H.M. Walker Movies

Susan (ZaSu Pitts) is a plain-Jane wallflower who spends a day at Coney Island. Here she catches the eye of equally shy (and twice as homely) Hugh O'Connell. Though both hero and heroine spend every penny and then some riding the rides and trying their luck at the arcade; it hardly matters since, at the end of the day, they have each other. A short story by Mann Page was the principal inspiration of The Affair of Susan; scripters include ex-Laurel and Hardy gagman H. M. Walker and future Three Stooges contributor Andrew Benniston. In no way is this amiable little farce the predecessor to the 1945 political satire The Affairs of Susan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One wonders if William Wyler ever gave Her First Mate a second thought when he was busy directing such subsequent films as The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver,The Best Years of Our Lives and Ben-Hur. This early Wyler efforts stars Slim Summerville and ZaSu Pitts as John and Mary Horner; he's a peanut vendor on the Albany night boat, while she's trying to scrimp together enough money to buy John his own ferryboat. Along the way, the Horners get mixed up with comic bootlegger Socrates (Henry Armetta) and a pair of doltish lovebirds named Hattie (Una Merkel) and Percy (Warren Hymer). The story comes to a climax with a slapstick ferry wreck, easily the best scene in the picture. Her First Mate was based on Salt Water, a play by Dan Jarrett, Frank Craven and John Golden; among the screenwriters was H. M. "Beanie" Walker, an alumnus of the Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang two-reelers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joe E. Brown is a sailor who hopes to match the accomplishments of his seaman father. Unfortunately, Joe is perhaps the clumsiest gob ever to sail the seven seas. Nor can he steer clear of trouble: Through a series of wholly unbelievable circumstances, Joe finds himself alone on deck of a ship that's about to be shelled for target practice. He redeems himself for this and all past misdeeds when he inadvertently breaks up an espionage ring. Son of a Sailor is typical Joe E. Brown fare, but it's the sort of surefire material the public craved; indeed, at least one theatre manager insisted that Warner Bros. (Brown's home studio) send him more of the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have been working for a circus as two halves of an ersatz horse. When the circus closes, in lieu of pay, each employee gets a portion of the show. Stan gets the flea circus and Ollie gets Ethel the chimp. They try to check into a boarding house, but the proprietor (Billy Gilbert) -- who also has a wife named Ethel -- turns the chimp away. To get her in, the boys dress her in Ollie's clothes, while Ollie puts on her tutu. After the usual Laurel and Hardy confusion, they all wind up in the same room together -- Stan and Ollie, sharing a bed, unfortunately, with the flea circus. Someone in another room puts on some music; Ethel, overhearing it, starts to dance. The boys start yelling at Ethel, and the boarding house proprietor, thinking it is his wife, dashes in brandishing a gun. Ethel, the wife, actually does walk in, but runs off when she sees the chimp. Ethel, the chimp, gets ahold of the gun, and Stan, Ollie, and the proprietor take off, too. This is a loose variant on the same situation that drives two other Laurel and Hardy shorts, 1929's Angora Love and 1931's Laughing Gravy. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

June Marlowe made her final "Our Gang" appearance as Miss Crabtree in "Readin' and Writin'." Despite his mother's admonitions that he'll "never be President" unless he attends school, little Breezy Brisbane (Kenneth McKenna) contocts a plan that will earn him expulsion from Miss Crabtree's classroom. But though Breezy is able to escape the halls of learning, he is unable to elude his own conscience, in a scene eerily reminiscent of the Eugene O'Neill play Strange Interlude. Along the way, Miss Crabtree tries to conduct another "pop quiz," apple-polisher Sherwood "Spud" Bailey recites a sappy poem, and the classroom is invaded by both a donkey and a skunk. "Readin' and Writin'" was originally released on February 2, 1932. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released on August 27, 1932, Hook and Ladder was a remake of the 1926 "Our Gang" comedy The Fourth Alarm, with several gags repeated verbatim. Answering the Fire Chief's request for volunteers, the Our Gang kids form their own firefighting squadron, replete with ersatz uniforms, a fire pole, a dog-and-cat-powered alarm, and a jerry-built fire engine that must be seen to be believed. After a few false alarms and delays, the kids are afforded the opportunity to put out a real fire, which they do with the expertise of veteran smoke-eaters. Some of the sequences in the blazing warehouse may be a bit intense for modern viewers, but rest assured that the kids back in 1932 were both thrilled and delighted. An amusing running gag involving little Spanky McFarland's worm medicine punctuates this lively series entry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To further her husband's political career, wealthy Mrs. Clark (Lillian Elliot) throws a lavish party in her home for the poor children of the community. Among the invitees are the Our Gang kids, including Matthew "Stymie" Beard, who of late has been getting into trouble because of his tall tales. Thus, no one believes Stymie when he claims that a pair of midgets, disguised as infants, have invaded the party for the purpose of stealing everybody's wallets and jewelry. As it turns out, however, Stymie is telling the truth for the first time in his life. Originally released on February 11, 1932, "Free Eats" benefits from a strong adult supporting cast, including Billy Gilbert and Paul Fix (the latter in female drag!) as a pair of crooks. The film is best remembered, however, as the "Our Gang" debut of 3-year-old George "Spanky" McFarland, who delivers a rambling, impromptu monologue about monkeys, swings, and airplanes --- hardly a high point in American comedy, but enchanting nonetheless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A superb combination of belly laughs and pathos, the "Our Gang" comedy "Birthday Blues" was originally released on November 12, 1932. When their pennypinching father (Hooper Atchley) refuses to buy a birthday gift for their long-suffering mother (Lillian Rich), brothers Dickie Moore and Spanky McFarland decide to purchase Mom a gift on their own. Unfortunately, the "late 1922 model" dress they've selected is way beyond their price range (a daunting $1.98); thus, acting upon the advice of their pal Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Dickie and Spanky decide to bake a cake with hidden prizes, then auction off the cake at ten cents a slice. This is the film in which the kids' oversized cake --- a truly frightening creation --- emits a low "woooooo-owww" sound as it cools off in the oven. It is also the film in which, responding to Spanky's suggestion that they buy their mom a shotgun, Dickie moans "Aw, what would she do with a gun?" --- whereupon Spanky replies "Shoot Papa!!!!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this classic two-reel comedy from the Hal Roach Studio, blonde Thelma Todd and plain-Jane ZaSu Pitts are depressed because their cheapskate boyfriends (Billy Gilbert and Charlie Hall) refuse to take them anywhere other than the amusement park at Coney Island. Things brighten considerably when they meet a couple of sophisticated Englishmen (John Loder and Claud Allister), who invite them to -- Coney Island. Finally able to spend an evening at home, the girls answer the doorbell, only to find Laurel and Hardy inquiring if they would like to accompany them to -- Coney Island. Thelma and ZaSu respond by hurling kewpie dolls after the unlucky suitors. Stan and Ollie appeared in this comedy as a favor to their boss, Hal Roach, who sat in the director's chair. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

It's a rainy night and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are faced with a particularly ill-tempered judge Rychard Cramer. He'd love to throw them in the clink for vagrancy, but since the jail is full, he gives them just one hour...to leave town. Out on the street, they encounter a drunk (perennial screen inebriate Arthur Housman) who has lost his car keys. He finds them with Stan and Ollie's help, and out of gratitude invites them to spend the night at his house. Once there, the drunk discovers that he has apparently forgotten his house keys. The three of them manage to get in anyway -- the only problem is that it's the wrong house! The drunk has just poured his bootleg gin into a water pitcher when a butler tells him to leave. This wakes up the lady of the house (Vivian Oakland). She's glad the man is gone -- her husband, who isn't home yet, abhors drunks. Stan and Ollie are still around, however, making themselves comfortable and completely unaware of the mix up. Dressed in the husband's silk pajamas and robes, they encounter the wife in the hallway and she faints dead away. To revive her they give her a glass of "water" from the pitcher containing the bootleg gin. This brings her back to consciousness -- and then some! The boys are having a time keeping her antics under control but finally they just relax. The three of them are laughing it up and having a grand old time when her husband finally comes home. It's the judge and he slowly approaches Laurel and Hardy, the menace on his face a frightening sight. Stan goes for the light switch and the screen goes dark. The soundtrack, however, gives a cacophonous idea of the mayhem that is being wreaked. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Drafted into the army during World War I, those muddled misfits Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy make a shambles of Training Camp before being shipped to France. When their best pal Eddie (Donald Dillaway) is killed in battle, Stan and Ollie vow to locate the grandparents of Eddie's orphaned little daughter (Jacquie Lyn). Unfortunately, the grandparents are named Smith--and they live in New York City. With only a city directory and phone book as their guide, Stan and Ollie undergo several chucklesome misadventures as they scour the canyons of Manhattan to find Mr. and Mrs. Smith. With the orphanage officials hot on their heels, the boys take drastic action to raise enough money to get out of town with the little girl. All turns out well when Eddie's grandfather makes an appearance under the least likely circumstances. But before Laurel & Hardy can enjoy their own happy ending, they cross the path of an old enemy from their army days: a knife-wielding chef with blood in his eye. The second of Laurel & Hardy's feature-length films, Pack Up Your Troubles is, so far as we're concerned (and here we part company with most Laurel & Hardy buffs), infinitely more amusing than their first feature effort, 1931's Pardon Us. Best bit: An overtired Laurel, attempting to tell a bedtime story to the little girl, ends up snoozing away as the kid finishes the story. The powerhouse supporting cast includes such Laurel & Hardy regulars as James Finlayson, Billy Gilbert, Rychard Cramer, Charles Middleton and Charlie Hall. George Marshall, the film's director, proves a mirthsome menace in the small role of the vengeful chef. For years available only in its 62-minute reissue form, Pack Up Your Troubles was restored to its full 68-minute glory in the mid-1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Most Laurel and Hardy aficionados consider this film among the comic duo's very best two-reelers, and it is especially rich in slapstick antics. It opens up with an extremely hungover Oliver Hardy admonishing himself in the mirror for throwing such a wild party the night before. An arriving telegram informs him that his wife (Blanche Payson), who has conveniently been out of town, is due to come back that day. He must pull his mess of a home together -- fast. In a panic, he calls his friend Stan Laurel to come help him. It is almost pointless to relate the rest of the film because it can easily be guessed. Suffice it to say that by the end of the second reel, Ollie, with a black eye and no wife, is sitting in the middle of his destroyed, roofless home as rain begins to fall. Helpmates, with its wonderful physical and verbal humor, is a must-see for anyone who loves comedy. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide