Les bijoux volés

This little number is quite unique! It almost serves as a trailer for every film made by the majors in 1931. If you see this, you will see virtually every major and minor star of the era in a sort-of non musical "all-star" picture which was formerly very popular in the early sound days. It is quite fun to see the stars from MGM, Paramount, Columbia and RKO all together in this melange. Some of the artists do no more than appear for a split-second on camera, but the intent seems to be to sandwich as many recognizable stars as possible into this, a 20 minute short film, underwritten by Chesterfield cigarettes to benefit tuberculosis research! It is fascinating to see "screen snap shots" of some famous Hollywood couples of the day, such as Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay, and Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons. Norma Shearer has the biggest part, and she seems to be enjoying herself in this little film. You also get a glimpse of Joan Crawford and her best friend, gay film star William Haines. I got this film a few years ago for next to nothing as part of a 3 disc set of silent and early sound movie classics in a dollar store. At a dollar a disc for the set, it has a lot of fascinating entertainment for the price.

Perhaps the best way to describe this short film is to label it "a star-studded 20 minutes." As a movie, it is reminiscent of the early 10-minute silent reels with goofy plots, only way less developed. Each scene is quickly abandoned in an effort to show as many well-known actors as possible. The story merely serves as an excuse to show off Hollywood's biggest stars, ranging from Joan Crawford to Laurel & Hardy. So have fun with it, and just be sure to pay attention or you'll miss a star!

THE CAST (in order of appearance): Wallace Beery, Buster Keaton, Jack Hill, J. Farrell MacDonald, Edward G. Robinson, George E. Stone, Eddie Kane, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Allen 'Farina' Hoskins, Matthew 'Stymie' Beard, Norman 'Chubby' Chaney, Mary Ann Jackson, Shirley Jean Rickert, Dorothy 'Echo' DeBorba, Bobby 'Wheezer' Hutchins, Pete the Pup, Polly Moran, Norma Shearer, Hedda Hopper, Joan Crawford, William Haines, Dorothy Lee, Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, El Brendel, Charles Murray, George Sidney, Winnie Lightner, Fifi D'Orsay, Warner Baxter, Irene Dunne, Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Richard Dix, Lowell Sherman, Claudia Dell, Eugene Palette, Stuart Erwin, 'Skeets' Gallagher, Gary Cooper, Wynne Gibson, 'Buddy' Rogers, Maurice Chevalier, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Loretta Young, Richard Barthelmess, Charles Butterworth, Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, Frank Fay, Barbara Stanwyck, Jack Oakie, Fay Wray, Joe E. Brown, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Little Billy Rhodes, Mitzi Green.

Believe it or not, this unique all-star comedy short was financed by a tobacco-producing company in aid of charity! Practically everybody who was anybody in Hollywood circa 1931 puts in an appearance here during its mildly enjoyable but thoroughly fascinating 18-minute run: seasoned copper Wallace Beery sending rookie Buster Keaton to patrol the streets of L.A., detective team supreme of Laurel & Hardy arriving on the scene of the titular crime (belonging to Norma Shearer, no less) and having their car disassemble itself right there and then, Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe (in character as Flagg and Quirt) waited on by Swede El Brendel at a restaurant, Warner Baxter (again in character as The Cisco Kid – for which he was awarded an Oscar in 1929) flirting with the ladies, gangsters Edward G. Robinson and George E. Stone hiding out in a hotel lobby, Richard Dix and Irene Dunne – whom I have just seen teamed up in CIMARRON (1931) – being questioned by a nosy investigator, editor Gary Cooper ordering reporter Eugene Palette about, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. taking a stroll with Loretta Young, a rare peak at the home of newly-weds Frank Fay and Barbara Stanwyck (of whom, incidentally, I have just acquired a handful of rare movies)…plus Richard Barthelmess, Joe E. Brown (donning a false beard), Maurice Chevalier, Joan Crawford, Jack Oakie, Wheeler & Woolsey (whose brief bit here made me want to watch more of them), etc.

A dogged police inspector searches Hollywood for THE SLIPPERY PEARLS purloined from Norma Shearer.

Several of Tinseltown's brightest talents donated their time to this fund-raiser for the National Variety Artists Tuberculosis Sanitarium located at Savanac Lake, New York. Funds would be solicited from theater patrons after viewing this 20 minute short, which was ironically sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes. Distributed by Paramount Studios, some of the stars are embarrassingly bad in their tiny roles. The comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey come off by far the best, although one wishes one could see more of Maurice Chevalier, Laurel & Hardy and the Our Gang kids.

This little film is sometimes shown under its alternate title of THE STOLEN JOOLS (1931).

The closing credits obligingly give a cast list, particularly helpful in identifying the celebrities of yesteryear who've faded into obscurity:

At The Police Station: Wallace Beery, Buster Keaton, Jack Hill, J. Farrell MacDonald, Edward G. Robinson & George E. Stone.

The Law: Eddie Kane, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy.

At The Victim's House: Our Gang's Allen 'Farina' Hoskins, Matthew 'Stymie' Beard, Norman 'Chubby' Chaney, Mary Ann Jackson, Shirley Jean Rickert, Dorothy 'Echo' DeBorba, Bobby 'Wheezer' Hutchins & Pete the Pup. Also Polly Moran, Norma Shearer & Hedda Hopper.

Tête-à-Tête: Joan Crawford & William Haines.

On The Porch Swing: Dorothy Lee.

At Breakfast: Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen & El Brendel.

In The Hotel: Charles Murray, George Sidney, Winnie Lightner, Fifi D'Orsay, Warner Baxter (as the Cisco Kid) & Irene Dunne.

At Lunch: Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey.

In The Movie Studio: Richard Dix, Lowell Sherman & Claudia Dell.

The Newsmen: Eugene Palette, Stuart Erwin, 'Skeets' Gallagher, Gary Cooper, Wynne Gibson & 'Buddy' Rogers.

The Detective: Maurice Chevalier.

Under The Tree: Douglas Fairbanks Jr. & Loretta Young.

At The Car: Richard Barthelmess.

At The Gate: Charles Butterworth.

Couples At Home: Bebe Daniels & Ben Lyon, Frank Fay & Barbara Stanwyck.

In A Movie Scene: Jack Oakie & Fay Wray.

In A Beard: Joe E. Brown (unbilled).

In The Projection Room: George 'Gabby' Hayes & Little Billy Rhodes.

Solving The Mystery: Mitzi Green.

An interesting comparison with THE SLIPPERY PEARLS is MGM's THE Christmas PARTY, released the same year and with some of the same cast (Norma Shearer, Polly Moran, Wallace Beery). In half the time and with much better production values, it presents a rapid succession of some of MGM's biggest stars playing themselves in a Christmas greeting to their fans.

Those of us who are stargazers will be suitably impressed by The Stolen Jools, originally entitled The Slippery Pearls. Just about all the studios lent some of their best contract players out for this 20 minute short subject.

I can't really describe a plot because there isn't one here. It begins with Wallace Beery as a police sergeant getting the call among others and the fun just starts from there. When you get Edward G. Robinson and George Stone reprising their characters from Little Caesar, when you get Wheeler and Woolsey, Laurel and Hardy, and the Little Rascals all doing a bit of shtick, and such beauties as Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford and so many more just walking, what's to complain?

The short was actually shot at Paramount, there seems to be a tilt toward Paramount players, but only slightly and it was to benefit the National Variety Association tuberculosis sanitarium in Saranac Lake, New York. Back in the day that was a favored location for those who contracted TB.

Just sit back and stargaze.