Why Girls Love Sailors
Encyclopedia
Why Girls Love Sailors is a comedy short silent film
directed by Fred Guiol
for Hal Roach Studios starring Stan Laurel
and Oliver Hardy
before they had become the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy
. It was shot during February 1927 and released July 17, 1927, by Pathé Exchange. It was considered a lost film
until the 1980s.
and a moustache
, rather than his usual solitary moustache. Stan plays Willie Brisling a guy who is engaged to Nelly and they are in love. The captain leaves his ship, he sees Nelly and decides he wants her. Stan has a tattoo
of a ship on his chest and shows it to the captain. The captain pours a jug of water down Stan's sweater and abducts Nelly. The captain takes Nelly to his ship and Stan sneaks on board to rescue her. Oliver starts to look for Stan. Stan decides to save Nelly his last hope is to get rid of the crew, one by one. Stan disguises himself as a loose woman. The crew begin to fall for his charms. Stan calls one of the crewmen over, he hits the crewman with a cosh
and knocks him out. Then he throws the cosh at Oliver, who thinks the crewman threw the cosh. Oliver throws the crewman overboard
, this is repeated until all of the crew are in the sea.
Nelly is being harassed by the captain. The captain's wife appears at the ship. The Captain takes a fancy to Stan. The wife appears as Stan is sat in the captain's lap. The captain's wife takes a gun and goes to shoot her husband. Stan stops her and takes off his wig. Stan says "this was a test to see if you really love your husband". The captain and wife begin to make up. But then the captain indicates he's going to "deal with Stan later". Stan is peeved, he opens the door and Nelly appears. Stan indicates the captain has been up to no good with Nelly and that four other loose women have already gone. The captain's wife is furious, Stan gives her the gun back. Stan and Nelly leave. There is a gunshot in the room. The wife, still angry, sees Stan and Nelly through a porthole
and shoots them. Stan and Nelly's clothes fall off revealing their underwear.
in a Laurel and Hardy picture, her involvement in the film wasn't known for over fifty years, until the 1986 rediscovery.
Deleted scenes from this film included actress Anna May Wong
.
had a 16mm print, French film critic Roland Lacourbe saw it in 1971, and pronounced it mediocre.
When it was finally published it was drawn from a 16mm print in a private collection, and only due to the efforts of a private collector in Copenhagen
. Laurel and Hardy author Glenn Mitchell is even less impressed by the film than was Lacourbe: "Why Girls Love Sailors is one of several instances where the status of a 'lost' film has been reduced by its rediscovery," he writes. It is available in Europe on VHS and DVD releases, with reconstructed credits. In the United States, both VHS and DVD editions are out-of-print.
, a film he made some two months later.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Fred Guiol
Fred Guiol
Fred Guiol was an American film director and screenwriter. Guiol worked at the Hal Roach Studios for many years, and directed Laurel and Hardy's earliest short films, as their famous comic partnership gradually developed during 1927...
for Hal Roach Studios starring Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
and Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
before they had become the comedy team of 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...
. It was shot during February 1927 and released July 17, 1927, by Pathé Exchange. It was considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
until the 1980s.
Plot
The film starts with the loading of a ship called the Merry Maiden. Oliver is first mate on the ship and described as "a bully, the nastiest crew member, after the captain of course". He features a beardBeard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
and a moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, rather than his usual solitary moustache. Stan plays Willie Brisling a guy who is engaged to Nelly and they are in love. The captain leaves his ship, he sees Nelly and decides he wants her. Stan has a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
of a ship on his chest and shows it to the captain. The captain pours a jug of water down Stan's sweater and abducts Nelly. The captain takes Nelly to his ship and Stan sneaks on board to rescue her. Oliver starts to look for Stan. Stan decides to save Nelly his last hope is to get rid of the crew, one by one. Stan disguises himself as a loose woman. The crew begin to fall for his charms. Stan calls one of the crewmen over, he hits the crewman with a cosh
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
and knocks him out. Then he throws the cosh at Oliver, who thinks the crewman threw the cosh. Oliver throws the crewman overboard
Man overboard
Man overboard is a situation in which a person has fallen from a boat or ship into the water and is in need of rescue. Whoever sees the person's fall should shout "man overboard" to alert other crew members and attempt to maintain visual contact with the person in the water...
, this is repeated until all of the crew are in the sea.
Nelly is being harassed by the captain. The captain's wife appears at the ship. The Captain takes a fancy to Stan. The wife appears as Stan is sat in the captain's lap. The captain's wife takes a gun and goes to shoot her husband. Stan stops her and takes off his wig. Stan says "this was a test to see if you really love your husband". The captain and wife begin to make up. But then the captain indicates he's going to "deal with Stan later". Stan is peeved, he opens the door and Nelly appears. Stan indicates the captain has been up to no good with Nelly and that four other loose women have already gone. The captain's wife is furious, Stan gives her the gun back. Stan and Nelly leave. There is a gunshot in the room. The wife, still angry, sees Stan and Nelly through a porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
and shoots them. Stan and Nelly's clothes fall off revealing their underwear.
Cast
- Stan LaurelStan LaurelArthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
as Willie Brisling - Oliver HardyOliver HardyOliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
as First mate - Viola RichardViola RichardViola Richard, , was an American actress who appeared in several silent short comedies at the Hal Roach Studios opposite Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase and Max Davidson in the 1920s...
as Willie's Girl - Anita GarvinAnita GarvinAnita Garvin was an American actress and comedienne who appeared in both silent and sound films. She is best known for her work with comedians Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase....
as Captain's wife - Malcolm WaiteMalcolm WaiteMalcom Waite , was an American film actor. He appeared in 31 films between 1924 and 1942.He was born in Memominee, Michigan and died in Van Nuys, California.-External links:...
as Captain - Charles R. Althoff as Grandpa Brisling (uncredited)
- Edgar DearingEdgar DearingEdgar Dearing was an American actor who became heavily type cast as a motorcycle cop in Hollywood films. He started in silent comedy shorts for Hal Roach, including several with Laurel and Hardy, notably in their classic Two Tars, probably his best ever screen role...
as Amorous Sailor (uncredited) - Bobby DunnBobby DunnBobby Dunn was a comic actor who appeared in several Laurel & Hardy comedies, beginning with Duck Soup, and notably as the shoplifter in Tit for Tat.-Biography:...
as Bemused bit (uncredited)
Production
The film marks the first appearance of Anita GarvinAnita Garvin
Anita Garvin was an American actress and comedienne who appeared in both silent and sound films. She is best known for her work with comedians Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase....
in a Laurel and Hardy picture, her involvement in the film wasn't known for over fifty years, until the 1986 rediscovery.
Deleted scenes from this film included actress Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
.
Rediscovery of film in the 1980s
After its initial run in 1927 and particularly after talkies eclipsed silent films marketability, Why Girls Love Sailors went missing in the U.S. for nearly fifty years. Cinémathèque FrançaiseCinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...
had a 16mm print, French film critic Roland Lacourbe saw it in 1971, and pronounced it mediocre.
When it was finally published it was drawn from a 16mm print in a private collection, and only due to the efforts of a private collector in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Laurel and Hardy author Glenn Mitchell is even less impressed by the film than was Lacourbe: "Why Girls Love Sailors is one of several instances where the status of a 'lost' film has been reduced by its rediscovery," he writes. It is available in Europe on VHS and DVD releases, with reconstructed credits. In the United States, both VHS and DVD editions are out-of-print.
Influence and legacy
In later years, Oliver Hardy claimed he originated his signature "tie-twiddle" in this film, except he doesn't wear a tie in it; he was probably thinking of Sailors BewareSailors Beware
Sailors, Beware! is a Hal Roach two reel silent film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before they were officially a team. Also appearing in the film are Anita Garvin, and Hollywood midget Harry Earles, who would once again appear with Laurel and Hardy in Block-Heads .-Cast:*Stan Laurel as...
, a film he made some two months later.