H.M. Walker Movies
- 1928
Mr. and Mrs. Culpepper (Tiny Sanford and Anita Garvin, respectively) are a nouveau-riche couple who are throwing a fancy dinner party. Unfortunately for them, the waiters they have hired for the evening are Laurel and Hardy. The subsequent gags run from typical (Ollie destroys a cake) to the hilariously literal (when Stan is ordered to serve the salad undressed, he obliges and has only his long underwear on when he brings out the greens). This two-reeler offers one of Anita Garvin's finest moments in her Laurel and Hardy film career -- she has a long-running battle trying to nab a maraschino cherry while keeping her tiara out of her eyes. Director E. Livingston Kennedy is better known as Edgar Kennedy, the actor who most often played cops in the Laurel and Hardy films. This is one of only two films he directed for the boys; the other one was You're Darn Tootin'. Many of the situations in From Soup to Nuts were repeated at the start of 1940's A Chump at Oxford. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1928
Laurel and Hardy want to slip out of the house and play poker. Their wives want them to stay home, so they make up a story about having to meet their "boss" at the Orpheum Theatre. On the way to the poker game, they run into two women who have lost a hat under an automobile. While they attempt to retrieve the lady's hat, a street-sprinkler soaks them with water. Soaking wet, they go to the girls' apartment while their clothes dry out, and while waiting, the girls flirt with them. Unfortunately, boxer "One-Round Kelly" is the boyfriend of one of the girls. He bursts in on the two couples and chases the boys from the apartment. Meanwhile, a fire has burned down the theatre that day, and Laurel and Hardy have a lot of explaining to do when they return home. While this film is only an average comedy, it is still worth a look. Laurel and Hardy's explanation of the "show" and why they didn't know about the fire, is priceless. ~ Bruce Calvert, All Movie Guide
- 1927
In an ersatz Stone Age, the King orders all single males to marry or be banished -- or worse. A husky caveman known as the Mighty Giant (Oliver Hardy) and Twinkle Star (Stan Laurel), an effeminate warrior wannabe, compete for the hand of Blushing Rose (Viola Richard), daughter of Ye Aged Saxophonus (James Finlayson). The two Cro-magnon rivals match wits and strengths in a series of grueling cave-times contests. This leisurely improvisational vehicle was actually a step backwards for Laurel and Hardy at this particular time. After solidifying themselves as a team just months before, they were now back to playing less classical buffoons (although Hardy mostly manages to stay in character), and mostly apart, as part of the Hal Roach Studios comedy stock company. In fact Roach himself was the ghost director of most of the film, which was withheld from release until 1928 when the two comics were gaining global favor as the hottest team in comedy. Flintstones-style anachronisms abound, and the title is a reference to the local elephants flying south (via cartoon animation) for the winter(!). ~ All Movie Guide
- 1927
Although Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy and producer Hal Roach all name Putting Pants on Phillip as the first true Laurel and Hardy film, the comic pair had appeared in films together for The Roach Studios over a dozen times previously. In addition, while this two-reeler helped establish many of the classic Laurel and Hardy reactions, they are not playing the characters for which they later became famous. Oliver Hardy is Piedmont Mumblethunder, who is at dockside, waiting for the arrival of his nephew from Scotland, Phillip (Laurel). An exceedingly quirky man in a kilt comes off the ship and becomes the subject of ridicule amongst a crowd of onlookers. With horror, Piedmont realizes that it's his nephew. Piedmont haughtily instructs Phillip to follow him down the street of his town. Phillip, however, is distracted by a pretty girl (Dorothy Coburn), who he pursues. He also loses his underwear, and a gust from a ventilator shaft blows his kilt up. The sight causes several women to faint and a policeman to exclaim, "That dame ain't got no lingerie on!"
This is the last straw for Piedmont, and he drags his nephew to a tailor's to be outfitted with pants. Ultimately Piedmont has to use force to measure Phillip, and Phillip's resulting look of hurt and violation is sublimely memorable. The Scot leaves the tailor's to chase after the same pretty girl he pursued earlier, catching up with her in front of a puddle. He gallantly removes his kilt and lays it on the puddle (luckily he's obtained some underwear). She laughs at him, jumps over the kilt, and goes on her way. Piedmont, however, insists on stepping on that confounded kilt himself and sinks completely into the mud-hole. When he emerges, the camera closes in for that soon-to-be-classic Oliver Hardy look of chagrin. While not the Laurel and Hardy that made film history, the duo's characterizations in Putting Pants on Phillip nevertheless give it a timeless humor. The idea for this film was Stan Laurel's -- it was loosely based on a true experience related by a friend during Laurel's music-hall days. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
This is the last straw for Piedmont, and he drags his nephew to a tailor's to be outfitted with pants. Ultimately Piedmont has to use force to measure Phillip, and Phillip's resulting look of hurt and violation is sublimely memorable. The Scot leaves the tailor's to chase after the same pretty girl he pursued earlier, catching up with her in front of a puddle. He gallantly removes his kilt and lays it on the puddle (luckily he's obtained some underwear). She laughs at him, jumps over the kilt, and goes on her way. Piedmont, however, insists on stepping on that confounded kilt himself and sinks completely into the mud-hole. When he emerges, the camera closes in for that soon-to-be-classic Oliver Hardy look of chagrin. While not the Laurel and Hardy that made film history, the duo's characterizations in Putting Pants on Phillip nevertheless give it a timeless humor. The idea for this film was Stan Laurel's -- it was loosely based on a true experience related by a friend during Laurel's music-hall days. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1927
Laurel is Canvasback Clump, an underfed and thoroughly clueless prize-fighter, and Hardy his rather overly optimistic manager. In confronting his ape-like opponent, Thunder-clap Callahan (Noah Young), Canvasback is quickly out for the count and the boys are left with the five-dollar loser's end of the purse. Later, considering their bleak prospects in the park, they encounter a smooth-talking insurance salesman (Eugene Pallette), who talks them into taking out a five-dollar accidental injury policy on Canvasback. After seeing his friend almost slip and fall, his manager decides to take matters into his own hands -- hurling banana peels into his pal's path. Instead, he topples a pie seller exiting a bakery -- thus inciting the silver screen's first real pie fight -- and arguably it's most inventive and funny.
An about average Laurel and Hardy short until the extravagant climactic blowout, it was made near the start of their collaboration and helped prompt their swift rise as worldwide favorites. The pie fight itself, building methodically and hilariously to all-out Armageddon, has been endlessly copied but certainly never equalled. The short's early boxing sequences laid the groundwork for portions of Any Old Port (1932), a later Laurel and Hardy three-reeler. ~ All Movie Guide
An about average Laurel and Hardy short until the extravagant climactic blowout, it was made near the start of their collaboration and helped prompt their swift rise as worldwide favorites. The pie fight itself, building methodically and hilariously to all-out Armageddon, has been endlessly copied but certainly never equalled. The short's early boxing sequences laid the groundwork for portions of Any Old Port (1932), a later Laurel and Hardy three-reeler. ~ All Movie Guide
Silent screen cowboy Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and lovely Kathleen Collins (Mrs. Williams in real life) take a back seat to an unusual equine love triangle in this off-beat action thriller. Rex the Wonder Horse is really the film's leading "man," with the mare Lady as the "damsel in distress" and a black horse named "Killer" "acting" the "other man." Comedy producer Hal Roach dabbled in the western genre during the final years of silents, and Black Cyclone was perhaps his finest. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex the Wonder Horse, Lady, (more)
- 1925
The Our Gang kids argue amongst themselves over which of their dogs is the cleverest and best trained. This brouhaha is forgotten when Gang member Mickey Daniels rescues rich girl Mary Kornman after her pony runs away. As a reward, Mary invites Mickey and his pals to her parents' ritzy mansion for a high-society party, which of course the youngsters quickly reduce to their low-society level. The story concludes when one of the dogs proves beyond question that she can do something none of the male dogs will ever be able to accomplish. Originally released on March 8, 1925, the silent, two-reel Our Gang comedy Dog Days is available only in the abbreviated, stretch-framed print prepared for home viewing by Walton Films in the early '50s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman, (more)
- 1922
This rollicking comedy is Harold Lloyd's second feature film and like the first, A Sailor-Made Man was originally conceived of as a short film. During the shooting, Lloyd and long-time collaborator Hal Roach insisted on continually developing his character and moving beyond pure gags into a real story. $100,000 and five reels later the film was ready to preview. Because the entire work was so funny and well-done, it was decided to leave it intact and market it as a feature film. Following the success of Grandma's Boy, Lloyd abandoned short films in favor of full length films. The story centers on Sonny, a flighty young boy who is required to join the rest of the men in his small town on a manhunt for a murderer. Totally frightened by the prospect of finding the killer, Sonny heads for the safety of his grandmother's home. She inspires the cowering youth with a stirring tale about her formerly timorous husband who went to a mysterious old witch for the courage to fight in the Civil War. The old wise woman gave him a magical Zuni charm which made Sonny's grandfather invincible. Armed with his amulet, the newly courageous grandfather rushed out to steal some important Yankee plans. The story enraptures the wide-eyed Sonny. Suddenly grandmother hands him the very amulet that made her husband a hero. Not realizing that the bauble is really only a handle from one of grandma's umbrella's, the emboldened Sonny charges off to single-handedly save the town from the fugitive villain. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, (more)
- 1921
Although this comedy was hailed as Harold Lloyd's first feature, at four reels, it's really more of a glorified short. It was originally meant to be a two-reeler (the previous film, Never Weaken, was considered an anomaly at three reels), but Lloyd and his crew wound up with too many good gags and decided to leave them all in. Unlike Lloyd's subsequent films, this picture is light on characterization and relies more on its wild gags than on the star's winning personality. Lloyd plays an insufferable rich young man. The father of his sweetheart (Mildred Davis) does not approve of him, and insists that he must do something with his life if he is to be worthy of the girl. Harold's answer is to join the Navy. His dream of being an admiral contrasts sharply with reality, where he is at the bottom of the pecking order. His ship lands on the coast of a fictional Middle Eastern country, Khaipura-Bhandanna. The girl and her father have also sailed there and a wicked Maharaja (Dick Sutherland) kidnaps the girl from her father's yacht. It is up to Harold to rescue her, which he does with his famed athletic skills and a lot of humor. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, (more)
