Helpmates (1932)

Director:

James Parrott

Writer:

H.M. Walker (dialogue)

Release Date:

23 January 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

When the cats are away, the mice start looking up telephone numbers

Plot:

Oliver's house is in a shambles after a wild party, and his wife is due home at noon. He calls Stanley to help him fix the place up...

Plot Keywords:

Mirror | Broken Dish | Fire | Gasoline | Head Through Drawer

Cast

Stan Laurel	...	Stanley
Oliver Hardy	...	Oliver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Burns	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Robert Callahan	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Blanche Payson	...	Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)

Directed by
James Parrott

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
H.M. Walker		dialogue

Produced by
Hal Roach	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Art Lloyd		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Richard C. Currier		(as Richard Currier)

Sound Department
Elmer Raguse	....	sound recording engineer

Music Department
Marvin Hatley	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Leroy Shield	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Hal Roach	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Hal Roach Studios Inc.

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Reserva Especial (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Top Tape (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

20 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S (1959) | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U

Company:

Hal Roach Studios Inc.

Trivia:

At one point Stan Laurel gives out a phone number, and it was his own personal number at the time.

Goofs:

Continuity: Stan has attached the drying line to the kitchen door and, when Ollie opens it, he pulls down the chimney pipe from the stove and is hit by a cloud of soot. Stan comes over and takes off Ollie's hat, and, trying to clean it , blows the soot from the top into Ollie's face. But the top of his hat was white and clean in the previous shot.

Quotes:

Ollie: Listen, I'm in a slight predicament. My wife's coming home at noon today unexpectedly. And just look at this house.
Stan: [sees the mess] What's the matter with it?
Ollie: What's the matter with it? You never met my wife, have you?
Stan: Yes, I never did.
Ollie: What do you mean "Yes I never did"?
[shows him wedding photo]
Ollie: That's my wife.
Stan: Isn't she sweet.
Ollie: Charming.
Stan: Where is your wife?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Moon and You

Cleanin' Up The House With Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy

Stan & Ollie are HELPMATES, always ready to assist the other out of a jam. So, with his house a wreck after a wild party and his shrew-of-a-wife returning from her Chicago trip in a few hours, Ollie asks Stan to help him clean-up. Perhaps that wasn't the wisest choice...

A funny little film, with lots of slapstick humor. Once again, one can't help wondering how Ollie could take so many bonks on the head without it damaging him.