Dirty Work (1933 film)

Last updated

Dirty Work
Dirtyworktitlecard.jpg
Directed by Lloyd French
Written by H.M. Walker
Produced by Hal Roach
Starring Stan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
Lucien Littlefield
Sam Adams
Cinematography Kenneth Peach
Edited by Bert Jordan
Music by Marvin Hatley
Leroy Shield
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
November 25, 1933 (1933-11-25)
Running time
19:23
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dirty Work is a Pre-Code Laurel and Hardy short film classic comedy made in 1933. It was directed by Lloyd French, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by MGM.

Contents

Plot

Deranged scientist Professor Noodle is engrossed in developing a rejuvenation elixir for over two decades, purportedly capable of reversing the aging process. Stan and Oliver, employed as chimney sweeps, enter the scene, assigned to cleanse the estate's chimney. As Oliver ascends to the rooftop, Stan, stationed below, inadvertently propels the sweep upwards, causing Oliver to tumble through the skylight. Following an arduous exchange, Stan eventually joins Oliver atop the roof, albeit mishandling the apparatus, causing a disruption in the chimney's extension. Subsequently, resorting to a rifle for assistance, Stan nearly endangers Oliver's life in a botched attempt.

In a series of calamitous events, Stan's clumsiness results in Oliver's fall from the rooftop, damaging property and inciting chaos within the household. Amidst the tumult, Professor Noodle endeavors to demonstrate his rejuvenation solution, commencing with the transformation of a duck into a duckling through a solitary drop of his concoction. Encountering an opportunity, Stan and Oliver clandestinely endeavor to experiment with the solution, leading to a catastrophe as Oliver, perched atop a stepladder, and the solution container plunge into the vat.

The ensuing pandemonium witnesses Oliver's transformation into a chimpanzee. Despite his devolution into a primal state, Oliver's recalcitrance remains unchanged.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>Sons of the Desert</i> 1933 film by William A. Seiter

Sons of the Desert is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. Directed by William A. Seiter, it was released in the United States on December 29, 1933. In the United Kingdom, the film was originally released under the title Fraternally Yours.

<i>Way Out West</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by James W. Horne

Way Out West is a 1937 Laurel and Hardy comedy film directed by James W. Horne, produced by Stan Laurel, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the second picture for which Stan Laurel was credited as producer.

<i>Brats</i> (1930 film) 1930 film

Brats is a 1930 Laurel and Hardy comedy short. The film was directed by James Parrott. Laurel and Hardy play dual roles as their own children. It also inspired a helper group for the Michigan tent for The Sons of the Desert, which is composed of all the child members of the tent. This is the first of only three films where the boys each play a dual role: the second is Twice Two and the third and last is Our Relations.

<i>Double Whoopee</i> 1929 film

Double Whoopee is a 1929 Hal Roach Studios silent short comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was shot during February 1929 and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 18.

<i>A Chump at Oxford</i> 1940 film by Alfred J. Goulding

A Chump at Oxford is a Hal Roach comedy film produced in 1939 and released in 1940 by United Artists. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding and was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Roach studio. The title echoes the film A Yank at Oxford (1938), of which it is a partial parody.

<i>The Flying Deuces</i> 1939 film by A. Edward Sutherland

The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a 1939 buddy comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy, in which the duo join the French Foreign Legion. It is a partial remake of their short film Beau Hunks (1931).

<i>Helpmates</i> 1932 short film by James Parrott

Helpmates is a Laurel and Hardy Pre-Code short film comedy. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and released by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer on January 23, 1932.

<i>The Finishing Touch</i> 1928 film

The Finishing Touch is a 1928 short comedy silent film produced by Hal Roach, directed by Clyde Bruckman and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was released February 25, 1928 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>Habeas Corpus</i> (1928 film) 1928 short film by Ray McCarey and James Parrott

Habeas Corpus is a silent short subject co-directed by Leo McCarey and James Parrott starring comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on December 1, 1928

<i>They Go Boom</i> 1929 film

They Go Boom is a 1929 short comedy film directed by James Parrott and starring Laurel and Hardy.

<i>The Bohemian Girl</i> (1936 film) 1936 film

The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 comedic feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe. Directed by James W. Horne and Charles Rogers, and it was produced at the Hal Roach Studios, and stars Laurel and Hardy, and Thelma Todd in her final film role. This was also the only appearance of Darla Hood in a full-length feature produced by Hal Roach.

<i>The Dancing Masters</i> 1943 film by Malcolm St. Clair

The Dancing Masters is a 1943 black and white American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, produced by 20th Century-Fox, and featuring Laurel and Hardy. A young Robert Mitchum has a small, uncredited role as a gangster posing as an insurance salesman.

<i>The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case</i> 1930 short film by James Parrott

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is a Laurel and Hardy pre-Code comedy film released in 1930. It is one of a handful of three-reel comedies they made, running 28 minutes. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>Towed in a Hole</i> 1932 film

Towed in a Hole is a 1932 pre-Code comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. The "two-reeler" short was produced by Hal Roach, directed by George Marshall, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>Swiss Miss</i> (film) 1938 film by Hal Roach, John G. Blystone

Swiss Miss is a 1938 comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. It was directed by John G. Blystone, and produced by Hal Roach. The film features Walter Woolf King, Della Lind and Eric Blore.

<i>Laughing Gravy</i> 1931 film

Laughing Gravy is a 1931 short film comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was directed by James W. Horne, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>The Fixer Uppers</i> 1935 American film

The Fixer Uppers is a 1935 American short comedy film directed by Charles Rogers, starring Laurel and Hardy, and produced by Hal Roach.

<i>Hog Wild</i> (1930 film) 1930 film

Hog Wild is a 1930 American pre-Code Laurel and Hardy film, directed by James Parrott.

<i>Me and My Pal</i> (1933 film) 1933 American film

Me and My Pal is a 1933 pre-Code short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by Lloyd French and Charles Rogers, and produced by Hal Roach. In 2016, it was one of several Laurel and Hardy films to be restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

<i>Stan & Ollie</i> 2018 film by Jon S. Baird

Stan & Ollie is a 2018 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Jon S. Baird. The script, written by Jeff Pope, was inspired by Laurel and Hardy: The British Tours by A.J. Marriot which chronicled the later years of the comedy double act Laurel and Hardy; the film stars Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The film focuses on details of the comedy duo's personal relationship while relating how they embarked on a gruelling music hall tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland during 1953 and struggled to get another film made.

References