Bonnie Scotland (1935)

Stan and Ollie mistakenly enlist in the army and find themselves posted to the Northwest Frontier in India on a dangerous mission.

Director:

James W. Horne

Writers:

Frank Butler (screen play), Jefferson Moffitt (screen play) (as Jeff Moffitt)

Stars:

Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, June Lang

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stan Laurel	...	Stanley MacLaurel
Oliver Hardy	...	Oliver Hardy
June Lang	...	Lorna MacLaurel
William Janney	...	Allan Douglas
Anne Grey	...	Lady Violet Ormsby
Vernon Steele	...	Col. Gregor McGregor
James Finlayson	...	Sgt. Maj. Finlayson
David Torrence	...	Mr. Miggs - the Lawyer
Maurice Black	...	Khan Mir Jutra
Daphne Pollard	...	Millie - the Maid
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Bickerdike
Lionel Belmore	...	Blacksmith

Storyline

Stan and Ollie stowaway to Scotland expecting to inherit the MacLaurel estate. However Stan's inheritance amounts to a set of bagpipes and a snuff box. The boys are tricked into enlisting in the army and are posted to India where the heiress to the MacLaurel estate has moved to be near her guardian. Her Scottish sweetheart Allan also enlists. The boys are "volunteered" by the Sergeant (Finlayson) to impersonate officers at the palace of Mir Jutra and foil a plot to murder the officers by overturning several beehives.

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Plot Keywords:

scotland | 1930s | british army | india | stan laurel billed above the title | 

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Taglines:

Look out, you Campbells! MacLaurel and MacHardy are coming! They're out to give the highland lassies a fling-and the rest of the world more laughs than you can shake a bagpipe at! (Print Ad- Nashua Telegraph, ((Nashua, NH)) 14 September 1935)

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of the principal players, only James Finlayson, David Torrence, and Mary Gordon were authentic Scots, all three having been born there.

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Goofs

When the will is being read it shows Mr. Miggs occupation on his shingle as lawyer. However, since this takes place in Scotland, the proper term should be Solicitor or Barrister.

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Quotes

Sergeant Major Finlayson: Hey, come here! I thought I told you to clean this place up.
Stanley MacLaurel: [Pointing to Ollie] Well, he told me not to pay any attention to what you had said.
Sergeant Major Finlayson: Doh! Who's running this army? You or me!
[Ollie and Stan point to Finlayson]
Sergeant Major Finlayson: Right! Now get to work! And don't let me see a speck when I get back! Leatherpuss, hmm!

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Alternate Versions

"Bang Bang", "I'm a Mess" and "The Rookies" were shorts from "Bonnie Scotland" for TV.

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Connections

Referenced in Blankety Blank: Episode #1.14 (1979)

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Soundtracks

Ku-Ku
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Marvin Hatley
Pounded out with a hammer by Lionel Belmore
Also played by marching soldiers

User Reviews

I Needed This

After a particularly wicked day, having to contend with the weather outside and the workplace inside, I settled down to view a serendipitous broadcast. Fans don't seem to hold this feature film with Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy in as high regard. It was the first one of theirs I'd seen from start to finish besides their take on Babes in Toyland, the broadcast of which is a New York metropolitan-area Christmas tradition.

You certainly don't view this for the acting, topicality or thematic consistency. The transition from a heat-shrunken pair of pants to India by way of the Highlanders made me blink, and I half-expected an extra to blurt, "It's like Gunga Din all over again!"

But one brilliant scene displayed the worst fear of anyone on parade, and what could only be called a dance set to "100 Pipers" had to have been spur-of-the-moment. Perhaps I was especially susceptible to five (count 'em) scenes that instantly generated tears of helpless laughter: The snuff box and the footbridge, the bagpipes and glass smoking water pipe (they're apparently related), the candle beneath the bed beneath the...fish...and the final five or so minutes that had to have inspired The Goon Show.

I bless the gents' memory for the gift...and that of Leatherpuss too!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heroes of the Regiment

Filming Locations:

Fryman Ranch, Laurel Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1