''Me and My Pal'' is a 1933
pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
short film starring
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...
, directed by
Lloyd French
Lloyd French (January 11, 1900 – May 24, 1950) was an American director of short films, most of them comedies. His best remembered films are several Laurel and Hardy comedies in the 1930s. He also made several musical short films featuring m ...
and
Charles Rogers, and produced by
Hal Roach
Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...
. In 2016, it was one of several Laurel and Hardy films to be restored by the
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...
.
Plot
Oliver Hardy plays a character who is preparing for his wedding day to the daughter of a wealthy oil magnate, Peter Cucumber. His friend, played by Stan Laurel, is the best man. While visiting Ollie in the morning, Stan reveals his wedding present – a
jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture.
In th ...
. The boys soon become preoccupied with the puzzle, as do other people – a taxi driver, Ollie's butler, a
telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
delivery boy, even a cop. Cucumber is enraged at the delay at his daughter's wedding (especially after Stan has a
wreath
A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle .
In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...
delivered to the reception), and makes his way to Ollie's house. The jigsaw puzzle is almost completed except for one elusive missing piece; the cop insists that no-one can leave the house until it is found, including Cucumber ("I don't care if he's Mr. ''Dill Pickle''", sneers the cop, unimpressed). A fight breaks out, leading to a police raid in which all are arrested except Stan and Ollie, who manage to hide themselves. The puzzle gets knocked over in the mayhem; Ollie's telegram is from his broker, advising him to quickly sell his shares in "The Great International Horsecollar Corporation" (in which all of Ollie's fortune is invested), but a radio newsflash says the company took a "tremendous crash and failed". Despite Stan's assurance that "prosperity is just around the corner", Ollie angrily tells him to leave. As he leaves, Stan actually manages to find the jigsaw's missing piece, but before he can do anything more, a furious Ollie throws him out of the house.
Cast
References
External links
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1933 films
1933 comedy films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Lloyd French
Laurel and Hardy (film series)
1933 short films
American comedy short films
Films directed by Charley Rogers
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
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