THE SERENADE (US 1916)
regia/dir: Will Louis. cast: Babe [Oliver] Hardy (Plump), Billy Ruge (Runt), Billy Bletcher (Capobanda/Bandmaster Schmitt/Schmidt), Florence McLoughlin [McLaughlin] (sua figlia/his daughter). prod: General Film Co. / Vim Comedies. uscita/rel: 02.03.1916. copia/copy: streaming digital file, 14′; did./titles: ENG. fonte/source: Library of Congress Packard Center for Audio-Visual Conservation, Culpeper, VA. (Preservazione della/Preserved by the Library of Congress.)

Oliver “Babe” Hardy started his film career working in the “Gay Time” series of comedies for Lubin. The troupe was led by director Arthur D. Hotaling, and featured as the star his wife, comedienne Mae Hotely. At one time or another, comedians such as Bobby Burns and Walter Stull (later “Pokes & Jabbs”), Raymond McKee, Walter Kendig (eventually the first Louie in the “Heinie & Louie” comedies), Babe Hardy, and a minor player named Will Louis were working in the company. Will Louis had been at Lubin since at least 1909, and although working steadily only found minor success as a performer. Sensing his talents lay elsewhere, Louis latched onto Hotaling as his assistant, and then eventually directed comedies himself for Lubin. In the spring of 1915 Lubin hired English comedian Billie Reeves, and with the exception of Mae Hotely, who would work in support of Reeves, the entire “Gay Time” unit was let go, including both Will Louis and Babe Hardy. Along with fellow Lubin alumnus Raymond McKee, Louis and Hardy would find work at Edison, where Louis directed McKee and Hardy in a number of comedies in mid-1915.
Babe Hardy bounced around various New York studios for much of the rest of 1915, until he was hired by Louis Burstein to help form a second unit for his company Wizard, which was making the first “Pokes & Jabbs” comedies. Wizard died, and overnight a new company, Vim Comedies, was born. The Vim company established themselves at the former Lubin studios in Jacksonville, Florida, and continued the “Pokes & Jabbs” comedies. Babe, along with longtime vaudevillian Billy Ruge, worked in support of the lead comedians, Bobby Burns and Walter Stull. As one would expect, Hardy and Ruge were more than adequate in their roles, and impressed Burstein so much that they were given their own series, “Plump & Runt.” A director was needed, and Will Louis, who had also directed Ruge at Edison, was hired for the job. Louis would end up directing all 35 of the “Plump & Runt” comedies, as well as a number of shorts starring Hardy, before leaving Vim around the time of the studio’s collapse at the end of 1916.
The Serenade features Hardy & Ruge (as they were often billed) as musicians in conductor Billy Bletcher’s band, playing on the streets and bringing not-so-sweet music to the neighborhood. Oliver Hardy as a street musician causes some to try and draw a straight line between this film and the later Laurel & Hardy short You’re Darn Tootin’ (1928). But the only real similarities are that they are playing on the street, and perhaps the level of their musicianship. However, the “Plump & Runt” comedies did allow Hardy the chance to really stretch his legs as a lead comedian, and to learn much about filmmaking from Will Louis (Hardy even tried directing himself, after Louis’s departure from Vim). So in that sense The Serenade, and other Vim comedies, were in their own way embryonic of what was to come for Hardy a decade later.

Rob Stone

 

THE RENT COLLECTOR (US 1921)
regia/dir, sogg/story: Larry Semon, Norman Taurog. photog: H. [Hans F.] Koenekamp. cast: Larry Semon (Larry), Babe [Oliver] Hardy (Uragano/Hurricane Smith), Frank Alexander, Norma Nichols, Eva Thatcher, Pete Gordon. prod: Vitagraph / Larry Semon Comedies. copia/copy: streaming digital file, 29′; did./titles: ENG. fonte/source: Lobster Films, Paris.

Oliver “Babe” Hardy arrived at the Vitagraph studios in late 1918, having just worked at L-KO on a number of comedies in which he took on both lead and supporting roles. This was common practice, except for much of 1916, when Babe led the “Plump & Runt” films. But at Vitagraph, and for the next six or so years, Babe would work almost exclusively as “chief comedy support.” He first did so working with Jimmy Aubrey, an alumnus of the Fred Karno company. Aubrey’s talent and fame never reached the height of his gigantic ego, which was bruised when the studio often gave Babe Hardy a significant amount of publicity, and eventually Aubrey fired Babe from his production unit. Babe, then between assignments at Vitagraph, was subsequently loaned out to producer G.M. (“Broncho Billy”) Anderson, and appeared in a film entitled The Lucky Dog (1921), playing support to a comedian by the name of Stan Laurel.
At the time of this film, The Rent Collector, in early 1921, Larry Semon was one of the biggest comedy stars in Hollywood, and certainly the most well-known of the Vitagraph comedians. Contrary to more recent accounts of Semon’s career, he was actually very generous to his supporting players, and often gave them a considerable amount of screen time. This was a perfect fit for Babe Hardy, who was very comfortable taking the secondary role. So what was a dismissal turned into a promotion: Hardy, now free from Aubrey, was quickly snapped up by Semon and added to his regular cast. The two would become fast friends, Semon even teaching Babe the sport that would become his obsession – golf. Hardy would work with Semon for the next six years.
The Rent Collector is the first film that Oliver Hardy made as a full-time member of the Larry Semon stock company. For many years it was unavailable for viewing, causing some confusion. In a handwritten filmography Stan Laurel mentioned a film called The Rent Collector. This led to much speculation that this was another pre-Hal Roach joint appearance by Stan and Babe. However, the title that Stan jotted down was merely the working title for his 1922 film The Pest. But we do get Oliver Hardy in The Rent Collector, and that certainly is a welcome sight. It’s too early in Hardy’s working relationship with Larry Semon for Babe to get too much interaction with Semon, but it is, however, a good start to what ended up being a great combination of talents.

Rob Stone

 

WHEN KNIGHTS WERE COLD (US 1922)
regia/dir: Frank Fouce. photog: Irving G. Ries. did./titles: Thomas N. Miranda. cost., make-up: Sam Kaufman. cast: Stan Laurel (Lord Helpus [Il Signore ci aiuti]), Catherine Bennett (Principessa/Princess Elizabeth New Jersey), Scotty MacGregor (Sir Chief Raspberry [Capo Lampone]), William Armstrong (Conte di/Earl of Tabasco), Will Bovis (Duca di/Duke of Sirloin [Controfiletto]), Stanhope Wheatcroft (Principe di Plutone/Prince of Pluto), Harry de More (Re/King Epsom), Sam Kaufman, Marguerite Kosik (la piccola ballerina/child dancer). prod: Metro Pictures / Quality Producing Co. (G.M. Anderson). uscita/rel: 12.02.1922.  copia/copy: streaming digital file, 15′ (incomp., solo/only rl. 2); did./titles: ENG. fonte/source: Library of Congress Packard Center for Audio-Visual Conservation, Culpeper, VA. (Preservazione della/Preserved by the Library of Congress.)

Those who are dismissive of Stan Laurel’s work before his teaming with Oliver Hardy often comment on his lack of a defined comic persona. Perhaps he just liked taking different approaches to his comedy? Well, probably not. A look at the entirety of Stan’s solo work does show an inconsistency in his efforts. He seems to be struggling: Should he be brash? Playful? Childlike? Stan did seem to bounce from one approach to another. He found his greatest success making film parodies, playing off someone else’s portrayal of a character: When Knights Were Cold (When Knighthood Was In Flower); Mud and Sand, with Stan as the great lover Rhubarb Vaselino (Valentino’s Blood & Sand); and The Soilers (The Spoilers). Stan actually became known for his work in these send-ups, which in their day were known as “travesties,” giving a whole different meaning to the review headline that read: “Stan Laurel’s new comedy is a travesty.”
Like the later Joe Rock comedies, some of the films made for G.M. Anderson benefitted from the use of existing sets built for more lavish and expensive features, as is apparent in this film. Gilbert M. Anderson (“Broncho Billy”) was an early supporter of Stan Laurel. They made the pilot for this series of comedies (The Lucky Dog) in early 1921, and Anderson continued to shoot Laurel comedies even without a distribution deal, which led to some of the films appearing rather low-budget. But with Mud and Sand and When Knights Were Cold a deal had been made with Metro Pictures allowing for access to more lavish sets and a bigger shooting budget.
The reasons for Stan’s departure from Anderson are unclear. When Knights Were Cold was the last film Stan would do for Anderson, and was only the sixth in an eight-picture deal with Metro. Some suggest this was due to poor reviews, but the films (especially Mud and Sand) received decent reviews. The answer may be found in the fact that this was the last film G.M. Anderson would make. He seems to have just folded his tent, leaving Stan to find work elsewhere. Later in life the two only had the nicest of things to say about each other when interviewed. On the whole, budget or no budget, the films that Stan Laurel made for Anderson are engaging, and a few are true gems.
Only the second reel of When Knights Were Cold survives, and it would seem that the film has not been seen for almost a hundred years. But the punning character names and references (which included Rainy Knight, Foggy Knights, Stormy Knights, and Knights of Pity Us), and Stan’s playful depiction of the horses in the film and a few other niceties make one think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Might several of the Pythons have seen this film at some point? One wonders.

Rob Stone

 

DETAINED (US 1924)
regia/dir: Percy Pembroke. asst dir: Murray Rock. did./titles: Tay Garnett. cast: Stan Laurel, Julie Leonard. prod: Selznick Pictures / Joe Rock Productions. uscita/rel: 01.10.1924 (F.B.O.). copia/copy: streaming digital file, 18′; did./titles: ENG. fonte/source: Lobster Films, Paris. (Con il sostegno di / With the support of the Fries Film Archief.)

There have been, and will be, unending arguments about who was responsible for the teaming of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Some say G.M. (“Broncho Billy”) Anderson (he did produce The Lucky Dog); others say Leo McCarey, or Hal Roach himself. It doesn’t really matter, and the truth is likely that many had a part in the coming together of the two comedy giants. One to include on the list, in a bit of a backhanded way, is Joe Rock. As part of the Vitagraph “Riot Squad” that supported Larry Semon in his early comedies, and then as half of the comedy team of Montgomery & Rock, and finally producing and starring in his own independent series of comedies, Joe Rock was a decent comedian. But Rock, like others before him, saw a way to extend his career by moving behind the camera, so in 1924, as his own series of comedies began winding down, he set out to produce films starring others, beginning with Jimmy Aubrey and Stan Laurel.
Coming after a successful year at Hal Roach, the reasons for Stan’s departure from the “Lot of Fun” are still not quite clear. But Stan was looking for work and Joe Rock was looking for a comedian, so Laurel ended up making 12 films for Rock. Yet that one series of comedies was the only series that Laurel would make for Rock. Having a production deal with Rock, not merely a paid performer, Stan hesitated at continuing with Rock since he wasn’t seeing his percentage of the profits. However, while Rock was “cooking the books” regarding Stan’s share, he also was enforcing the contract the two had signed, making it hard for Stan to get work as a comedian. The result was that Laurel went to work as a gagman and director back at the Hal Roach Studios, setting the stage for his pairing with Oliver Hardy. So Joe Rock kept Stan’s career alive, and then over money pushed him back to Roach, which allowed the team of Laurel & Hardy to happen.
A few factors led to the Joe Rock–Stan Laurel comedies being “a cut above.” First, Rock insisted that Stan’s common-law wife and would-be performer Mae Laurel not appear in the films. Secondly, Rock frequently filmed on the Universal lot, giving the films a higher level of production values. Finally, the titles were written by future film director Tay Garnett (The Postman Always Rings Twice), although some of the titles for this presentation have had to be translated back to English from non-American sources.
The first of the films Stan Laurel made for Joe Rock was Detained. Shot in February 1924 as a pilot to obtain financing, the film wasn’t released until late October. As an unwilling resident in a prison, Stan spends much of the film in tandem with another inmate, giving us a glimpse of how Stan would work with a partner (not unlike the earlier prison film Frauds and Frenzies, 1918, which Stan made with Larry Semon). The film borrows from previous efforts such as Pick and Shovel (1923), and foreshadows similar gags in Laurel & Hardy’s The Second Hundred Years (1927) and The Flying Deuces (1939). Also apparent in the film is Stan’s use of “black magic” or rather macabre humor, the hanging sequence (only recently rediscovered) being the prime example. In total, the Laurel films produced by Joe Rock were well above average, and some, such as Dr. Pyckle & Mr. Pride (1925), show that Stan would have had a long career as a solo comedian. Thankfully for us, Joe Rock tried to cheat him out of his share of the profits.

Rob Stone

 

MOONLIGHT AND NOSES (US 1925)
regia/dir: Stan Laurel. supv dir: F. Richard Jones. asst dir: Clarence Hennecke, Clarence Morehouse. sogg/story: Stan Laurel, Carl Harbaugh. did./titles: H.M. Walker. photog: R.H. Weller, Harry W. Gerstad. mont/ed: Richard Currier. cast: Clyde Cook, Noah Young (burglars), Jimmie [James] Finlayson (Prof. Sniff), Fay Wray (sua figlia/his daughter), Tyler Brooke (Ashley, il suo fidanzato/her boyfriend), Marjorie Whiteis, Helen Gilmore, William Gillespie, Jules Mendel. prod: Pathé Exchange / Hal Roach Studios. uscita/rel: 04.10.1925. copia/copy: streaming digital file, col., 29′ (da/from 35mm nitr. pos., incomp., imbibito/tinted + copia/print 16mm); did./titles: ENG. fonte/source: Library of Congress Packard Center for Audio-Visual Conservation, Culpeper, VA.

Preservazione della/Preserved by the Library of Congress, con/in collaboration with the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), Canberra.

Stan Laurel worked for Hal Roach in 1918, finishing up a series of comedies that had starred the clown Toto, who abruptly abandoned his film career. Laurel returned to Roach in 1923, and made a series of first one-reel and then two-reel comedies. In early 1925 Stan returned to the Hal Roach Studios for good, initially not as a performer but as a writer and director. Until his contract with Joe Rock expired, allowing Stan to go before the cameras again, he spent his time writing gags and directing the likes of Jimmy Finlayson and Clyde Cook. Many like to point to Harry Langdon’s work around this time as having a great influence on the Stanley persona that Laurel would adopt. A more likely influence, which was mutual, would be the work of Australian comedian Clyde Cook. Both at this point took things slow, relied greatly on reaction, and delivered less overt, more subtle comedy.
Moonlight and Noses was not only directed by Stan Laurel, he co-wrote it. The film shows Stan again exploring the use of a pair of comedians to perpetrate the comedy. This time the two are seen more as co-equals, perhaps even with the lead comedian taking a slightly more subordinate (but not smaller) role, and the play between strong and weak is used. Noah Young is the other half of the team in Moonlight and Noses, and he and Cook work well together. Stan was developing something, and it was beginning to gel. It is interesting to note that around this time Oliver Hardy had just recently arrived at Hal Roach. Hardy even appeared in Stan’s previous directorial effort, Yes, Yes, Nanette (which marked  their first work together at Roach). Babe had come from Arrow, where he was making comedies with Bobby Ray, that pair’s teaming also prefiguring what was to become Laurel & Hardy.
The similarities between this film and Habeas Corpus (1928) starring Laurel and Hardy are too obvious to ignore. The basic premise of the Boys (here Cook & Young, in the latter Laurel & Hardy) as would-be grave robbers is identical. But Moonlight and Noses wouldn’t be the only time Stan used Cook as a surrogate for himself in developing team comedy. Later in the year he wrote (but didn’t direct) Starvation Blues, a comedy about two street musicians, Clyde Cook and Syd Crossley. The film takes place in the winter, and is a direct ancestor of Laurel & Hardy’s 1930 film Below Zero.
In all of these films Laurel & Hardy aficionados will look for and find foreshadowings of the Boys, the greatest comedy team ever. But for any fan of silent comedy, these are wonderful shorts that provide some good laughs, and insights into the early days of filmmaking and a (now oh-so-missed) bygone era. Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson), who developed his craft first on stage, and Oliver “Babe” Hardy, who was a comedian born on film, were two very different people, and very different comedians. Their solo films are different from their work as a team, but should be celebrated as tantalizing glimpses of what was yet to come.

Rob Stone