ZENOBIA (United Artists, 1939), directed by Gordon Douglas for the Hal Roach Studios, stars Oliver Hardy from the Laurel and Hardy comedy team fame, in his first solo performance since his union with Stan Laurel dating back to 1926. The story is not set in some far away place called Zenobia, nor are there any characters in this photoplay going by the name of Zenobia. In fact, Zenobia happens to be an elephant. No not the chubby Oliver Hardy, but a 6,132 pound elephant belonging to his Stan Laurel-type co-star, played by former silent screen comedian, Harry Langdon. Although labeled a comedy, it's more of a wholesome post Civil War story set in 1870 Carterville, Mississippi, where slapstick and chases normally found in Laurel and Hardy comedies are non-existent here. In fact, for the first time since his union with Laurel, Oliver Hardy assumes a character name rather than his very own, indicating how Ollie shows his flare of being a capable actor without losing any of his dignity.
Plot: Doctor Emory Tibbitt (Oliver Hardy) is a kind-hearted Southern doctor with a dizzy wife, Bessie (Billie Burke) and beautiful daughter Mary (Jean Parker), engaged to marry Jeff Carter (James Ellison). Carter invites his mother, Emily (Alice Brady) to their engagement party. Being a social climber and self-centered woman, Mrs. Carter brings Virginia Randall (June Lang) to the affair, hoping that the presence of Jeff's childhood sweetheart would break up the engagement. In the meantime at the Spangler Carnival, Professor McCrackle (Harry Langdon), a medicine man selling bottles, has an elephant named Zenobia, who happens to be ill. Doctor Tibbett is called to examine. Although not an animal doctor, he assists the elephant in her time of need. Now that the elephant is cured, Zenobia shows her very much appreciation for the good doctor by following him wherever he goes, even to a point of disrupting the engagement party and his personal life. This situation soon leads McCrackle to take Tibbett to court for abduction of his prize possession.
Also in the cast are: Stepin Fetchit (Zero); Hattie McDaniel (Dahlia, the Maid); J. Farrell MacDonald (Judge John); Hobart Cavanaugh (Mr,. Dover); and Clem Bevans (The Sheriff). Philip Hurlic stands out in the cast as Zeke, the Negro boy, who earns his quarter from the doctor by reciting the Declaration of Independence from July 4, 1776, verbatim. This scene is reminiscent to Charles Laughton's excellently reciting Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" from RUGGLES OF RED GAP (1935). The Hall Johnson Choir perform some traditional early American songs, along with Oliver Hardy vocalizing "I Dreamnt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" (from Michael Balfe's "The Bohemian Girl") and Jean Parker and The Hall Johnson Choir doing "In the Evening By the Moonlight."
While it's been said that ZENOBIA had been considered a project for Laurel and Hardy, but became a Hardy and Langdon project instead. It's a wonder how this would have turned out with the story as it is, having Laurel and Hardy split teaming playing characters who meet as opposed to them already friends from the moment the film begins. Maybe not so good, but even just this once, would have been a welcome change of pace for this comedy team. Even if Laurel wasn't able to appear in ZENOBIA due to contract disputes, Harry Langdon fits in quite satisfactory as do the period settings, costumes and plantation background. The scene involving the examination of Zenobia, Langdon and Hardy is done in similar style to a Laurel and Hardy routine. Following its theatrical release, Laurel and Hardy reunited and resumed their on-screen chemistry well into the 1940s.
Available on video cassette (followed by Laurel and Hardy's comedy short LAUGHING GRAVY from 1931) and later on DVD, ZENOBIA, the elephant who never forgets, has turned up from time to time for observation on Turner Classic Movies. (TCM premiere: January 5, 2006) A real curio at best. (**)
Plot: Doctor Emory Tibbitt (Oliver Hardy) is a kind-hearted Southern doctor with a dizzy wife, Bessie (Billie Burke) and beautiful daughter Mary (Jean Parker), engaged to marry Jeff Carter (James Ellison). Carter invites his mother, Emily (Alice Brady) to their engagement party. Being a social climber and self-centered woman, Mrs. Carter brings Virginia Randall (June Lang) to the affair, hoping that the presence of Jeff's childhood sweetheart would break up the engagement. In the meantime at the Spangler Carnival, Professor McCrackle (Harry Langdon), a medicine man selling bottles, has an elephant named Zenobia, who happens to be ill. Doctor Tibbett is called to examine. Although not an animal doctor, he assists the elephant in her time of need. Now that the elephant is cured, Zenobia shows her very much appreciation for the good doctor by following him wherever he goes, even to a point of disrupting the engagement party and his personal life. This situation soon leads McCrackle to take Tibbett to court for abduction of his prize possession.
Also in the cast are: Stepin Fetchit (Zero); Hattie McDaniel (Dahlia, the Maid); J. Farrell MacDonald (Judge John); Hobart Cavanaugh (Mr,. Dover); and Clem Bevans (The Sheriff). Philip Hurlic stands out in the cast as Zeke, the Negro boy, who earns his quarter from the doctor by reciting the Declaration of Independence from July 4, 1776, verbatim. This scene is reminiscent to Charles Laughton's excellently reciting Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" from RUGGLES OF RED GAP (1935). The Hall Johnson Choir perform some traditional early American songs, along with Oliver Hardy vocalizing "I Dreamnt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" (from Michael Balfe's "The Bohemian Girl") and Jean Parker and The Hall Johnson Choir doing "In the Evening By the Moonlight."
While it's been said that ZENOBIA had been considered a project for Laurel and Hardy, but became a Hardy and Langdon project instead. It's a wonder how this would have turned out with the story as it is, having Laurel and Hardy split teaming playing characters who meet as opposed to them already friends from the moment the film begins. Maybe not so good, but even just this once, would have been a welcome change of pace for this comedy team. Even if Laurel wasn't able to appear in ZENOBIA due to contract disputes, Harry Langdon fits in quite satisfactory as do the period settings, costumes and plantation background. The scene involving the examination of Zenobia, Langdon and Hardy is done in similar style to a Laurel and Hardy routine. Following its theatrical release, Laurel and Hardy reunited and resumed their on-screen chemistry well into the 1940s.
Available on video cassette (followed by Laurel and Hardy's comedy short LAUGHING GRAVY from 1931) and later on DVD, ZENOBIA, the elephant who never forgets, has turned up from time to time for observation on Turner Classic Movies. (TCM premiere: January 5, 2006) A real curio at best. (**)