Hats Off

For those of us who consider ourselves Laurel and Hardy aficionados, Hats Off is truly the Holy Grail of their lost films, as this title is often characterized. Not merely because it represents the only subject of theirs to be missing in its entirety, but because it represents, in a way, the very first official Laurel and Hardy film in which the die was cast as far as their costumes, manners, and even storyline go. The Second Hundred Years may have been made earlier, but the pacing and gags of that film could have been used by any number of lesser comics at the time and been perhaps equally as successful…Stan and Ollie's basic personas are not really integrated into the story and their standard costumes, accoutrements and distinctive hairstyles were not present. Hats Off is perhaps the first to exploit the chemistry between Stan and Ollie and create the successful alloy between them and their story--the confrontation with Fin, women, and inanimate objects; the slow burns and quiet despair and the final orgy of destruction as release. All these things would become trademarks of The Boys, coming to fruition in classics such as 'Big Business' and 'Two Tars', arguably the best of their silent films. It truly represents the Missing Link of their career, the bridge between their earliest incarnations as a team, where story and character were still searching for the perfect pas de duex, and their late silents, where perfect harmony of style, character and content reign.

While portions of other Laurel and Hardy films are missing, this is the only one that has disappeared completely. It had very good reviews when released, and no one appears to have seen it since 1928. The boys are washing machine salesmen, and they have to carry one up a huge flight of steps. The same location was used a few years later for their Oscar-winning THE MUSIC BOX, only this time as piano deliverymen. There are plenty of still photos left, and they show Stan and Ollie constantly getting their derbies on the wrong head. This film was probably a slapstick classic.

The latest release date for HATS OFF (work title: ROUGH ON HATS) I have been able to find so far is february 1929, when it was first shown in Germany. Also, it was still in distribution in the US in 1930. Stills existing today in the MGM collection numbers from S3-1 to S3-23, plus a still of the poster in its frame/stand on an US sidewalk. The cutting continuity at the Library Of Congress gives us a very good idea of this film, too. Keep looking for it.

We all would like to watch Laurel & Hardy's "Hats Off." There are a series of photographs that still survive that depict some of the scenes. The book, "Laurel & Hardy" by John McCabe, Al Kilgore and Richard Bann show some of the gags that were in the film. In the RKO "Average Man" comedy; "It's Your Move," is the closest look we'll likely ever see of some of the same sight gags. Edgar Kennedy stars, he and his brother-in-law (Jack Rice) carry a washing machine up a long flight of stairs, just like L&H did. The most significant aspect about it; it was directed by Hal Yates, the same director of "Hats Off." Unfortunately, the long flight of stairs were not the same ones used in "Hats Off" and the later "The Music Box." Bill Cassara author-"Edgar Kennedy-Master of the Slow Burn"

While there are a few Laurel & Hardy films with scenes missing, (The Battle of the Century comes to mind) this very short is one that's entirely lost for now. I saw two reconstructed versions of this one on YouTube: a six-minute one with still photos and some animation and a twenty-minute one with stop-still-motion animation trying to recreate the entire thing. As with the later talkie The Music Box, the boys take the washing machine (as opposed to a piano) up a very long flight of stairs but in this version they encounter Anita Garvin who calls them up to deliver a letter! James Finlayson also appears as the one who orders them to sell his product. Of course, he gets his spats with Stan & Ollie as well, that's for sure! Both of the reconstituted versions were interesting to watch but oh, how I wish the actual film was found. As a result, I'm not giving a rating for this review.