An Expensive Visit

A well-turned one-reel comedy with the pranks of a number of college boys as the foundation of the fun. The spirit and humor put into the performance makes the film exceptionally amusing. Ed Lawrence, Oliver Hardy, Raymond McKee, Ben Walker and Chas. W. Ritchie are on the honor roll. - The Moving Picture World, April 10, 1915

Oliver Hardy is a college student, and perpetually short of money; his father, Edward Lawrence says he can't have the money, but he can have a visit. When Lawrence shows up, Hardy says he's busy hard at work on an essay, so papa goes out... and meets one of his son's friends in drag. Will romance bloom?

These early comedies with Hardy were primitive affairs. Lubin, the production company, was the most conservative of the Patents Trust companies, relying more on its technical expertise than cinematic daring. Even so, it's good to see another early picture by Oliver Hardy, as well as Raymond McKee playing one of his friends.

Since moviegoers for the past 99 years have only known Oliver Hardy as the plump member of Laurel & Hardy, it might surprise people to learn that he had a career before joining up with the thin, weepy one. An example is the 1915 short "An Expensive Visit", where he plays a college student who spends most of his time asking his dad for money. When his dad comes to visit, one of the student's friends dresses as a woman to greet the dad.

This short shows us two things. One is that kids spending their college days lounging around is nothing new. But also, it shows that drag onscreen has been around from the start, contrary to these people who act as if it's some sort of new phenomenon.

Nothing special, but still funny. You can find it on Wikipedia.

I've got that on 35mm, says the LoC! Once lost film is found!

One of the great things about all these lost films being found is that it encourages people to seek out more. Using resources like Rob Stone's great book Olivier or Hardy a friend of mine was able to identify this recent arrival at that great archive we all share.

Rumor has it that this reel is mostly complete and it will be preserved and copied rather quickly and may be available as soon as early 2013 on DVD.

So keep looking folks and support film preservation by taking a friend to see movies the way they were meant to be seen on the big screen.

Archives around the world need your support for film presentation. Visit or donate to the BFI (British Film Institute), Library of Congress, UCLA, George Eastman House, The Motion Picture Academy (the Oscars folks) and MoMA.

Your grandchildren will thank you for preserving the films that entertained, educated and enlightened your grand parents.