The Bullfighters (1945)

Bumbling detective Stan Laurel disguises himself as a famous matador in order to hide from the vengeful Richard K. Muldoon, who spent time in prison on Stan's bogus testimony.

Director:

Malcolm St. Clair

Writer:

Scott Darling (original screenplay)

Stars:

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Margo Woode

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stan Laurel	...	Stan / Don Sebastian
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie
Margo Woode	...	Señorita Tangerine
Richard Lane	...	'Hot Shot' Coleman
Carol Andrews	...	Hattie Blake
Diosa Costello	...	Conchita

Storyline

The boys are detectives working in Mexico. Laurel happens to resemble a famous matador who has disappeared, and he is enlisted to replace him in the bullring.

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Plot Keywords:

matador | testimony | disguise | tit for tat | food fight | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

May 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stierkämpfer wider Willen

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

61 min 61 min (FMC Library Print) (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's final Hollywood movie. According to L&H biographer 'Scott MacGillivray.', 20thCentury-Fox offered to keep their "B"-movie department open for L&H, but the pair declined to do any more movies for Fox.

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Goofs

Stan Laurel's scenes as Don Sebastian are dubbed by a Spanish-accented baritone voice in order to help the audience distinguish the two characters. However, in the scene in which the real matador says "Gracias," Laurel's real voice inexplicably remains.

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Quotes

Hot Shot Coleman: [on the telephone] Get me Richard K. Muldoon!

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Connections

Edited from Blood and Sand (1941)

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Soundtracks

"Bim, Bam, Bum"
(1935) (uncredited)
Written by Johnnie Camacho and Noro Morales
English lyrics by Harold Adamson
Sung by Diosa Costello in the nightclub

User Reviews

Light and goofy

A surprisingly fresh little comedy. Laurel and Hardy, in their last American made movie, have made a silly little film with enough story and gags to entertain the little ones and make the adults smile. I have to admit that I laughed out loud at some of the gags. A great moment occurs when the boys are sitting in a hotel lobby near a fountain and Stan decides to "investigate" what a particular faucet is for. Of course Ollie gets sprayed, which leads him to think someone sitting next to him is responsible. Unlike some of their other later films, the duo's comic timing is very sharp here. The whole bit about Stan resembling a famous matador has been done before(and since), but if you don't think about it too much the film is pleasant enough. I give it six bullfighters out of ten.