The Dancing Masters (1943)

Two bumbling dance teachers help an awkward inventor sell his new invention and facilitate his romance with a beautiful socialite.

Director:

Malcolm St. Clair

Writers:

Scott Darling (screenplay), George Bricker (story)

Stars:

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Trudy Marshall

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stan Laurel	...	Stan
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie
Trudy Marshall	...	Trudy Harlan
Robert Bailey	...	Grant Lawrence
Matt Briggs	...	Wentworth Harlan
Margaret Dumont	...	Louise Harlan
Allan Lane	...	George Worthing

Storyline

The boys operate a ballet school (appearing in drag) and try to help a young inventor sell his idea, to get in the good graces of his girl's father. In their efforts, they get involved with a gang of insurance racketeers. All ends well.

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Plot Keywords:

inventor | ballet | dance teacher | family relationships | vacuum cleaner | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Matter of Money

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although it was trimmed down from 75 minutes to 63, this film was Fox's third biggest grosser of the year and #20 on the list of the 50 top moneymakers of 1943.

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Goofs

When the bricks begin to rhythmically hit Hardy on the head, the sound effect can be heard prior to the bricks making contact.

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Quotes

Stan Laurel: I don't mind starvin' again.
Oliver Hardy: It's all right with me.
Stan Laurel: You know you can't keep an egg in two baskets. That's silly... unless you want to scramble them. I wouldn't be that stupid, you know. I knew a fella once that he had some money in the bank, and he wouldn't draw it out. And, you know what? He lost his job, and still he wouldn't draw it out. Then he starved to death - that killed him. And then he died, and after he was dead. A friend of his got all his money, and he drewed it out of the bank. ...

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Connections

References County Hospital (1932)

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Soundtracks

"Rock-a-Bye Baby"
(1886) (uncredited)
Music by Effie I. Canning
In the score during the bedroom scenes

User Reviews

Very little dancing,or humour

Another unfortunate chapter in Laurel & Hardy's post-Hal Roach efforts,this is a desultory,poorly-constructed comedy which tries to compensate by reworking much material from the boys' Roach days.Such films as COUNTY HOSPITAL(1932),THICKER THAN WATER(1935) and THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY(1927) have revamped sequences in this film.THE DANCING MASTERS plot however,makes little sense and the scenes from the above earlier,better films seem to have been lazily added as an afterthought,almost as though screenwriter Scott Darling realises he has no funny ideas.This is probably correct,but sadly the reworkings don't work as they are pointless.Darling's own material is woefully hackneyed.The scenes where Ollie tries to cause an accident on Stan are at least of some interest,as these scenes reworked from THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY are lost.The supporting cast has some interesting names;Robert Mitchum in one of his earliest film roles;A former Roach Mrs.Hardy,Daphne Pollard,has a bit part;former Keystone Kop and Charlie Chaplin foil Hank Mann,in his only Laurel & Hardy film;and Margaret Dumont,The Marx Brothers perrenial leading lady.But they,like Stan & Ollie,can only do so much out of a banal screenplay.The best moments come from Stan's 'rhetorical strangle' and a locked safe;beyond that,there's little else.