Saps at Sea (1940)

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

Charley Rogers (original story and screenplay) &
Felix Adler (original story and screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They're All At Sea !

Plot:

After working in the noisy horn factory, just the sound of one drives Oliver into a violent fit. Dr...

Plot Keywords:

Horn | Spaghetti | Boat | Doll | Ocean

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Stan Laurel	...	Stan
Oliver Hardy	...	Ollie

Runtime:

57 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5914) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Trivia:

Fans regard this as the last true Laurel and Hardy film. It was their last film done for Hal Roach. It would also be the last film in which they would have significant input.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene with Dr. Finlayson's "lung-tester", just before the giant balloon is about to burst, the Klieg lights are visible reflecting in the stretched latex of the balloon.

Quotes:

Desk Clerk: [calling Oliver's room] Mr. Laurel? There's a Professor O'Brien here to see you.
Stanley Laurel: Oh, that's swell! You know, he's been expecting me.

Movie Connections:

References Punch Drunks (1934)

Soundtrack:

Home, Sweet Home

Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy...with that, anything can happen.

Yes, as the other reviewers have already stated, this may not be vintage L&H but it's far from being their worst work as at 20th Century Stupid...I mean Fox. This film certainly has all of the basic ingredients for things to go wrong for the boys. But it's their serious approach and determination that makes them funny. They don't play it for laughs as other comedians might but they take their work and situation quite seriously and that is the essence of their eternal humor. In this film, they are faced with some basic issues that really might be encountered by any one of us today, namely job related stress. First, we would get checked out by a doctor and he would prescribe some much needed rest and perhaps staying by the sea. That's where the surrealness comes in to all of this. L&H always take a most plausible set of circumstances and exaggerate it but never to the point of being incredible, except maybe once in awhile. This makes us laugh because we can relate to their self caused predicaments and attempts at extrication. That's what makes Stan and Ollie universal in their appeal. In this film all those ingredients are presented in a delightfully artful and gracefully slapstick way. Not their best in comparison to their earlier work probably because this was the actual last film they did for Roach because he wanted to mirror the "big" studios and go into making features exclusively and also wanted to hurry up and finish their contractual obligation. BIG MISTAKE! They should have all stayed together and continued for maybe five more years. What the world may have missed in their not considering this as an option. Watch, laugh, and enjoy this as their last great performance.