Laurel & Hardy

[Brian Rose]

Turner Classic Movies was showing Laurel & Hardy movies and shorts for most of the day today. One of the shorts was their first movie together, " Putting Pants on Phillip." Stan Laurel is Phillip, a "Scotch" arriving in New York to be met by his uncle J.Pierpont Mumblethunder ( Oliver Hardy). Phillip arrives in a kilt, jacket, and balmoral.
The story revolves the reaction of New Yorkers, Phillip to New York women, and J.Pierpont's struggle to get Phillip out of his kilt and into pants. At least in the US, it's available on streaming on Hulu. A fun silent short. It was release in 1927. I really didn't think a lot about the release date as I've watched a number of silent films. 1927 wasn't that long ago. Until I did the math and realized that movie was 93 years old.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for bringing that film up, I don't think I had seen it.

It's on Youtube, though I don't know if the picture quality is very good here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4n3qjuyo5U

Looks like a military kilt, probably Gordon Highlanders.

His hose are interesting, hose along those lines show up in a number of Victorian photos.

His cap badge appears to be a London Scottish badge turned sideways.



This one I've seen, Bonnie Scotland, they're in Black Watch uniforms

[Brian Rose]

I hadn't thought to check YT. As the copyright is probably expired, I'm not surprised to see several postings of the film. This one is closer to what TCM showed- the aspect ratio was not expanded to met current screen standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmkOXrvLvbA

<Edit> And then there's this version. Dialogue dubbed in German and much more German flavored music. My forty + year old High School German could sort of keep up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uPvOoSxCXw

I had originally looked at your reply on an Ipad. The photos you'd attached didn't shown up there. Having watched it a couple more times, one begins to the continuity errors. While Phillip is being examined after getting off the boat, his cap badge moves from above his left eye to the center of his forehead to much closer to his left ear. All before the bonnet gets removed.

YT being YT, it began to show me clips from Bonnie Scotland. I'd never heard of that one either. The first clips shown ( and a couple others) were taken from an edition dubbed in German. A Highland regiment sergeant issuing orders in German. Then again it is a comedy. Having seen the clips, I'll have to obtain a copy.

[OC Richard]

Here's my favourite scene!

One of Laurel & Hardy's best gags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aXv1J9ewjY

The pipe band is playing, over and over and over, The Campbells Are Coming.

In the notes to that tune in the Black Watch Collection they state that though it was popular in the regiment the pipes & drums was not allowed to play it due to its Jacobite connections until after WWII.

Interesting that they chose it for the film!

[kiltimabar]

But weren't the Campbells on the Government side in the '45?

[OC Richard]

About that I don't know. All I know is what is says in the book, which is

A Collection Of Pipe Music Of The Black Watch

which was written and published by the regiment.

The notes to The Campbells Are Coming say

"A traditional tune, this became a popular melody in the Regiment but, along with other Jacobite tunes such as Cock Of The North, Bonnie Dundee, and March Of The Cameron Men, the Black Watch pipes & drums were not permitted to play it until some time after the end of the Second World War.

It is the company march-past of the combined Black Watch and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders company of the 7th Battalion Royal Regiment Of Scotland."

I wonder what pipers, what pipe band, appeared in that film. I'm sure it was filmed in Hollywood.

There was an elderly retired Colonel named Ewing I met around 1980 who said that he had lived in Southern California in the 1930s and that he had been the piper on many of the old Shirley Temple films and such. I've googled him in that connection and not come up with anything.

I've also come across a couple photos of Los Angeles area pipe bands back in the old days. It's probably them who appear in that Laurel & Hardy film, the Shirley Temple films, and such.

[Brian Rose]

Here's my favourite scene!

One of Laurel & Hardy's best gags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aXv1J9ewjY

I had also looked at that clip. I'm sure that any one who has ever marched can relate to that clip. I know we have a large number of ex-military (and some current) members here who could. My experience was with High School marching band and as a Civil Air Patrol cadet.

[S.S.Muldoon]

I recall reading somewhere, and it may have been an article linked from this board, that Sir Harry Lauder gave one of his kilts to Stan Laurel. I wonder if it was the one he wore in Putting Pants on Phillip.

The above could also be just a baseless rumor I started. We may never know as I'm too lazy to research it.

[OC Richard]

I'm sure that any one who has ever marched can relate to that clip.

Yes indeed!

What I wonder is, why is the formation of soldiers marching so well?

We've all seen scenes in Hollywood films which have rounded up a bunch of Extras, stuck them in uniforms, and told them to march. Shambolic! Having a body of people marching well can't be faked nor can it be taught in a few minutes.

In the latest series of The Crown there's a laughable scene where they cut back and forth between actual footage of Guards at Buckingham Palace, and Extras dressed as such. The marching and deportment are night and day; the Extras couldn't keep in step to save their souls.

For that Laurel & Hardy scene they must have 1) hired an existing well trained group or 2) spent sufficient training time with Extras.

[Ninehostages]

I had also looked at that clip. I'm sure that any one who has ever marched can relate to that clip. I know we have a large number of ex-military (and some current) members here who could. My experience was with High School marching band and as a Civil Air Patrol cadet.

It was hilarious. Being an incompetent marcher is not necessarily a crime (in the legal sense) but nudging your buddy in front with the muzzle of your rifle will put you "on charge" double quick.