course many
things go wrong.
Me and My Pal
On the day Ollie is meant to marry the daughter of his boss, Stan arrives
with a wedding present: a giant jig-saw puzzle. At first, Ollie considers
this a silly gift, but soon he is caught up in making the puzzle.
One after the other, a taxi driver, delivery man etc are drawn into
the puzzle making and Ollie forgets all about time. That is until
his future father-in-law turns up to tell him the wedding is off.
Fra Diavolo
The title of this operetta means The Devil's Brother. Laurel and Hardy run into
bandit Fra Diavolo, who initially wants to kill them but saves their lives on
the condition they help him in his robberies. The parts of Stan and Ollie
fit well into the film, and there are many funny scenes. Towards the end, the duo
drink too much alcohol, which reduces them to fits of laughter -- even when faced
with execution.
The Midnight Patrol
The duo play inept policemen who aid criminals rather can catch them. Central Control
tells them to investigate the report of a prowler trying to enter a house. The man
is actually the Police Chief, who locked himself out. Laurel and Hardy (with much
destructive effort) gain access to the house, knock out the suspect and take him to
the police station. Here, the "prowler" regains consciousness and turns out to be
the very unhappy Chief, who proceeds to meet out punishment on the two.
Busy Bodies (photo)
This is a superb comedy, without much of a plot or story. The opening sequence is great: Stan and
Ollie are in their car on their way to work, and have a phonograph under the hood which plays
tunes. They regularly have to stop to change discs, of course. At work, one painful and
violent scene follows another, including the segment in which Stan glues a big brush to
Ollie's face (following an argument which got out of hand). Using a variety of carpenter's
tools, he manages to remove the bristles. All these misodings lead to their dismissal, and
they drive off in their car -- through a big band saw which cuts the car in half. Fortunately, the
phonograph still works!
Dirty Work (photo)
As chimney sweeps, Ollie and Stan call on the house of a scientist. They proceed to clean
the chimney, but make a horrendous mess of the house in the process. The scientist then calls
them to announce the success of his scientific triumph: he has spent 20 years attempting
to change a duck back into an egg. He leaves them alone for a minute in his lab, and
thanks to Stan, Ollie falls into the vat of the special solution. After much thrashing about,
with agonised screams being heard, a chimp emerges, wearing Ollie's hat. To Stan's worried
questions, the chimp says (in Ollie's voice): "I have nothing to say."
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