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The Second 100 Years

  • 1927
  • Passed
  • 20m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
970
YOUR RATING
Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in The Second 100 Years (1927)
ComedyShort

Thrown in prison for a hundred years, Little Goofy and Big Goofy finally break free, posing as an anarchic duo of undercover painters. Soon, the boys wind up in a private party as visiting F... Read allThrown in prison for a hundred years, Little Goofy and Big Goofy finally break free, posing as an anarchic duo of undercover painters. Soon, the boys wind up in a private party as visiting French dignitaries; however, who are they kidding?Thrown in prison for a hundred years, Little Goofy and Big Goofy finally break free, posing as an anarchic duo of undercover painters. Soon, the boys wind up in a private party as visiting French dignitaries; however, who are they kidding?

  • Director
    • Fred Guiol
  • Writers
    • Leo McCarey
    • H.M. Walker
  • Stars
    • Stan Laurel
    • Oliver Hardy
    • James Finlayson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    970
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Fred Guiol
    • Writers
      • Leo McCarey
      • H.M. Walker
    • Stars
      • Stan Laurel
      • Oliver Hardy
      • James Finlayson
    • 14User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos51

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    Top cast20

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    Stan Laurel
    Stan Laurel
    • Little Goofy
    Oliver Hardy
    Oliver Hardy
    • Big Goofy
    James Finlayson
    James Finlayson
    • Governor Browne Van Dyke
    Tiny Sandford
    Tiny Sandford
    • Prison Guard
    • (as Stanley Sandford)
    Frank Brownlee
    Frank Brownlee
    • Prison Warden
    • (uncredited)
    Evelyn Burns
    Evelyn Burns
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Coburn
    Dorothy Coburn
    • Flapper
    • (uncredited)
    Edgar Dearing
    Edgar Dearing
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Budd Fine
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Alfred Fisher
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Otto Fries
    • Lecoque
    • (uncredited)
    William Gillespie
    William Gillespie
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    F.F. Guenste
    F.F. Guenste
    • Butler
    • (uncredited)
    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    • Convict
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Herrick
    • Convict
    • (uncredited)
    Bob O'Connor
    Bob O'Connor
    • Voitrex
    • (uncredited)
    Eugene Pallette
    Eugene Pallette
    • Dinner Host
    • (uncredited)
    Hayes E. Robertson
    Hayes E. Robertson
    • Well Dressed Customer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Fred Guiol
    • Writers
      • Leo McCarey
      • H.M. Walker
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    6.7970
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    Featured reviews

    6andy stew

    Two hundred years with Stan & Ollie? Bliss

    Originally advertised as the first 'official' Laurel & Hardy film (although still part of the Hal Roach 'All-Star' films - designed to feature old stars of the Roach 'stable' on the downgrade, and showcase those whom Roach hoped would be future stars - in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had been appearing since the previous year; the first film in the 'Laurel & Hardy' series would be SHOULD MARRIED MEN GO HOME?, released in 1928), this is a mildly amusing little comedy, with Stan ('Little Goofy') and Oliver teamed as convicts who escape from prison and assume different disguises. Part of the interest surrounding this film stems not only from the fact that it is the first 'official' Laurel & Hardy film, but also from it being the film that led Stan Laurel to acquire his famous spiky hair that became a part of his screen image. Both Stan and Oliver had their heads shaved for this film, and later, as his hair was growing back, Stan noticed that his constant attempts to keep his hair under control were causing the crew and other people on the Hal Roach lot to laugh. So Stan, the greatest gag inventor (and gag executor) that ever lived, decided to keep his hair spiked in his films, due to its usefulness as a laugh-getter. Stan and Oliver's shaved heads can also be seen in the next film they made together, a cameo in the Max Davidson comedy, CALL OF THE CUCKOOS.

    This film can be enjoyed to a greater extent (as can all the silent films) with the addition of wonderful recreations of the Shields and Hatley tunes by the Beau Hunks orchestra - those who own a copy of THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS on VVL as I do are fortunate enough to have these marvellous little melodies playing in the background; if you don't, buy the CDs and play them while you're watching.
    6JoeytheBrit

    Silence isn't always golden...

    There are some good sight gags in this silent Laurel & Hardy comedy, but there's very little plot to speak of. The boys sport shaven heads as they play a pair of convicts attempting to escape from prison and the film follows their various doomed attempts. They dig a tunnel only to strike a water pipe and end up surfacing in the warden's office. Sent to the exercise yard, they're forced to perform exercises. They eventually escape disguised as painters but are followed by a cop and end up painting half the town in their attempts to shake him off. They find themselves back in prison when they hijack the car of a pair of French dignitaries visiting the prison.

    Most of Laurel & Hardy's silent films lose some of the boy's inimitable character simply because we can't hear their voices, and this one's no exception. There are a few funny moments – when the pair instantly assume the marching position, hand on the shoulder of the man in front, when the dinner gong sounds as they're pretending to be the French dignitaries, for example, but you can't help feeling it would be more enjoyable if you could just hear them speak. When Ollie can't voice his frustration and Stan can't squeakily express his distress we only really have half the act.
    6Boba_Fett1138

    Laurel & Hardy in one of their first teaming ups. I wish I could say it also was one of their best..

    The movie is amusing enough but it's far from being the best Laurel & Hardy silent comedy shorts. The movie is at certain points dragging to much for that, especially toward its stretched out ending.

    It's a movie that certainly does have its great comical moments but not quite enough to really stand out as a comedy. The movie has a fun premise and some good comical moments and situations. However these moments and situations are rather stretched out in this movie, which causes them to be too long with as a result that it loses some of its comical power. This especially is the case in the ending of the movie, which takes too long. It makes the movie as a whole also feel too long, even though it of course is shorter than 20 minutes.

    But yes, the good moments in this movie certainly make sure that you'll still be entertained by this movie as a whole.

    The boys are in good form in this movie, which was one of their first teaming ups as a comedy duo. Especially Stan Laurel is in his element, while Oliver Hardy was still clearly searching and developing his character. It was a bit weird to see the boys without hair but unlike Samson, they don't lose any of their power. It's always fun to see James Finlayson in a Laurel & Hardy movie, even when it's a silent one. I thought I also noticed Walter Long as one of the convicts but I'm not too sure of this, also since he isn't credited.

    Slightly disappointing when compared to Laurel & Hardy's other work but entertaining enough to watch nevertheless.

    6/10

    http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
    7BJJManchester

    Hardy and Laurel

    Generally thought to be the first official Laurel and Hardy release(although PUTTING PANTS ON PHILLIP is also put in this bracket),the boys don't wear their Bowler hats and have their heads shaved,but are very much a team in this early effort,more so than PPOP where they play against each other rather than for.There's plenty of amusing incident and situations(especially when they attempt to escape the jail as painters);one slight quibble is that as convicts,the characters they have to play here have a very slightly more unpleasing edge than they would be establishing only a few films later in the partnership.Still funny though,and Jimmy Finlayson's double take and fade away is worth a few more laughs as well here;in early publicity material the boys were sometimes billed as 'Hardy and Laurel' in this film;that soon changed.
    4Libretio

    Stan 'n' Ollie cause chaos in jail!

    THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS

    Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

    Sound format: Silent

    (Black and white - Short film)

    Two jail birds (Laurel and Hardy) escape from custody and assume the identities of French dignitaries who turn out to be prison inspectors (Otto Fries and Bob O'Conor) on their way to the very jail from which L&H have just escaped! Havoc ensues.

    One of the best of L&H's silent comedies, and certainly their best collaboration with director Fred Guiol. This one features a full range of amusing set-pieces, including an inspired sequence in which The Boys elude a nosey cop by pretending to be painters (only to end up painting everything in sight, including someone's car!), and the lengthy scene in which they're mistaken for visiting VIP's and received at the prison as guests of honor by warden James Finlayson, only to cause chaos at the dinner table. The escalation of comic incidents is entirely believable throughout. However, the film also contains an offensive sight gag, when L&H accidentally slap white paint all over the face of an African-American passer-by.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Laurel and Hardy's heads were shaved for their appearance in this film, and their hair had not yet grown back in their roles in Max Davidson's "Call of the Cuckoos" (1927), released a week after this film.
    • Quotes

      Little Goofy: Do you smell anything?

      Big Goofy: It's ham frying... We must be under the kitchen!

    • Alternate versions
      There is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "STANLIO E OLLIO - COMICHE INDIMENTICABILI: The Second 100 Years + Call of the Cuckoo + Sugar Daddies + Do Detectives Think? (1927)" (4 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Golden Age of Comedy (1957)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 8, 1927 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Second Hundred Years
    • Filming locations
      • Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Hal Roach Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      20 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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