Liberty (1929)

With the police hot on their trail, Stan and Ollie attempt to change clothes in their getaway car, only to find themselves struggling to balance atop the girders of an unfinished skyscraper. Will they return to ground level in one piece?

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Leo McCarey, H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars:

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Tom Kennedy

Cast

Cast overview:
Stan Laurel	...	Stan
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie
Tom Kennedy	...	Prison Guard
Sam Lufkin	...	Getaway Driver
James Finlayson	...	Store Keeper
Jack Hill	...	Officer
Harry Bernard	...	Worker at Sea Food Dealer
Jean Harlow	...	Woman in Cab (as Harlean Carpenter)
Ed Brandenburg	...	Cab Driver

Storyline

Two escaped convicts (Laurel & Hardy) change clothes in the getaway car, but wind up wearing each other's pants. The rest of the film involves their trying to exchange pants, in alleys, in cabs and finally high above the street on the girders of a construction site.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | prisoner | escape | escapee | convict | 

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Taglines:

A Sound Comedy That'll "Tie You in a Knot" (Print Ad- Providence News, ((Providence RI)) 13 April 1929)

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Genres:

Comedy | Short | Family

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Look closely at the young woman in the taxi. She is played by Harlean Carpenter who would shortly become a Hollywood superstar under the name "Jean Harlow." This would be the first of her three direct film appearances with Laurel and Hardy.

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Goofs

The rope attached to the girder is at first looped around it but in the next shot it's just draped over it.

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Alternate Versions

The original print of this film is probably lost. The available version is a Film Classics reissue with credits replaced (and with one name misspelled). The quality of the images changes throughout the entire film because most of it is lifted from a Robert Youngson compilation.

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Connections

Edited into Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's (1965)

User Reviews

Hilarious first halve more than compensates for lesser second.

The first halve of the movie a textbook example of Laurel & Hardy comedy and slapstick in general. It's slapstick humor at its very best and shows Laurel & Hardy at their prime, in one of their most enjoyable and hilarious silent comedy shorts.

The entire movie basically relies on one comical premise; the boys trying to switch their pants, after they notice that they wear each other pants (that's not for the first or last time by time), after a hasted but successful prison escape (I wonder what they were in for this time?). There are some hilarious moments build around this premise, that are well thought out and even better executed by the boys and a couple of other Laurel & Hardy regulars, such as James Finlayson, Jack Hill and Jean Harlow. There are some excellent timed moments, that help to make this one of the better, as well as one of the most memorable Laurel & Hardy silent comedy shorts. At one point they even manage to get a live crap in their pants, which causes some hilarious moments. Great comedy stuff.

The sequences with the boys showing their silly antics on a construction-site, on top of an unfinished skyscraper, unfortunately goes on for a bit too long and the humor gets rather stretched thin. It's not the best or most hilarious climax thinkable but it of course also still shows some great moments of comedy brilliance.

A great and hilarious, typical, textbook Laurel & Hardy silent comedy short!

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Criminals at Large

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (music and sound effects) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1