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Night Owls
Directed byJames Parrott
Written byH.M. Walker
Produced byHal Roach
StarringStan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
Edgar Kennedy
James Finlayson
CinematographyGeorge Stevens
Edited byRichard C. Currier
Music byMarvin Hatley
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
DIC Entertainment (1990 re-release)
Release date
  • January 4, 1930 (1930-01-04)
Running time
20:44 (English)
36:06 (Spanish)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Night Owls is a 1930 American Pre-Code Laurel and Hardy short film. It was filmed in October and November 1929, and released January 4, 1930.

Plot

Police officer Edgar Kennedy is warned by his police chief to make arrests to stop a burglary epidemic on his patch or face the sack. Kennedy comes across vagrants Laurel and Hardy that night and persuades them to rob the chief's house to get in his boss's good books. The boys, believing it to be too dangerous, at first refuse. After Kennedy threatens them with ninety days on "the rockpile," and assures them he will get them released after they're caught, they agree to the ruse. Stan and Ollie encounter various problems but after various complications, the chief catches Kennedy with various valuables in his house, while the boys manage somehow to escape.

Cast

Production

This was the first film to use their celebrated theme tune, "The 'Ku-Ku' Song", written by Marvin Hatley. The Film Classics reissue print features the instrumental version of Marvin Hatley's "Honolulu Baby" from the Sons of the Desert soundtrack in place of "The 'Ku-Ku' Song."

International versions

The film was also released in an alternate Spanish version,[1] Ladrones,[2][3][4] expanded to nearly four reels in length instead of the English two reels. The film was also released in an Italian version,[1] Ladroni, and in an Esperanto version Ŝtelistoj, which are both now lost. The foreign versions retained not only the headliners, but Edgar Kennedy and James Finlayson as well. The English and Spanish versions are available on DVD.

References

  1. ^ a b "Variety's Bulletin Condensed". Variety. No. vol. C no. 4. August 6, 1930. p. 28. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "Garbo's KISS May Set Foreign System". Variety. No. vol. XCVIII no. 8. March 5, 1930. p. 5. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Schallert, Edwin; Schallert, Elza (May 1930). "Hollywood High Lights". Picture Play Magazine. No. vol. XXXII no. 3. Street & Smith Publications. p. 53. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  4. ^ Schallert, Edwin; Schallert, Elza (February 1930). "Hollywood High Lights". Picture Play Magazine. No. vol. XXXI no. 6. Street & Smith Publications. p. 94. Retrieved August 9, 2019.

External links

Filmography of Laurel and Hardy
Films directed by James Parrott
Categories