A Lucky Dog
Encyclopedia
The Lucky Dog was the first film to include both members of the famous comedy duo
of Stan Laurel
and Oliver Hardy
, later known as Laurel and Hardy
and is the first occasion that they worked together.
Though they appear in scenes together, they play independent of each other and not as the comedic team that they would later become.
The film was shot as two reels, but some versions end abruptly after the first reel where Stan is robbed by Ollie.
Stan plays the hapless hero, who after being thrown out onto the street for not paying his rent, is befriended by a stray dog. The dog and Stan then bump into Oliver (playing a robber) who is holding someone up. Oliver, who in the process has accidentally placed his victim’s money into Stan's back pocket, turns from his first victim (who runs off) to rob Stan. Oliver then steals the money he had already stolen, from a very bemused Stan who had thought he was broke.
Stan and the dog escape and the dog makes friends with a poodle. The poodle’s lady owner (Florence Gillet) persuades Stan to enter his dog into the local dog show
. When his entry is refused, Stan sneaks in anyway, but is quickly thrown out, followed by all the dogs in the show.
Stan spots the poodle’s owner outside looking for her dog and offers his dog in its place. She accepts and in turn offers him a lift to her home. This scene is witnessed by her jealous boyfriend, who happens to bump into Oliver and together the two plot their revenge on Stan.
At the lady's house, Stan is introduced to the boyfriend and Oliver (in disguise as the Count de Chease of Switzerland). The boyfriend proposes and is refused while Oliver attempts to shoot Stan only to have the gun jam. The boyfriend chases the lady around the house while Ollie tries to blow up Stan with a stick of dynamite. The dog comes to the rescue, chasing Ollie and the boyfriend into the garden with the dynamite and leaving them to be blown up.
in one shot of the complete film, the most likely date filming took place is in the latter part of 1920 and into early 1921. The film was released for distribution in late 1921 by Reelcraft.
The film's production cost was thought to have been about $3000.
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
of 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:...
, later known as 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 is the first occasion that they worked together.
Though they appear in scenes together, they play independent of each other and not as the comedic team that they would later become.
The film was shot as two reels, but some versions end abruptly after the first reel where Stan is robbed by Ollie.
Plot
Stan and the dog escape and the dog makes friends with a poodle. The poodle’s lady owner (Florence Gillet) persuades Stan to enter his dog into the local dog show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
. When his entry is refused, Stan sneaks in anyway, but is quickly thrown out, followed by all the dogs in the show.
Stan spots the poodle’s owner outside looking for her dog and offers his dog in its place. She accepts and in turn offers him a lift to her home. This scene is witnessed by her jealous boyfriend, who happens to bump into Oliver and together the two plot their revenge on Stan.
At the lady's house, Stan is introduced to the boyfriend and Oliver (in disguise as the Count de Chease of Switzerland). The boyfriend proposes and is refused while Oliver attempts to shoot Stan only to have the gun jam. The boyfriend chases the lady around the house while Ollie tries to blow up Stan with a stick of dynamite. The dog comes to the rescue, chasing Ollie and the boyfriend into the garden with the dynamite and leaving them to be blown up.
Production and release date
The precise date that the film was shot is not recorded. It had long been thought to have been made in 1917, partially due to comments Stan made about it during an interview in 1957. But it had also been dated to 1918 and 1919. However, on the basis of an examination of the dates that Stan was available for filming, and the appearance of a 1920 car license plateVehicle registration plate
A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...
in one shot of the complete film, the most likely date filming took place is in the latter part of 1920 and into early 1921. The film was released for distribution in late 1921 by Reelcraft.
The film's production cost was thought to have been about $3000.
Cast & Crew
- 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...
- Young man - 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:...
- Bandit - Florence Gillet - Girl
- Jack Lloyd - Boyfriend
- Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson - Producer
- Irving G. Ries - Cinematography