Series: Laurel and Hardy Director: Lewis R. Foster Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Jack Roach, George Stevens Editor: Richard C. Currier Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy, Jean Harlow Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 19 October 1929 Length: 2 reels Production No.: L-21 Filming dates: February 18-27, 1929 Rating: 5/10

Bacon Grabbers

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The sheriff's office is busy handing out assignments for their officers as Stan and Ollie lay fast asleep end-to-end on a park bench which is against the wall. The irate sheriff (Eddie Baker) calls them over, waking them in the process. Ollie goes to get up only to find Stan's foot in his jacket pocket. They untangle themselves and walk to the desk, with Ollie infuriated that Stan has his hat on, so removes it for him. The boys are assigned to collect a radio from a tough guy and are told not to return without it. As they go to leave Stan has managed to attach the assignment papers to the top of his hat and returns to the desk to put them back, but then leaves his hat. This continues for a whole minute before the sheriff runs them out of the office. They return through a side door and retrieve the papers before fleeing. Out on the street Ollie tells Stan to close the door to the building, so he goes back inside and shuts it. Ollie forcibly opens the door into Stan's face. He slams is shut again with such force that the overhead lighting falls down and cracks him on the head. A little pushing match is exchanged before Stan reminds his friend that he is wearing a sheriff's badge.

Ollie gets into the car as Stan attempts to wind up the motor, but when it won't start he kicks the front of the vehicle violently. It's no wonder then, when the engine starts, the car is extremely damaged and wobbles around like a fairground ride! As they try to move forward they hit a truck parked in front of them. The driver (Charlie Hall) gets out of the truck to assess the damage to the back of his vehicle. Meanwhile, Stan lends an assisting hand in observing also. Ollie takes over and gets a closer look, but then gets his pants wet from the water spewing out of his own car's radiator. The truck driver finds it all amusing and points out that it could have been worse - had they been driving an automobile, he adds with sarcasm. Ollie successfully plugs the hole in the radiator with a handkerchief before Stan enquires how Ollie will blow his nose, should he need to? Ollie begins to drive to the intended destination, but requires Stan to feed him with directions when he gets lost. Stan points to where they should be going so Ollie drives in the opposite direction. Collis P. Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) is on his lawn, mowing the grass. The intertitle card informs us that he owes 8 years of back payments on a radio he purchased, and for which Stan and Ollie have arrived to collect. Ollie reminds Stan that Mr. Kennedy must not suspect they are officers. Stan agrees, and shows off his sheriff's badge! Ollie boldly takes the lead and struts off towards the house, with Stan mimicking his walk. Standing on Kennedy's lawn, Stan attempts to be the big man, again showing off his badge before Ollie steps in. Ollie asks if the man is who they are looking for, and when Kennedy confirms that he is, Ollie tries to serve him with the notification papers to reclaim the radio from him. This is where the fun starts. Kennedy gets wise to the plan when Ollie cannot find the papers. THIS REVIEW IS INCOMPLETE

Trivia • Copyrighted September 3, 1929. • Released 8 months after it was filmed. • According to the 1930 census, Randy Skretvedt discovered that the house Laurel and Hardy used in "Bacon Grabbers," 10341 Bannockburn Drive, belonged to ELMER RAGUSE, Roach studios sound engineer! • When Stan and Ollie go to leave the sheriff's office they keep forgetting their papers and hats on the desk. This sketch was later re-used with Charles Middleton in Beau Hunks. • There is a grocers next to the sheriff's office. • When Ollie is driving the car toward's Edgar Kennedy's house, Stan interfers with the controls and gets reprimanded by Ollie. He does the same thing in The Stolen Jools two years later. • When we first see the boys' car working it is bouncing all over the place. Yet later, when Ollie is driving it, it is stable. • Edgar Kennedy's character had got his radio in 1921 and hadn't paid anything for it in eight years, according to the storyline. My opinion • Boring.

	Stan Laurel Stan
	Oliver Hardy Ollie
	Edgar Kennedy Collis P. Kennedy
	Jean Harlow Mrs. Kennedy
	Harry Bernard Cop
	Eddie Baker Sheriff
	Charlie Hall Truck driver
	Sam Lufkin Man in Sheriff's office
	Buddy Moore Boy with dog
	Bobby Dunn [?]

POSTER (click any image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Laurel And Hardy: The Magic Behind The Movies by Randy Skretvedt (book) Peter Mikkelsen (15 stills) This page was last updated on: 19 October 2023