Starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Jaqueline Welles, and Mae Busch
Directed by James W. Horne & Charley Rogers
Music by Michael William Balfe and others; Lyrics by Alfred Bunn and others
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy graduated from shorts to appearing in feature-length films around the time sound films came in, turning up as comic relief in four operettas from 1930 to 1936. This is the fourth and final one, a robust tale of gypsies and stolen babies. How does this comic opera look today? Let's start at the gypsy camp, just outside of the castle of the Count of Arnheim (William P. Carleton), and find out...
The Story: Ollie and Stan live with the gypsies and Ollie's wife (Mae Busch). She's having an affair with the roguish gypsy Devilhoof (Antonio Moreno) while the boys are out picking pockets. Hoping to get revenge on the Count for giving her lover 20 lashes, she steals the Count's little daughter Arline (Darla Hood), then dumps the toddler on Ollie and Stan. The duo raise the child as their own, telling Arline that Ollie is her father.
They return to the Count's woods twelve years later. Once again, the Count mistreats the gypsies, throwing the now-grown Arline (Welles) in jail for trespassing. Now Stan and Ollie have to rescue their adopted daughter, despite Stan being very drunk on home-made wine!
The Song and Dance: Laurel and Hardy and a few good songs are the main attractions here. They get some really cute gags, especially their attempts at pickpocketing three very different gentlemen. Busch has a few good moments early-on haranguing Ollie for laziness and neglecting her, too.
Favorite Number: Thelma Todd made her final screen appearance performing the opening chorus number at the gypsy camp, "Heart of a Gypsy." Tenor Felix Knight performs "Then You'll Remember Me" to a pretty gypsy lass at the camp a bit later, shortly before Devilhoof is lashed. The most famous song from this opera is "I Dreamt I Dwelled In Marble Halls," sung by Welles to her adopted father and uncle as she relates her fantasies of living in a castle and attending a ball.
Trivia: Todd originally had a far larger role, but it was cut down to her song after her mysterious and untimely death in 1935. Devilhoof was supposed to be her lover. After her death, he was switched to Ollie's wife.
What I Don't Like: I wish they used more of the original opera. Arline's lover and the entire third act were cut. There just isn't much going on here; Stan and Ollie can only prop up the cliched plot for so long. It's also obvious this was a relatively low-budget production. While the gypsies' costumes are appropriately florid, the sets are a bit cramped and stagey.
The Big Finale: Not Laurel & Hardy's most memorable film, but an enjoyable enough way to spend an hour if you're a fan of them or comic opera.
Home Media: Not currently on DVD, but it can be found on streaming and occasionally on TCM.
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