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Written and filmed
August, 1927.
Released by MGM, December, 1927. Produced by Hal Roach. Supervised by
Leo McCarey. Directed by Clyde Bruckman. Two reels. Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harvey Clark, Dorothy Coburn, Sam Lufkin. STORY: Millionaire J. Piedmont Mumblethunder (Hardy) goes to the docks to meet his Scottish nephew, Philip (Laurel). Mumblethunder is aghast at Philip's appearance in traditional kilt, and does all he can to avoid being seen with him as they walk the streets. Philip is also obsessed with the opposite sex, and will brave any obstacle to chase a skirt. |
JL: The
second entry in the "Laurel and Hardy Series" is an atypical
effort from the team. It is the only time they played leading roles
quite unlike their Stan and Ollie characterizations. Regardless, both
Stan Laurel and Hal Roach cited this film as a personal favorite. Not
Laurel and Hardy as we're used to seeing them, but a great comedy
nonetheless.
JB:
One of those films that shows that Laurel and Hardy could have been
funny as something other than the "Stan" and "Ollie" characters they
developed. Ollie here is almost the Ollie we know, but Stan is an
impulsive, girl chasing Scotsman. Not quite the same Stan we come to
know later on.
This film, like some of the
other early
silents, as well as later films such as A CHUMP AT OXFORD and
JITTERBUGS, offer an insight into what was out there for Laurel and
Hardy, if they hadn't so steadfastly stuck to the idea that they had to
be "Stan" and "Ollie".
In the silent films, Ollie
found himself
pretty quickly, but Stan certainly gained a great deal from the switch
to sound. Once we could hear him speak (and once he found the
wonderfully expressive range of his voice), we (and he) discovered the
inner working of "Stanley's" mind --- which, we found, didn't work too
well at all.
