''Call of the Cuckoo'' (1927) is a

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. 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, and screenwriter, ...

two reel

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

. The film's principal star is comedian

Max Davidson Max Davidson (May 23, 1875 – September 4, 1950) was a German-American film actor known for his comedic Jewish persona during the silent film era. With a career spanning over thirty years, Davidson appeared in over 180 films. Career Born i ...

, though the film is just as well known for cameos from other Roach stars at the time. These cameos include renowned supporting player

Jimmy Finlayson James Henderson Finlayson (27 August 1887 – 9 October 1953) was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is known for his squinting, outraged ...

(the source of Homer Simpson's "D'oh!" catchphrase), the oft underrated/ignored

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

, and a pre-teaming Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.The Call of the Cuckoo; allmovie.com
Retrieved May 10, 2017

Plot

Papa Gimplewart (Davidson) exchanges his house, in order to escape the antics of inmates of the lunatic asylum next door, including characters played by Laurel and Hardy. Unfortunately, the new house turns out to be 'Jerry-built', put up in two days. After several disasters occur, Papa Gimplewart asks "Is there anything else can happen?". He then realizes that the inmates from the asylum have just moved in next door. Among the disasters are a mop removing the color from the kitchen floor;dirty bath water leaking down from upstairs and into the communal coffeepot;and a piano sliding on an uneven floor that crashes through a wall and demolishes the family car. Excerpts from this film appeared in the Robert Youngson documentary LAUREL AND HARDY'S LAUGHING 20's(1965)

Cast

Lillian Elliott Lillian Elliott (24 April 1874 – 15 January 1959) was a stage and film actress, appearing in 60 films between 1915 and 1943. She was born in Canada and died in Hollywood, California. She was married to actor James Corrigan, and their elde ...

* Stan Laurel * Oliver Hardy *

Spec O'Donnell Walter "Spec" O'Donnell (April 9, 1911 – October 14, 1986) was an American film actor. Biography Born in Fresno, California, in 1911, O'Donnell appeared in more than 190 films between 1923 and 1978. He worked frequently for producer Hal R ...

Leo Willis Leo Willis (5 January 1890 – 10 April 1952) was an American actor who began his career in the silent era. He played mainly tough guys and comic villains, notably opposite Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy at the Hal Roach Stud ...

* Frank Brownlee *

Edgar Dearing Edgar Dearing (May 4, 1893 – August 17, 1974) was an American actor who became heavily type cast as a motorcycle cop in Hollywood films. Biography Born in 1893, Dearing started in silent comedy shorts for Hal Roach, including several with La ...

Otto Fries Otto Hugo Fries (October 28, 1887 – September 15, 1938) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1920 and 1938. Biography Fries was born in St. Louis, Missouri and died in 1938 in Los Angeles, California a ...

* Charlie Hall *

Fay Holderness Fay Holderness (née MacMurray; April 16, 1881 – May 13, 1963) was an American vaudeville performer and film actress. Family Fay Holderness was born Fay MacMurray in Oconto, Wisconsin, the daughter of Thomas James MacMurray and Mary E. Mac ...

Charles Meakin Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

Lyle Tayo Lyle Tayo (born Lyle Minnie Shipman; January 19, 1889 – May 2, 1971), aka Lyle Barton, was an American film actress who appeared in more than 50 films between 1921 and 1948, appearing in many short comedies at the Hal Roach Studios, seve ...

References

External links

* 1927 films 1927 comedy films Silent American comedy films American silent short films American black-and-white films Hal Roach Studios short films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films Films with screenplays by H. M. Walker American comedy short films 1927 short films 1920s American films {{short-silent-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links