Sugar Daddies *** (1927, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson) – Classic Movie Review 7415

Sweet silent comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy, and James Finlayson.

Directors Fred Guiol and Leo McCarey and producer Hal Roach’s sweet 1927 silent comedy short film Sugar Daddies stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy, and James Finlayson.

Sugar Daddies is distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is released on 19 September 1927, runs 20 minutes, is written by H M Walker (titles) and is shot in black and white by George Stevens.

Finlayson enjoys one of his best roles as rich oil tycoon Cyrus Brittle, who wakes one morning after a night of hard drinking to find he has a hell of a hangover and was unexpectedly married the night before, and his new gold-digging brother-in-law and stepdaughter want to blackmail or kill him.

Enter Laurel as his lawyer, called in by Brittle when brother-in-law attempts to blackmail him for $50,000. Brittle decides to hide out in a hotel with his butler (Hardy) and the lawyer. Ultra-weirdly, Finlayson gets onto Stan’s shoulders and pretends to be Ollie’s very tall wife to escape his pursuers! More predictably, chases ensue. With plenty of funny gags, it is another fine short from Laurel and Hardy, even if not yet as a team.

Also in the cast are Noah Young as Brittle’s brother-in-law, Charlotte Mineau as Mrs Brittle, Edna Marion as stepdaughter, Eugene Pallette as Brittle’s butler look-alike, Jack Hill and Charlie Hall as hotel staff, Sam Lufkin as funhouse ticket taker, Dorothy Coburn as girl in fun house and Ray Cooke as bellboy.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7415

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