Series: Laurel and Hardy Director: Lewis R. Foster Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: George Stevens Editor: Richard C. Currier Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Jean Harlow Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 18 May 1929 Length: 2 reels Production No.: L-20 Filming dates: February 5-9, 1929 Rating: 8/10

Double Whoopee

Available on DVD:

Stan and Ollie arrive at a swank hotel on Broadway to begin work as a doorman and footman respectively. However, they turn up at the exact same time the hotel is expecting two V.I.P. guests - one of which is the Prince and the other is his Prime Minister. As it is Stan and Ollie who enter the lobby first everybody, including the manager, thinks they are the VIPs and start making a real fuss. The Boys try to sign the register but Ollie keeps reprimanding Stan for keeping his hat on during the process, whilst a large crowd of guests gather to look on with interest. One woman who is powdering her nose ends up smearing ink all over her face when the ink from the signing-in pen ends up on her powdering disc. The hotel manager introduces himself to Ollie, who then gives him a letter from an agency he and Stan work for. They are the new doorman and footman the hotel have hired. When the manager realises the apparent of the mix-up, he puts the boys to work on the door, whilst the real V.I.P's are given preferential treatment. As the Prince steps into the elevator he is encouraged to give a small speech. He steps out momentarily, long enough for Ollie to call the elevator up and when the Prince steps back in, he falls down the unprotected shaft (shocking health & safety standards in place for 1929!) Ollie steps out, oblivious to what has just happened as the manager rescues the Prince from the elevator pit all covered in grease. The gag is repeated when Stan does the exact same thing. Outside the hotel a passing cop gives Ollie the once over before walking off. Ollie cannot resist the chance to blow on the whistle he gets with his uniform but this leads to an angry confrontation with cabbie Charlie Hall, who warns him not to blow the whistle again.

Stan helps a guest with his coat but ends up ripping off his undergarments when he sees them sticking through the top of his clothing. Ollie then misinterprets the bellhops clicker to indicate which door to open for guests leaving the hotel. He is further frustrated as Stan picks up on the situation rather quickly and is rewarded by guests departing the lounge. Poor Stan is relieved of his earnings by a jealous Hardy under the suspicous eye of the cop who forces him to give the money back to Stan. Stan sees the temptation to blow Ollie's whistle, which brings the cab driver back - and when he realizes there is no passenger to collect he isn't happy! Charlie starts ripping up Ollie's uniform (believing it was he who blew the whistle) but after a while of standing back and observing, Stan finally steps in and gives Charlie some karma [see favourite bit]. Soon after, a beautiful young lady (Jean Harlow) arrives in a cab. Ollie immediately offers to escort her to the front desk but unaware Stan has closed the cab door on her dress, which peels off as they walk away, leaving her semi-naked. This leads to a heated argument when Stan then refuses to lend his coat to cover up the unfortunate embarrassment. A simple eye-poking turns into an out-and-out mass brawl between hotel staff, guests, the cab driver and policeman (probably the only time Ollie ever got away with punching Tiny Sandford in the face and getting away with it!). During the fight Stan posts a huge plaster on the chest of one guest, whilst Ollie plucks a small chick from the beard of the Prime Minister who has come to complain. The film ends with the Prince falling down the elevator shaft again, as Stan and Ollie disembark the elevator and walk out.

Favourite bit To be fair to Stan, he has just had to suffer Ollie bullying him and stealing his quarter and has every right to stand by and watch Ollie receive some punishment from cabbie Charlie Hall when he starts tearing up Ollie's uniform. But there comes a point when enough is enough and Stan sticks up for Ollie by retaliating and begins his onslaught against Charlie in spectacular fashion!

Trivia • Copyrighted May 13, 1929. • Jean Harlow's appearance is surprisingly limited to only a few seconds. She first shows up in the back of a cab at 14 minutes 30 seconds into the film. • There is a 'talkie' version of the film available on DVD with Chuck McCann providing the voice-over work for the actors. • When Stan and Ollie are at the desk early on, there is a woman standing behind them in a small crowd and observing. See here. However, in the very next shot she is seen sitting in a chair along with Amo Ingraham. See here. • When Ollie signs the register he signs "Oliver Hardy Esq(uire)." I have rotated the image for easier examination. • There is a discarded bucket at the bottom of the elevator shaft! • If you look at this scene of the elevator pit you can see a wall on the extreme left of the frame which indicates this was shot against an alcove. My opinion • A hugely satisfying silent comedy, one of Laurel and Hardy's best. Memorable for THAT scene with Jean Harlow and the dress! The final scene is like a huge pie fight - without the pies!

	Stan Laurel Stan
	Oliver Hardy Ollie
	Jean Harlow Cab passenger
	Chet Brandenburg Bellhop
	William Gillespie Hotel manager
	Charlie Hall Cab driver
	Hans Joby Prince
	Ham Kinsey Cab driver
	Sam Lufkin Man poked in the eye
	Jack Deery Hotel guest
	Jack O'Brien Hotel employee
	Charley Rogers Prime Minister
	Tiny Sandford Policeman
	Rolfe Sedan Desk clerk
	Bobby Callahan Bellhop
	Clara Guiol Switchboard operator
	Hazel Keener Hotel guest
	Addie McPhail Hotel guest powdering nose
	Rosalind Byrne Hotel guest
	Jack Chefe Hotel guest (as Jack Chafee)
	Amo Ingraham Hotel guest
	Carmen Guerrero Hotel guest
	John Alban Hotel guest (as Harlan St. Alburn)
	Robert Cautiero Hotel guest who calls for speech (as Robert Cantero)
	Eleanor Fredericks Hotel guest
	Robert Bolder Hotel guest
	Betty Caldwell Hotel guest
	Mary Emery Hotel guest
	Charles O'Malley Hotel guest
	Robert Moore Hotel guest
	Toby Doolan Hotel guest (as Toby Dohlan)
	Elmer Dewey Hotel guest
	Billie Lawrence Hotel guest
	Mary Mayo Hotel guest
	Myrna Belzner Hotel guest
	Walter Lipscomb Hotel guest
	William Broman Hotel guest
	Don Smith Hotel guest

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)	INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

POSTER (click any image to enlarge)

LOBBY CARDS (click any image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

INTERIOR SHOTS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION / STOCK FOOTAGE (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Laurel And Hardy: The Magic Behind The Movies by Randy Skretvedt (book) Richard W. Bann (identification of Bobby Callahan) Robert Birchard (identification of Hazel Keener) Hal Erickson (identification of Addie McPhail) Jesse Brisson (identification of Rosalind Byrne, Amo Ingraham, Robert Cautiero, Jack Chefe, John Alban, Eleanor Fredericks, Robert Bolder, Betty Caldwell, Mary Emery, Charles O'Malley) Rick Greene (lobby cards) This page was last updated on: 12 April 2024