Beau Hunks (1931)

Director:

James W. Horne

Writer:

H.M. Walker (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

Love comes: Mr. Hardy is at last conscious of the grand passion -- Mr. Laurel isn't even conscious of the Grand Canyon.

Plot:

Jilted by his girlfriend, "Jeanie-Weenie," Oliver joins the Foreign Legion to forget, bringing Stanley along with him...

Plot Keywords:

Battering Ram | Laurel And Hardy

Cast

Stan Laurel	...	Stan
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie
James W. Horne	...	Chief of the Riff Raff (as Abdul Kasim K'Horne)
Charles Middleton	...	Commandant
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Ft. Arid commander
Harry Schultz	...	Captain Schultz

Also Known As:

Beau Chumps (UK)

Runtime:

37 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S (1947) | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Trivia:

Cameo: [Marvin Hatley]a Riffian.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Ollie falls down on a piano, which smashes to bits (and is obviously an empty prop). When the camera cuts in closer, Ollie's stomach is suddenly covered with piano hammers and other bits from the interior of a real piano, none of which were there in the first shot.

Quotes:

Ollie: Come, Stanley.
Stan: Where we going?
Ollie: We're going where we can forget!
Stan: What do you mean WE'VE got to forget?
Ollie: None of your business, let's go!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#8.5)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

The Idea of my Dreams

Really funny – good routines and running gags

Spurned by his beautiful fiancée, Oliver decides to take Stanley and join the foreign legion. Once there he finds his fiancée has travelled more than him and decides to leave, but it is too late. The pair go off on training but then the siege of a nearby fort in the desert means they will see more action than expected.

One of the best things about Christmas is that the TV channels need to fill the schedules with films etc that feel different from the usual daytime stuff they cram on. One of the ways they do this is mini-seasons of work from various people or themes etc. One such this year has been Laurel and Hardy films and I'm very glad. This film was one I hadn't seen before but it was very funny.

The film has really good set pieces but also a running gag that I didn't see coming so I won't spoil it for anyone else. I'm a big fan so I may be a little biased but I be surprised is anyone sat through this without laughing at least a few times. Both the leads are on top form and both have their little things that get me every time – Oliver's looks to camera and Stan's double takes at innocent objects in the background.

Overall this is pure gold with hardly a slow moment, even the jokes that were signposted as coming (the spring in the chair) made me laugh out loud. Good for fans and non-fans alike.