Oliver the Eighth
Encyclopedia
Oliver The Eighth is a 1934 short film comedy starring Laurel and Hardy
. It was directed by Lloyd French
, produced by Hal Roach
and distributed by MGM.
, The Devil's Brother
, and subsequently in The Fixer Uppers
) they both decide to answer the ad, shaking hands with Ollie saying "May the best man win." However, Ollie cheats on this agreement by mailing only his own response, and hiding Stan's in his hat.
The widow invites Ollie to her mansion, and when Stan discovers his unmailed response, he also goes along and demands half of whatever Ollie gets. At the widow's mansion, Laurel and Hardy encounter a deranged butler (played by Jack Barty) who pantomimes card tricks with imaginary cards, and serves an imaginary meal. The same butler tips off Stan and Ollie that the widow is a mass murderess, who had previously slit the throats of seven prior fiancees, all named Oliver.
Laurel and Hardy are sent upstairs, as the widow tells her butler to make sure all the doors and windows are locked. She tells Ollie, "I hope you have a nice, long sleep", as the butler plays "Taps
" on a trumpet.
Unable to escape their bedroom, Stan finds a Pump-action shotgun, leading to some slapstick mishaps including the complete destruction of a large chair from one gunshot, and Stan accidentally shooting Ollie in the foot (which he mistook for a man's hand). They plan to take turns sleeping, so that one of them can watch out for the knife-wielding widow.
Ollie sets up a Rube Goldberg
-style contraption to make sure Stan stays awake, tying a brick to a string, suspended above Stan's head. He then puts a lit candle below the string and tells Stan he must periodically move the string in order to prevent the candle's flame from burning through, which would result in the brick falling on Stan's head.
As usual, things go awry with the brick falling on Ollie's head, knocking him unconscious. Moments later the widow is heard walking up the stairs, brandishing a pair of large knives. When Stan goes to get the shotgun, he gets locked in the closet. Just as the widow enters the room and is about to slit Ollie's throat, a loud offscreen crash is heard.
Suddenly, Stan and Ollie are back at their barber shop, and Ollie leaps out of his chair, screaming and runs to the mirror to examine his throat. He explains to Stan, "I just had a terrible dream."
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
. It was directed by Lloyd French
Lloyd French
Lloyd French, was an American director of short films, most of them comedies. His best remembered films are several Laurel and Hardy comedies in the 1930s...
, produced by Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
and distributed by MGM.
Plot
Laurel and Hardy are partners in a barber shop. Stan reads a classified ad in the newspaper from a wealthy widow (played by Mae Busch) looking for a new husband. Initially, only Stan plans to respond to the ad but after explaining his plans to Ollie (leading to the third use of the team's trademark "Tell me that again" routine, used previously in Towed in a HoleTowed in a Hole
Towed in a Hole is a 1932 Laurel and Hardy film.-Plot:Laurel and Hardy are in the fish business. They drive around town seeing if they can sell any. Stan suggests they catch their own fish and keep all the profits. Ollie likes the idea of cutting out the "middleman" so they buy a boat at a junk yard...
, The Devil's Brother
The Devil's Brother
The Devil's Brother or Bogus Bandits or Fra Diavolo is a 1933 comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. It is based on Daniel Auber's operetta Fra Diavolo about the Italian bandit Fra Diavolo.-Plot:...
, and subsequently in The Fixer Uppers
The Fixer Uppers
The Fixer Uppers is a 1935 short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by Charles Rogers and produced by Hal Roach. The penultimate Laurel and Hardy short comedy made at Hal Roach Studios, the film is a reworking of Slipping Wives a silent comedy the comedians appeared in before they teamed up...
) they both decide to answer the ad, shaking hands with Ollie saying "May the best man win." However, Ollie cheats on this agreement by mailing only his own response, and hiding Stan's in his hat.
The widow invites Ollie to her mansion, and when Stan discovers his unmailed response, he also goes along and demands half of whatever Ollie gets. At the widow's mansion, Laurel and Hardy encounter a deranged butler (played by Jack Barty) who pantomimes card tricks with imaginary cards, and serves an imaginary meal. The same butler tips off Stan and Ollie that the widow is a mass murderess, who had previously slit the throats of seven prior fiancees, all named Oliver.
Laurel and Hardy are sent upstairs, as the widow tells her butler to make sure all the doors and windows are locked. She tells Ollie, "I hope you have a nice, long sleep", as the butler plays "Taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...
" on a trumpet.
Unable to escape their bedroom, Stan finds a Pump-action shotgun, leading to some slapstick mishaps including the complete destruction of a large chair from one gunshot, and Stan accidentally shooting Ollie in the foot (which he mistook for a man's hand). They plan to take turns sleeping, so that one of them can watch out for the knife-wielding widow.
Ollie sets up a Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
-style contraption to make sure Stan stays awake, tying a brick to a string, suspended above Stan's head. He then puts a lit candle below the string and tells Stan he must periodically move the string in order to prevent the candle's flame from burning through, which would result in the brick falling on Stan's head.
As usual, things go awry with the brick falling on Ollie's head, knocking him unconscious. Moments later the widow is heard walking up the stairs, brandishing a pair of large knives. When Stan goes to get the shotgun, he gets locked in the closet. Just as the widow enters the room and is about to slit Ollie's throat, a loud offscreen crash is heard.
Suddenly, Stan and Ollie are back at their barber shop, and Ollie leaps out of his chair, screaming and runs to the mirror to examine his throat. He explains to Stan, "I just had a terrible dream."