Another off beat song and outstanding video curtesy of the Little Rascals.
SONG OF THE DAY - Saturday, January 31, 2026
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“High and Dizzy” 1920 directed by Hal Roach, story by Frank Terry.
Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Wallace Howe, Roy Brooks, William Gillespie, Noah Young, Charles Stevenson.
The Silents Majority, Facebook
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Hal Roach, producer/director/screenwriter/studio mogul, born on January 14, 1892 #botd
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Rache ist süß / Abenteuer im Spielzeugland (Babes in Toyland)
Operette / Fantasy / Komödie ; USA ; 1934 ; SW ; Regie: Charley Rogers, Gus Meins ; Drehbuch: Nick Grinde, Frank Butler ; Produktion: Hal Roach für Hal Roach Studios Distributors ; Musik: Victor Herbert ; Kamera: Francis Corby, Art Lloyd ; Schnitt: Bert Jordan, William H. Terhune ; Darsteller: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Henry Brandon, Charlotte Henry, Felix Knight, Florence Roberts, Virginia Karns, Kewpie Morgan, William Burress, Ferdinand Munier, Billy Bletcher, Frank Austin, John George, Jean Darling
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Go West, 1923 - weird animal-only short
Go West is a 1923 American western-themed comedy short produced by Hal Roach and directed by Len Powers, the sixth of the animal-only Dippy-Doo-Dads series.
“Dippy-Doo-Dads” was a 1920s silent film series of comedies created by Hal Roach. Featured an all-animal cast, such as monkeys, dogs, and ducks, who acted in human-like roles.
The films were known for their elaborate miniature sets and…
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Oliver Hardy’s hair in 1925, 1926 and 1927. Part 2: 1926
With 1925 behind him, Hardy entered 1926 at a turning point. His workload had been heavy, but the year ahead would prove even more significant. Stan Laurel began to step into the picture in a more direct way.
Hardy began 1926 with a Glenn Tryon short, Say It with Babies, which started filming on January 21 and wrapped February 16. He played a prominent role as a floorwalker in a department store. His hair was thick but neatly trimmed, and in the one photo he is wearing a bathing suit to bathe a child—the modesty skirt seems to be a useless addition when swimming and looks like it was made in studio. At the time, state censors previewed all films and recommended edits. Some State Censor Boards went as far as editing films themselves, cutting out what they considered objectionable. The studio played it safe.
On February 15, Hardy finally signed a long-term contract with Hal Roach. This guaranteed him a steady paycheck and freed him from being typecast solely as the Heavy. From this point forward, he was able to focus on comic roles, marking a major turning point in his career.
Hardy’s next project was Charley Chase’s Long Fliv the King, filmed from February 22 to March 6. Comedies of the era loved the word “flivver,” slang for a small, unreliable automobile—usually the old Model T. By the 1930s, “flivver” had been replaced by “jalopy,” but here the pun was used in place of “live.” Hardy kept his hair long in front, brushing it to the side when needed, and sported a handlebar mustache for the role.
Immediately afterward, Hardy appeared with the Little Rascals in Thundering Fleas, filmed March 8 to March 25. He played a patrolman who catches fleas, wearing a police cap throughout. His hair was likely the usual medium length on the sides and long on top, though mostly hidden under the cap.
Hardy’s next job was Along Came Auntie, filmed April 4 to 24 with Glenn Tryon. His appearance here is striking—he seems to have had his hair permed or curled. At first glance it could be mistaken for a wig, but the familiar balding spot is visible in the back. The look gave him a more ethnic, almost Italian appearance. In the story, Hardy plays the ex-husband whom Auntie still prefers, as she is opposed to divorce.
Next came Two-Time Mama, filmed May 6 to 21. Hardy played a cop, though I know little else about his role and no photos survive. The short also featured Tyler Brooke, Anita Garvin, Glenn Tryon, and Vivien Oakland.
During the same period, Hardy appeared in Charley Chase’s Bromo and Juliet, filmed May 11 to 25. He plays a cab driver determined to collect his fare, refusing to let Charley out of his sight. His hair looks medium length, brushed long in front. The production overlapped with Two-Time Mama, but Hardy’s role in Tryon’s film was small enough to allow both commitments.
Hardy then turned up in Crazy Like a Fox with Charley Chase, contributing to added scenes filmed May 28 to June 1. He likely wasn’t intended to appear, but when he arrived on set with a shaved head, Chase had him do a one-scene reaction shot. Hardy wore a derby to conceal most of his head, revealing only hints of the shave.
Hardy’s shaved head was in preparation for his next role in Galloping Ghosts, filmed from June 1 to 14. Whether it was his own idea or directed by others, Hardy played the character in the style of a black man—a type of performance that was part of his repertoire. Growing up in south Georgia, he had watched and imitated Black people, and here he went all out: shaving his head, hunching his posture, and walking as if his feet hurt. He seemed proud of the characterization at the time.
The film starred John T. Murray and James Finlayson, but it wasn’t released until two years later, once Hardy had become very popular. By then, Hal Roach had switched distribution to MGM, leaving Pathe in control of Galloping Ghosts. Pathe seized the opportunity to cash in on Laurel and Hardy’s rising fame.
Hardy had one more film lined up before the Roach Studio vacation in July: Get ’Em Young, starring Harry Myers, scheduled to begin June 19. Hardy’s head was still shaved, so he planned to wear a wig for his butler role. He may have started filming, but an accident at home forced him out. While cooking a leg of lamb for his wife Myrtle—who had just torn ligaments in her leg running from a rattlesnake—the roasting pan either slipped from his hand or the handle broke off. Hardy badly burned his hand and slid on the grease, bruising his leg. Unable to continue, he was replaced by Stan Laurel, who had written and was co-directing the film. This became Stan’s first recognizable acting role since returning to Roach.
Because Laurel was still under contract to his former employer Joe Rock, the film’s release was delayed until Rock gave consent. It finally came out in October. Stan was eager to act in front of the camera again, especially with the new panchromatic film stock. Unlike the old orthochromatic film, which turned blue eyes ghostly white and forced him to darken around his eyes, panchromatic film captured his features more naturally. Without the distortion of his eyes and teeth, his screen presence shifted—his earlier “plucky hero” roles had often looked maniacal, even psychopathic, under orthochromatic film. The new technology gave him a chance to reset his image.
After the Roach Studio vacation, Hardy returned August 13–24 for another Charley Chase comedy, Be Your Age. He played the adult son of Charley’s new wealthy love interest—Charley had been expecting a child, leading to funny results from uncomfortable situations, Chase’s forte. Hardy’s hair was still in the process of growing back.
Next came The Nickel Hopper, filmed August 19 to September 3, starring Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin, and Fatty Arbuckle’s former leading lady. Hardy likely didn’t join until August 24, and his scenes were solos: beating on drums in a wacky way, using props like a gun and a tambourine. So it was unlikely he was even on set when Mabel was. His hair was still short all around, about two months after his head shave.
On August 27, Hardy was loaned out to Mack Sennett in a one-time trade of talent. He filmed Crazy to Act, while Madeline Hurlock would later come to Hal Roach in exchange. By this point, Sennett’s slapstick style was fading, and Hardy was brought in to lend support to a more character-driven comedy. With a touch of pomade, he flattened and controlled his hair, giving himself the polished look of a professional millionaire movie producer.
Hardy’s next film began September 9: Why Girls Say No, his first Max Davidson comedy. He played a cop, and the short is notable for featuring Hardy’s very first puddle dunk. His wide, awkward first step into the water made it obvious he was new to the gag, though he would later refine it into a smoother routine. Filming wrapped on September 21.
In late August, Hardy was called upon by Stan Laurel. Stan wanted him for his next project, once Hardy’s hair had grown back. Laurel was attempting to adapt a vaudeville skit written by his father, and had tried using another Karno alumnus, but it wasn’t working out between them. For the film to succeed, and make his father proud, it had to be just right—and Hardy was the perfect fit.
On September 20, production began on Duck Soup. Stan and Oliver played the lead roles together, and their chemistry was quickly noticed by everyone involved. Hardy was given the dominant role while Laurel played the passive, a balance that would later define them as Laurel and Hardy. In his solo films, Laurel had always positioned himself as the clever figure at the center, but here he ceded the stronger character to Hardy because he fit the part. Laurel’s earlier work with Larry Semon had been strained, as both men needed to be the center of attention. Laurel originally took Master role, but knew he wasn’t right for that part. With Hardy, everything clicked.
For Hardy, teaming up was welcome—so long as he wasn’t forced back into the Heavy role. After eight years of playing heavies, he remained largely anonymous; few even knew his name. His concern was that Laurel’s ego might demand star billing, leaving him as a supporting player. Laurel acted, wrote, directed, and edited—why shouldn’t he be the lead? Yet despite many chances, Laurel’s solo efforts had failed. With the arrival of panchromatic film, however, he had one more chance to reset his image. And in Duck Soup, he handed Hardy the dominant character, because this project had to be perfect.
Just days after Duck Soup wrapped on October 2, Hardy shaved his head again to play a black butler in The Honorable Mr. Buggs, which began filming October 6. This decision complicated any chance of retakes for Duck Soup. Whether Hardy chose to portray the character as Black on his own or was directed to do so is uncertain. He had already played a black cop in Galloping Ghosts and done it convincingly, but Hardy was not usually the type to make such choices independently. With his hair only recently grown back—and winter approaching—it seems more likely he was instructed to reprise the characterization.
The film starred Anna May Wong, the Chinese American actress, as the female lead. If Hardy had made the decision himself, it could be read as racist, though perhaps in a naïve way. More likely, someone wanted him to repeat the earlier performance, and he was cast as the black butler without much thought to the implications. At the time, Galloping Ghosts had not yet been released, so if it was going to be a problem, they didn’t know. There wasn’t. It was 1926. This happened all the time in the movies and most people didn’t see it as a problem.
Curiously, the principals in The Honorable Mr. Buggs were not Roach regulars. Matt Moore, the male lead, was new to the studio. Anna May Wong was also new to Roach. The director, Fred Jackman, had previously worked only on Roach’s Rex, the Wonder Horse pictures. Martha Sleeper was the sole Roach regular in the cast. Nobody thought twice about Hardy playing a black butler—it was common at the time. Hardy could play a “funny” black character, so they simply did it. But really, his hair had just grown back; if they wanted two films where he played Black characters, they should have put them back to back.
After The Honorable Mr. Buggs wrapped on October 20, Hardy donned his “butler” wig over his shaved head to play Jarvis the Butler in Slipping Wives, opposite Priscilla Dean and Stan Laurel. The wig was likely the same one intended for Get ’Em Young before Hardy’s accident, now finally put to use. Stan was once again officially acting, but here he and Hardy were combatants, not chums. Written by Hal Roach, the film may have been an effort to ease Stan’s hesitance about teaming up with Hardy. Roach needed to show Stan he was willing to try different character scenarios, perhaps to make him more amenable to teaming with Hardy.
Hardy’s next project was Should Men Walk Home?, beginning October 25. He played a party guest whom Mabel Normand prevents from drinking punch that conceals a stolen jewel. Their brief comic interaction was memorable, and Hardy likely treasured the chance to work with Normand, who was nearing the end of her career. His hair was only just growing back, but he appeared without a wig. By this point, Roach Studios had learned to keep Hardy moving from one project to another, sometimes before one film was finished and after another had already begun.
After two weeks off, Hardy returned November 26 for Love ’Em and Weep, starring Mae Busch, Stan Laurel, and James Finlayson. Hardy again wore his “butler” wig, this time with a brush mustache and spectacles to play a prominent judge. Written by Hal Roach, the film seemed designed to appease both Stan and Finlayson by creating a trio. But, as in most threesomes, someone was left out—here it was Hardy.
For his final film of 1926, Hardy was cast in No Man’s Law alongside Rex the Wonder Horse. He played a villainous character, his stubbled head and eye patch adding to the menace. So bad was his role that Rex himself had to finish him off. James Finlayson appeared as a prospector.
In all, Oliver Hardy filmed 18 productions in 1926, including one swap with Mack Sennett. Hal Roach certainly got his money’s worth, while Hardy’s versatility—comic butler, judge, villain, even “black” caricatures—showed the studio how to use him across genres. More importantly, 1926 marked the year Hardy and Laurel began sharing screen space in ways that hinted at the partnership soon to come.
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Doidos à Solta
EUA, 1939
Hal Roach
6/10
Só Screwball, com pouca comédia
Doidos à Solta, título português para Housekeeper’s Daughter, um thriller/comédia de 1939, realizado por Hal Roach e com Joan Bennett e John Hubbard nos papéis principais (não confundir com Doidos à Solta de 1994, comédia com Jim Carrey e Jeff Daniels), é uma mistura tão grande de géneros e referências cinematográficas que é quase inqualificável.
Começa num típico gangster movie, com Marc Lawrence como vilão, Victor Mature como o seu homem de mão e Joan Bennett como a donzela em perigo.
Prossegue numa comédia romântica, com Bennett a refugiar-se junto da mãe, governanta na casa dos ricos Randall, cujo filho, arqueólogo de profissão, se apaixona por Bennett e decide dedicar-se ao jornalismo criminal.
Tudo porque Benny, um modesto mas sinistro vendedor de flores, com uma fixação por mulheres bonitas, decide envenenar Lawrence, como castigo pelo modo violento como trata Gladys, atriz de sucesso na Broadway e sua amiga, comprometida com a Máfia. Só que o plano sai furado e quem morre é a atriz, sem que o malvado Floyd, chefe dos gangsters, perceba porquê
À cautela, desfaz-se do cadáver, atirando-o ao rio e provocando um escândalo jornalistico e uma perseguição policial ao assassino desconhecido.
É então que começa a comédia. Dois jornalistas ineptos, Adolphe Menjou e William Gargan, a que se junta o igualmente inepto jovem Randall, alimentados pela cobiça de um diretor lunático, Donald Meek, cruzam-se com o sinistro Benny e começam a publicar verdades incómodas para o gangue e o seu líder, sobre o crime.
O resto é uma farsa completa, em que os bons vencem os maus graças a uns foguetes de carnaval e mais algumas taças de café envenenado, convenientemente preparadas por Benny.
Confuso? A ideia seria mesmo essa, fazer uma screwball comedy que cruzasse fronteiras entre géneros e agradasse aos apreciadores de policiais, comédias, gangster movies e romances de cordel.
Tanta ambição resulta num tiro de pólvora seca. Um filme sem grande graça, que não agrada nem a gregos nem a troianos, porque, na verdade, não tem pés nem cabeça.
Just Screwball, with little comedy
Housekeeper’s Daughter, a 1939 thriller/comedy directed by Hal Roach and starring Joan Bennett and John Hubbard, is such a blend of genres and cinematic references that it’s almost unqualified.
It begins as a typical gangster film, with Marc Lawrence as the villain, Victor Mature as his henchman, and Joan Bennett as the damsel in distress.
It segues into a romantic comedy, with Bennett taking refuge with her mother, a housekeeper in the home of the wealthy Randall family, whose son, an archaeologist by profession, falls in love with Bennett and decides to dedicate himself to crime journalism. All because Benny, a modest but sinister flower seller with a fixation for beautiful women, decides to poison Lawrence as punishment for the violent way he treats Gladys, a successful Broadway actress and her friend, who is involved with the Mafia. However, the plan backfires, and the actress dies, without the evil Floyd, the gangster boss, understanding why.
However, as a precaution, he disposes of the body, throwing it into the river, sparking a journalistic scandal and a police chase for the unknown killer.
This is where the comedy begins. Two inept journalists, Adolphe Menjou and William Gargan, joined by the equally inept young Randall, fueled by the greed of a lunatic director, Donald Meek, cross paths with the sinister Benny and begin publishing uncomfortable truths about the crime for the gang and its leader. The rest is a complete farce, in which the good guys defeat the bad guys thanks to some carnival fireworks and a few more bowls of poisoned coffee, conveniently prepared by Benny.
Confused? That was exactly the idea: to make a wacky comedy that crossed genre boundaries and appealed to fans of cop movies, comedies, gangster films, and pulp romances.
So much ambition results in a dry run. A dull film that appeals to neither Greeks nor Trojans because, in truth, it’s neither here nor there.
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Allen Hoskins, Norman Chaney, Jackie Cooper, Mary Ann Jackson and ‘teacher’ June Marlowe in Our Gang short School’s Out (1930)
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Vittorio Mussolini, son of Italy’s dictator, visiting “Our Gang” at Hal Roach Studios. (L-R) Alfalfa Switzer, Hal Roach, Porky Lee, Spanky McFarland, Mussolini, Baby Patsy May (on knee), Darla Hood, and Pete the pup.
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For National Tattoo Day: The Ben Corday Sesquicentennial
National Tattoo Day is July 17; the year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ben Corday (1875-1938).
Corday was a British sailor who reportedly stood somewhere between 6’8 and 7’5, and weighed around 300 lbs. He came to my attention for an accomplishment wholly other than the tattooing he was best known for. As I learned from Steve Massa’s new book on Lonesome Luke, Corday played…
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Young Mr. Jazz (1919)
Directed by Hal Roach
While running away from his girl’s father, Harold’s car breaks down in front of a dance hall run by crooks. Harold has to not only stay one step ahead of the girl’s father, but also those trying to rob them of everything they have.
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