Run Time: 17 minutes. Studio: Hal Roach Studios. Director: Frank Butler. Writer: Hal Roach. Titles: H.M. Walker. Producer: Hal Roach. Main Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, Viola Richard. Special Effects: Roy Seawright. Editor: Richard Currier.
Before Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy became one of the most popular duos in film history, they made some movies together in which they did not work as a team. These films often bared little to no resemblance to what later Laurel and Hardy movies would be. This has lead many Laurel and Hardy fans to write these off as lesser films. However some of these movies are delightful on their own terms and one example of this is the silent short film, Flying Elephants.
Not only do Stan and Ollie not work as a team in this film, but they are actually antagonistic towards each other with a plot somewhat reminiscent of the Charlie Chaplin short, His Prehistoric Past (1914). Back in the Stone Age, King Ferdinand rules that all men must be married or face the penalty of banishment, death or both. Unfortunately for the boys they are not married and must find wives quickly. This leads to a large battle between them over a single woman played by Viola Richard (in one of her larger roles (she mostly played small parts in various silent Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase comedies)). Aside from just being antagonistic to each other, their characters are far from fully formed here. Stan is not Stanley but rather a simpleton with nothing more to his personality. He spends the movie skipping and prancing around in a way the later Stanley would never do. This characterization was in tune with Stan Laurel's early solo silent shorts, but within a year would completely disappear. As the characters are not fully formed yet, most of the humor rather than coming from the characters, as would be the case in later Laurel and Hardy films, comes from the most over the top cartoony gags possible including one that is literally a cartoon involving elephants flying. Though some credit the animation to Walter Lantz (of Woody Woodpecker fame), it was actually done by Roy Seawright who would become the studio's special effects man.
Also appearing in this film are Laurel and Hardy's favorite nemesis, James Finlayson and the always delightful to see Tiny Sanford. Tiny Sandford was not tiny at all in fact he was pretty dang large. He often played bullying characters in both Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy films, mostly in small uncredited roles. James Finlayson is part of one of the movie's biggest laughs as Ollie strategically removes his aching tooth.
Fans of Hal Roach comedies will know that most of these films were shot in or around Culver City. This was an exception. It was instead shot in Moapa, Nevada. Moapa was not much at this time, in fact it was pretty darn close to empty. This is why this location was chosen for shooting, it pretty much was the middle of nowhere making it perfect for a film taking place in the stone age. The cast and Hal Roach had to travel out there by a train from L.A. as the function of this area was to be a brief water stop for the railroad.
I admit when I first saw this short by myself, I found it somewhat entertaining but also kind of underwhelming. What changed my mind was viewing this film at the Old Town Music Hall with an audience and live musical accompaniment. Seeing it this way really brought the movie to life. I enjoyed it in a way I did not the first time. There are probably two reasons for this. One of them was that I entered this film with a more open mind and the second was that I was seeing a silent movie the way it was meant to be seen. I can't recreate that experience for you on a blog, but as you watch the video below I ask you to watch it with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is.
One exhibitors review was highly negative stating, "Not a laugh in it." Another refered to it as simply a "fair comedy."
-Michael J. Ruhland
Resources Used
https://laurel-and-hardy-blog.com/2018/10/05/flying-elephants-1927/
Not only do Stan and Ollie not work as a team in this film, but they are actually antagonistic towards each other with a plot somewhat reminiscent of the Charlie Chaplin short, His Prehistoric Past (1914). Back in the Stone Age, King Ferdinand rules that all men must be married or face the penalty of banishment, death or both. Unfortunately for the boys they are not married and must find wives quickly. This leads to a large battle between them over a single woman played by Viola Richard (in one of her larger roles (she mostly played small parts in various silent Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase comedies)). Aside from just being antagonistic to each other, their characters are far from fully formed here. Stan is not Stanley but rather a simpleton with nothing more to his personality. He spends the movie skipping and prancing around in a way the later Stanley would never do. This characterization was in tune with Stan Laurel's early solo silent shorts, but within a year would completely disappear. As the characters are not fully formed yet, most of the humor rather than coming from the characters, as would be the case in later Laurel and Hardy films, comes from the most over the top cartoony gags possible including one that is literally a cartoon involving elephants flying. Though some credit the animation to Walter Lantz (of Woody Woodpecker fame), it was actually done by Roy Seawright who would become the studio's special effects man.
Also appearing in this film are Laurel and Hardy's favorite nemesis, James Finlayson and the always delightful to see Tiny Sanford. Tiny Sandford was not tiny at all in fact he was pretty dang large. He often played bullying characters in both Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy films, mostly in small uncredited roles. James Finlayson is part of one of the movie's biggest laughs as Ollie strategically removes his aching tooth.
Fans of Hal Roach comedies will know that most of these films were shot in or around Culver City. This was an exception. It was instead shot in Moapa, Nevada. Moapa was not much at this time, in fact it was pretty darn close to empty. This is why this location was chosen for shooting, it pretty much was the middle of nowhere making it perfect for a film taking place in the stone age. The cast and Hal Roach had to travel out there by a train from L.A. as the function of this area was to be a brief water stop for the railroad.
I admit when I first saw this short by myself, I found it somewhat entertaining but also kind of underwhelming. What changed my mind was viewing this film at the Old Town Music Hall with an audience and live musical accompaniment. Seeing it this way really brought the movie to life. I enjoyed it in a way I did not the first time. There are probably two reasons for this. One of them was that I entered this film with a more open mind and the second was that I was seeing a silent movie the way it was meant to be seen. I can't recreate that experience for you on a blog, but as you watch the video below I ask you to watch it with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is.
One exhibitors review was highly negative stating, "Not a laugh in it." Another refered to it as simply a "fair comedy."
-Michael J. Ruhland
Resources Used
https://laurel-and-hardy-blog.com/2018/10/05/flying-elephants-1927/
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