The Lucky Dog

So, here it is - Stan Laurel alongside Oliver Hardy in a film for the first time. The first on-screen words Oliver Hardy speaks to his future partner are: "Stick 'em both up, insect, before I comb your hair with lead." It seems that Mr Stanley Laurel has gone too far this time - has Ollie had enough even before they've started?

Well, if Mr Hardy had said this in a typical Laurel & Hardy comedy, it might seem that way, although the outcome would of course be very different, with these two ever-endearing square pegs continuing together on their awkward journey through life - me and my pal. But this isn't a typical comedy from the Masters of Mirth; this is essentially a Stan Laurel showcase, where he plays a snappily ebullient, natty juvenile, who picks up a stray dog and is accused by its owners of 'dog-napping'; Oliver Hardy displays his formidable and well-used talents as a rough looking 'heavy', or villain. Their two scenes together only indicate a little of what was to come, but the film is fascinating if only to view the two greatest comedians of all time sharing the screen about six years before they officially became a team, at a time when Stan "didn't think ... there was much future in pictures" as far as he was concerned, and both could only dream of the huge artistic heights they would scale and immeasurable critical and popular success they would only enjoy to a relatively small extent in their lifetimes, compared to the esteem they are held in today. Although it may be slight as a creative accomplishment, being only a pleasant film experience, and even though it really had no overall impact on Laurel & Hardy's development or existence as a team, this film should not be overlooked, as it is a very important part of film history, bringing together for the first time the funniest men ever to appear in any medium.

SERVING AS A SORT of "Back To The Future" convoluted, retro precursor of the still unformed Laurel & Hardy team, THE LUCKY DOG is a dichotomy of film history. In the first place, it is the first time than both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appear in the same comedy. And, although it is a delight to see the two great funny men working together for this initial encounter, it is not a true L & H comedy as we know it.

BEING THAT THIS is a starring vehicle for Stan, it should surprise no one that he has the Lion's share of the screen time. The scenario, such as it is, revolves around a rather typical 'Boy meets Girl' plot. As is so very commonplace, much of the humor is derived from the frustrations that plague all of us when it comes to romantic involvement.

ADDING WHAT WE would call a parallel sort of romance, Stan's mongrel dog displays definite interest in the girl's poodle. The inclusion of this plot device serves not only to provide a canine mirror image of their masters' world; but also provides a strong moving force for the story. Much of the middle action takes place at the Kennel Club Show, all of which brings all of the principals together.Even the title takes on a deeper, multi-faceted meaning; making "Lucky Dog" a sort of cinematic pun.

THE SCREEN PERSONA displayed by Stan Laurel, while energetic, clever and inclined toward physical comedy, is not the dimwitted guy that we all know and love. This character is brash and highly energetic. In many respects, what is presented on the screen is more akin to that of many other comics' films. This manic Stan's comedy is much more like that of Harold Lloyd or Charley Chase. This comedy could have been done by either of these silent masters.

AND THAT BRINGS us back to the main interest in THE LUCKY DOG; that being the first work that Stan and "Babe" did together. Being filmed in 1919 and released in 1921, the film predated the actual formation of the Laurel & Hardy team by a good 7 or 8 years. At that time, at Hal Roach Studios, association with folks like Mr. Roach, Leo McCarey and others, Stan's brash, young guy left. In his place, the slowly paced, dimwitted man-child replaced him forever.

SLOWING THINGS DOWN sped up their success.

A far different Oliver Hardy, but essentially the same Stan Laurel we know and love did their first short film together The Lucky Dog. The voice and mannerisms that went with the Ollie we know from the talkies just are not there in this short subject.

Stan, a little younger, but the same innocence just gets tossed out of his roominghouse and he and a little pup make friends. Later on a rather bulky crook played by Hardy tries to rob him, but when all you have is a pooch to your name there's not much point. In the end Hardy's very bulk gets him in trouble.

An interesting bit of historical silent film, but the short subject in and of itself is no great shakes. Stan would be doing some nice solo short subjects. Ollie would be a supporting player until Hal Roach teamed him with Stan.

For the fans of Stan and Ollie.

In Jess Robbins' The Lucky Dog, Stan Laurel plays a recently-evicted man who is left to wander the streets alongside a stray dog. After being robbed by another wayward stranger (Oliver Hardy), Stan and his dog get acquainted with another older woman (Florence Gillet) who clings to her trusty poodle. She suggests that Stan enter a dog show with her and her poodle. He proceeds with that idea only to be denied entry and, following a misunderstanding with the lady's boyfriend, Stan becomes the target for a grave misunderstanding.

The Lucky Dog marks the first short where Laurel and Hardy appear together, despite working as individual characters and not a duo. With that, The Lucky Dog is a noteworthy piece simply because it features two souls that would later go on to be unfathomably beneficial to the comedy community, leaving an indelible watermark on the field that couldn't be replaced. The short is also quite noteworthy for its technical pieces, like the early scene where Stan stands on the tracks of a train, oblivious to the fact that the train comes within about an inch of him. We see this shot exist in a symmetrical state, with Stan facing us, evenly centered on the tracks, with the train approaching us as well as the character.

In addition, one will take notice of Laurel's heavy-eye makeup, which is due in part to Stan's light blue eyes and the belief that light-colored eyes wouldn't show up well on screen, hence making Laurel look as if he's a crossdresser without all of his garb applied. The Lucky Dog makes an interesting case for cinema history, so much so that we forget the short isn't consistently funny, but just pleasant enough to remind us about what was made of a long, prosperous career for one of the greatest duos in comedy.

Starring: Stan Laurel, Florence Gillet, and Oliver Hardy. Directed by: Jess Robbins.

Oliver Hardy was a character actor who had played in dozens of movies, mostly villains, when he first appeared in the same movie as the British comic Stan Laurel. The 31-year-old Laurel had recently changed his name from Stan Jefferson because it contained an unlucky 13 letters on the advice of his girlfriend and sometimes stage partner, Mae Dahlberg. Gilbert 'Billy Bronco' Anderson had sold his partnership in Essanay Studios and was looking to begin a comedy serial headlining the up-and-coming Laurel. His new small studio produced a pilot, December 1921's "The Lucky Dog," in an attempt to sell to sponsors the series 'Stan Laurel Comedies.'

It was simply happenstance Hardy was brought in to play a robber and the bad guy in "The Lucky Dog." He was freelancing for several studios and was hired to play the foil for Laurel's character. In the short film, Laurel plays a homeless person who befriends a dog and first meets Hardy robbing his victim. Hardy then robs Laurel of the money he had taken from his initial victim. Such are the roustabout frivolities taking place throughout the remainder of the movie.

Anderson's dream of a serial with Laurel didn't materialize, but the two did collaborate on several shorts afterwards. As for Hardy, he eventually signed with Hal Roach Studios in 1924 before appearing in a handful of films directed by none other than Stan Laurel in the mid-1920's.