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The Bohemian Girl (1936 film)
Encyclopedia
The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl
by Michael William Balfe
. It was produced at the Hal Roach Studios, and stars Laurel and Hardy
and Thelma Todd
in her last role before her death.
. When Oliver is out pickpocketing, fortune-telling
or attending his zither
lessons, his wife (Mae Busch
), has an affair with Devilshoof (Antonio Moreno
). A cruel nobleman, Count
Arnheim, persecutes the Gypsies, who are forced to flee, but Mrs. Hardy kidnaps his daughter, Arline (Darla Hood
), leaves Hardy holding the baby, and elope
s with Devilshoof.
12 years later, the Gypsies return to Arnheim's estate. When grown up Arline (Julie Bishop
) trespasses in Arnheim's garden, she recognises the place, but is arrested by a constable (Jimmy Finlayson
) and sentenced to the torture chamber
. Stan and Oliver try to save her, but Stan is too drunk and both are arrested. Arline is rescued in time by Arnheim, who recognises a medallion she wears, and both try to rescue Stan and Oliver. It is too late though: Laurel and Hardy end up in the torture chamber, resulting in one of the team's best sight gags.
, including their first talkie, Unaccustomed As We Are
.
Todd died on 16 December 1935 at age 29. She had been found in the garage of her home, poisoned by the fumes of her own car. Stan Laurel received a Christmas
present
from her soon afterwards. The jury brought out a verdict of suicide
, but this came under heavy suspicion.
Three films starring Todd were released after her death. In The Bohemian Girl, Todd had played the Gypsy Queen
, a very substantial role. All of her scenes were re-shot and her character was renamed as the Gypsy Queen's Daughter, and Zeffie Tilbury
playing the Queen, and with a vampish Mae Busch
character replacing her in the narrative. One scene of Todd's was kept in as a tribute to her: a musical number where she sings "Heart of a Gypsy".
: James Finlayson, well- known for his comical squinting, gets poked in the eye at one point and cries: "Oh! My good eye!"
wanted to cast a talented newcomer as Arline. Hal Roach
cast Darla Hood
, who had just begun appearing in Roach's Our Gang
comedies, as young Arline and Julie Bishop as adult Arline.
Rosina Lawrence
dubs Julie Bishop's singing.
Paulette Goddard
has a small uncredited role as a Gypsy.
The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl is an opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Cervantes tale, La Gitanilla.The opera was first produced in London at the Drury Lane Theatre on November 27, 1843...
by Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe was an Irish composer, best-remembered for his opera The Bohemian Girl.After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to compose. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed 38 operas, almost 250 songs and other works...
. It was produced at the Hal Roach Studios, and stars Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
and Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd
Thelma Alice Todd was an American actress. Appearing in about 120 pictures between 1926 and 1935, she is best remembered for her comedic roles in films like Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and Horse Feathers, a number of Charley Chase's short comedies, and co-starring with Buster Keaton and Jimmy...
in her last role before her death.
Plot
Laurel and Hardy are a hen-pecked pair of Gypsies in 18th Century AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. When Oliver is out pickpocketing, fortune-telling
Fortune-telling
Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination...
or attending his zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
lessons, his wife (Mae Busch
Mae Busch
Mae Busch was an Australian film actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career, she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, where she frequently played Hardy's shrewish wife.-Early life and career:Born in Melbourne, Australia, Busch was...
), has an affair with Devilshoof (Antonio Moreno
Antonio Moreno
Antonio "Tony" Moreno was a notable Spanish-born American actor and film director of the silent film era and through the 1950s.- Biography :...
). A cruel nobleman, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Arnheim, persecutes the Gypsies, who are forced to flee, but Mrs. Hardy kidnaps his daughter, Arline (Darla Hood
Darla Hood
Darla Jean Hood was an American child actress, best known as the leading lady in the Our Gang series from 1935 to 1941. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of James Claude Hood and Elizabeth Davner...
), leaves Hardy holding the baby, and elope
Elope
To elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...
s with Devilshoof.
12 years later, the Gypsies return to Arnheim's estate. When grown up Arline (Julie Bishop
Julie Bishop (actress)
Julie Bishop was an American film and television actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1923 and 1957....
) trespasses in Arnheim's garden, she recognises the place, but is arrested by a constable (Jimmy Finlayson
Jimmy Finlayson
James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is famous for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression...
) and sentenced to the torture chamber
Torture chamber
A torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
. Stan and Oliver try to save her, but Stan is too drunk and both are arrested. Arline is rescued in time by Arnheim, who recognises a medallion she wears, and both try to rescue Stan and Oliver. It is too late though: Laurel and Hardy end up in the torture chamber, resulting in one of the team's best sight gags.
Thelma Todd's role
Thelma Todd had starred in four Laurel and Hardy filmsLaurel and Hardy films
This is the complete list of films which either star or feature the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy. Together, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appeared in 107 short films and features....
, including their first talkie, Unaccustomed As We Are
Unaccustomed As We Are
Unaccustomed As We Are is a 1929 comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, also featuring Mae Busch , Edgar Kennedy , and Thelma Todd...
.
Todd died on 16 December 1935 at age 29. She had been found in the garage of her home, poisoned by the fumes of her own car. Stan Laurel received a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
present
Gift
A gift or a present is the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc. may contribute to...
from her soon afterwards. The jury brought out a verdict of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, but this came under heavy suspicion.
Three films starring Todd were released after her death. In The Bohemian Girl, Todd had played the Gypsy Queen
Gypsy Queen
*"Gypsy Queen" is a popular song written by Hungarian guitarist Gábor Szabó*"Gypsy Queen" was a popular song of the 1970s written by Austraian musician Greg Quill and recorded by Australian band Country Radio*"Gypsy Queen", a song by Riot from Rock City...
, a very substantial role. All of her scenes were re-shot and her character was renamed as the Gypsy Queen's Daughter, and Zeffie Tilbury
Zeffie Tilbury
Zeffie Agnes Lydia Tilbury was an English actress-Career:Born in Paddington, Middlesex, England Tilbury was known first on the London stage and later for playing wise or evil older characters in films, such as the distinguished lady gambler at dinner with Garbo in The Single Standard, as Grandma...
playing the Queen, and with a vampish Mae Busch
Mae Busch
Mae Busch was an Australian film actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career, she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, where she frequently played Hardy's shrewish wife.-Early life and career:Born in Melbourne, Australia, Busch was...
character replacing her in the narrative. One scene of Todd's was kept in as a tribute to her: a musical number where she sings "Heart of a Gypsy".
Quotes
Meta-referenceMeta-reference
Metareference, a metafiction technique, is a situation in a work of fiction whereby characters display an awareness that they are in such a work, such as a film, television show or book. Sometimes it may even just be a form of editing or film-making technique that comments on the...
: James Finlayson, well- known for his comical squinting, gets poked in the eye at one point and cries: "Oh! My good eye!"
Casting and production details
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
wanted to cast a talented newcomer as Arline. Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
cast Darla Hood
Darla Hood
Darla Jean Hood was an American child actress, best known as the leading lady in the Our Gang series from 1935 to 1941. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of James Claude Hood and Elizabeth Davner...
, who had just begun appearing in Roach's Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
comedies, as young Arline and Julie Bishop as adult Arline.
Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence
Rosina Lawrence was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer. She was a native of Ottawa, Ontario.-Career:...
dubs Julie Bishop's singing.
Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard was an American film and theatre actress. A former child fashion model and in several Broadway productions as Ziegfeld Girl, she was a major star of the Paramount Studio in the 1940s. She was married to several notable men, including Charlie Chaplin, Burgess Meredith, and Erich...
has a small uncredited role as a Gypsy.