Our Relations | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Harry Lachman |
Written by | Felix Adler Richard Connell |
Based on | The Money Box 1931 short story by William Wymark Jacobs |
Produced by | Stan Laurel Hal Roach |
Starring | Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy |
Cinematography | Rudolph Maté |
Edited by | Bert Jordan |
Music by | Leroy Shield |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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Running time | 73:01 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Our Relations is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Harry Lachman starring Laurel and Hardy, produced by Stan Laurel for Hal Roach Studios.
Stan and Ollie are unexpectedly reunited with their long-lost twin brothers, Alf and Bert, whose presumed demise is debunked by a photograph enclosed in a letter. Alf and Bert, presently sailors aboard the SS Periwinkle, dock in the same harbor as Stan and Ollie's residence, accompanied by their wives, Daphne and Betty.
Aboard the ship, Alf and Bert encounter Finn, the chief engineer, who tempts them with the prospect of wealth accumulation. Entrusting their earnings to Finn for safekeeping, they inadvertently become entangled in a web of deceit when Finn refuses to return their wages. Matters escalate as they unwittingly pawn a valuable ring entrusted to them by the ship's captain, exacerbating their financial predicament.
Meanwhile, Stan and Ollie, joined by their wives, find themselves embroiled in a series of misunderstandings stemming from Alf and Bert's impulsive actions. Unwittingly shouldering the consequences of Alf and Bert's debts, Stan and Ollie are ensnared in a violent encounter with Finn, culminating in threats of revenge.
As the chaos unfolds, Alf and Bert's misadventures lead to their arrest, while Stan and Ollie fall victim to mafia extortionists seeking the missing ring. Amidst the ensuing turmoil, the twin pairs converge at the waterfront, where a fortuitous discovery of the ring and a spirited altercation result in their collective immersion into the water.
The twins eventually reconcile and resolve to elucidate the misunderstanding to their respective spouses. However, their lack of foresight precipitates further mishaps, culminating in a plunge into the water.
Our Relations is the third of three films in which they play a dual role: the first was Brats and the second was Twice Two . The story is based on the short story "The Money Box" by W.W. Jacobs, author of "The Monkey's Paw". [1]
A departure from the traditional Laurel and Hardy archetype is observed in Our Relations,, as Stan and Ollie assume the roles of upstanding individuals, each with a spouse and stable employment, a departure from their typical portrayal as hapless yet endearing characters struggling to make ends meet. Conversely, it is their maritime counterparts, Alf Laurel and Bert Hardy, who epitomize ineptitude and incompetence as sailors aboard the vessel S.S Periwinkle.
While aboard the ship, Alf and Bert don seafaring attire, reflecting their occupation. Upon disembarking, they adopt civilian attire, complete with iconic derby hats, rendering them nearly indistinguishable from their brothers. Notably, a reversal in sartorial conventions is observed, with Alf adorned in the customary attire while Bert opts for a bowtie, a stark contrast to Stan and Ollie's respective attire. Furthermore, musical cues serve as a distinguishing feature between the twin pairs, with Laurel and Hardy's signature theme, "Dance of the Cuckoos", accompanying the appearances of Stan and Ollie, while melodies such as "Sailing, Sailing over the Bounding Main" or the "Sailor's Hornpipe" signal the presence of Alf and Bert on screen.
The film is distinguished by the camera work of successful dramatic cinematographer Rudolph Maté ( The Passion of Joan of Arc ). The film was based on the story The Money Box by W.W. Jacobs. The story was adapted by Jack Jevne and Charley Rogers and the film written by Felix Adler and Richard Connell.
In 2000, the Dutch revivalist orchestra The Beau Hunks collaborated with the Metropole Orchestra to re-create composer Leroy Shield's soundtrack to Our Relations from original sheet music that had been discovered in a Los Angeles archive in 1994 and 1995.
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy team during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in the silent film era, they later successfully transitioned to "talkies". From the late 1920s to the mid-1950s, they were internationally famous for their slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing the clumsy, childlike friend to Hardy's pompous bully. Their signature theme song, known as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos" was heard over their films' opening credits, and became as emblematic of them as their bowler hats.
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.
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.
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.
Atoll K is a 1951 Franco-Italian co-production film—also known as Robinson Crusoeland in the United Kingdom and Utopia in the United States – which starred the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in their final screen appearance. The film co-stars French singer/actress Suzy Delair and was directed by Léo Joannon, with uncredited co-direction by blacklisted U.S. director John Berry.
A-Haunting We Will Go is a 1942 Laurel and Hardy feature film released by 20th Century-Fox and directed by Alfred L. Werker. The story is credited to Lou Breslow and Stanley Rauh. The title is a play on the song "A-Hunting We Will Go".
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).
Block-Heads is a 1938 American comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts We Faw Down (1928) and Unaccustomed As We Are (1929), was Roach's final film for MGM.
Saps at Sea is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists. It was Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by the Hal Roach Studios, as well as the last film to feature Ben Turpin and Harry Bernard.
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Jitterbugs is a 1943 Laurel and Hardy feature film produced by Sol M. Wurtzel and directed by Mal St.Clair.
Another Fine Mess is a 1930 short comedy film directed by James Parrott and starring Laurel and Hardy. It is based on the 1908 play Home from the Honeymoon by Arthur J. Jefferson, Stan Laurel's father, and is a remake of their earlier silent film Duck Soup.
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.
Bonnie Scotland is a 1935 American film directed by James W. Horne and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios. Although the film begins in Scotland, a large part of the action is set in British India.
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.
Twice Two is a 1933 American pre-Code Laurel and Hardy short film.
Be Big! is a Hal Roach three-reel comedy starring Laurel and Hardy. It was shot in November and December 1930, and released on February 7, 1931.
Any Old Port! is an American 1932 pre-Code comedy short film directed by James W. Horne and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach.
The Live Ghost is a 1934 American comedy short film starring Laurel and Hardy, directed by Charles Rogers, and produced by Hal Roach at his studios in Culver City, California.
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.