Laurel and Hardy: The Devil Brothers

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Movie
German title Dick and Doof - The Devil Brothers
Original title Pack Up Your Troubles
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1932
length 68 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director George Marshall ,
Raymond McCarey ,
Harry Black ,
Lloyd French
script HM Walker
production Hal Roach
music Leroy Shield ,
Marvin Hatley ,
Felix Powell
camera Kind of Lloyd
cut Richard Currier
occupation

Dick und Doof - Die Teufelsbrüder (alternative title Die Teufelsbrüder , original title Pack Up Your Troubles ) is an American comedy film by comedian duo Laurel & Hardy from 1932 , it was also the second full-length film by the two.

action

1917: After the United States entered World War I , Stan and Ollie were reluctant to join the army as “volunteers”. They first try to avoid the war effort by pretending that their arms are amputated. When the recruiting officer gives them some money out of pity, Stan takes it with his hand and their cover is blown. Even when completing their basic training, the two of them arouse the anger of their superiors due to their clumsiness and are assigned to do kitchen duty. There they soon turn the choleric regimental cook Pierre against them. When they take Pierre's ironic remarks literally and take the kitchen garbage to the general's apartment, both Stan and Ollie and Pierre are arrested by the general. Pierre threatens terrible revenge on Stan and Ollie in prison. After their release, Stan and Ollie befriend the soldier Eddie Smith, who has problems privately: his wife has left him and now he is solely responsible for their little child.

Eventually Stan and Ollie come to the front. You accidentally volunteered for a suicide mission. They cope with this with proven clumsiness by rolling up enemy lines with a tank in which they actually only wanted to hide and taking numerous prisoners. However, her boyfriend Eddie Smith falls in combat, so that his daughter is now completely alone. After the end of the war and their return to the USA, the unemployed veterans decide to look after the bereaved daughter of their deceased war comrade. They want to take her to her unsuspecting grandparents; however, they only know the last name of their grandfather: Smith - a name that is used innumerable times. Stan and Ollie free the toddler from the care of the wicked foster uncle Jack, for whom domestic violence against his wife and child is commonplace. In an unusually determined manner - but still unsuccessful - you rattle off all addresses with the name "Smith". On one occasion, their stupidity ensures that a high society wedding becomes a scandal and it bursts. Meanwhile, the cute girl takes pleasure in family life with her two carers and is already beginning to imitate their behavior.

Meanwhile, Uncle Jack - who still wants to collect the money for Eddie's daughter - calls the Welfare Agency for help. The heartless welfare officer asks Stan and Ollie to give him the child, which they vehemently refuse and paste him with groceries from their moving hot dog cart. At the bank, they want to borrow money for a possible escape from the welfare authorities, whereby Stan and Ollie tend to become bank robbers unintentionally. The police and welfare officer can finally track down Stan and Ollie, who are arrested. When Stan and Ollie are finally to be identified as bank robbers by the bank director Mr. Smith, he turns out to be the girl's long-sought grandfather. A happy meeting of all involved takes place and the bank director promises the duo that they have taken care of the future. The bank manager's cook appears. It is an old friend of the duo: the army chef Pierre with his kitchen knife, who rudely chases the two outside.

background

  • The shooting took place in May 1932. Director George Marshall also played the role of chef Pierre.
  • Tanks and a total of 1,000 soldiers were made available to the film team for the war scenes.
  • The boxer Smith , who gave the "Devil Brothers" thick noses, was portrayed by the real heavyweight boxer "Gunboat" Smith ( Edward J. Smyth ), who was very popular at the beginning of the 20th century , and who was in the ring with the legendary world boxing champion Jack Dempsey had confessed. In addition, Paulette Goddard made a brief appearance as a bridesmaid before her breakthrough.

Reviews

When the film was shown again in German cinemas 35 years after its premiere, the Protestant film observer came to the following assessment: "'Dick and Doof' [...] are also some fun in this more undemanding early film [...]." Lexicon of the International Film judged: "Carefree entertainment that combines a lot of situation comedy with some excellent gags, but also some too cheesy-sentimental moments."

German versions

  • In 1952 a shortened version appeared under the title Dick and Doof as recruits . The dubbing was done by the International Film Union , the dialogue book comes from Volker J. Becker. Walter Bluhm spoke to Stan and Hermann Pfeiffer Ollie.
  • In 1967 the title Die Teufelsbrüder ( The Devil's Brothers), which has been preserved to this day, was re-performed in Frankfurt's “Alemannia Theater”. A new dubbed version was created by Berliner Synchron , the book was written by Werner Schwier , who was responsible for a total of eight Laurel & Hardy dialogue books. Helmut Ahner took over the role of Stan Laurel for the prevented Walter Bluhm and Gerd Duwner spoke for Oliver Hardy. This version was released on DVD by Kinowelt .
  • In 1972 Beta-Technik produced a third dubbed version entitled Grandpa, Child and Hot Sausages . The dialogue book is by Heinz Caloué. Walter Bluhm spoke to Stan and Bruno W. Pantel took over Ollie.
  • An abridged version was created under the title The embarrassing banquet for the series Dick and Doof also at Beta-Technik in Munich. The book was also from Heinz Calouné and Stan and Ollie were spoken again by Bluhm and Pantel. Another excerpt was created by the same team under the title Der Lümmel im Kinderwagen . Hanns Dieter Hüsch gave introductory comments .
  • The fourth complete version ( forget your worries ) followed in 1975. The dialogue book from 1967 was largely reused by Wolfgang Schick . Theo Lingen also gave a short introduction that was shown before the film in the series Laugh with Stan and Ollie . Walter Bluhm spoke to Stan again and Michael Habeck took over Ollie. This version was released on DVD by the company "Medaria".

In Austria the film was also sold under the name “Two Fathers and One Child” or “The Rescuers of the Company”.

literature

  • Dick, Rainer: Laurel and Hardy: The greatest comedians of all time. - Orig. - Munich: Heyne, 1995 (Heyne Filmbibliothek; 32/221) - ISBN 3-453-09006-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Laurel and Hardy: The Devil Brothers in the Lexicon of International FilmsTemplate: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used . Retrieved January 20, 2013
  2. ↑ Evangelical Press Association Munich, Review No. 250/1967.
  3. ↑ The Devil Brothers at Two Thousand and One
  4. ↑ a b c d e Norbert Aping: Das kleine Dick-und-Doof-Buch Schüren, Marburg 2014, appendix pp. 341–344.