Tweet Behind The Front (1926)

I got hold of a VHS Grapevine copy, and can't believe I found it not bad at all (except of course that it's a VHS Grapevine copy IYKWIM). It's often pretty funny, though how some big jokes were left untold was something of a shame. It slacked a bit during the battle sequence (the tank gag was too long among others) and some of the humor was rather gruesome, like the butcher just disappearing. Good Ralph Spence titles helped get the humor over. I get the feeling their films worked for an audience (otherwise why make seven?), but that critics didn't like them. I find not many positive reviews of any of their films in the silent-era publications I've read. I don't know that I'd go so far as to tread into Dane/Arthur territory, though. I remember some dire tales of viewings.

It can't have been too badly regarded at the time, it spawned a couple of sequels. The 'funny side of the war' became a major film genre in Australia.

I got hold of a VHS Grapevine copy, and can't believe I found it not bad at all (except of course that it's a VHS Grapevine copy IYKWIM). It's often pretty funny, though how some big jokes were left untold was something of a shame. It slacked a bit during the battle sequence (the tank gag was too long among others) and some of the humor was rather gruesome, like the butcher just disappearing. Good Ralph Spence titles helped get the humor over. I get the feeling their films worked for an audience (otherwise why make seven?), but that critics didn't like them. I find not many positive reviews of any of their films in the silent-era publications I've read. I don't know that I'd go so far as to tread into Dane/Arthur territory, though. I remember some dire tales of viewings.

Seven sequels? Navy and Air Force, I know. What are the other five sequels?

Jim

I got hold of a VHS Grapevine copy, and can't believe I found it not bad at all (except of course that it's a VHS Grapevine copy IYKWIM). It's often pretty funny, though how some big jokes were left untold was something of a shame. It slacked a bit during the battle sequence (the tank gag was too long among others) and some of the humor was rather gruesome, like the butcher just disappearing. Good Ralph Spence titles helped get the humor over. I get the feeling their films worked for an audience (otherwise why make seven?), but that critics didn't like them. I find not many positive reviews of any of their films in the silent-era publications I've read. I don't know that I'd go so far as to tread into Dane/Arthur territory, though. I remember some dire tales of viewings.

Seven sequels? Navy and Air Force, I know. What are the other five sequels?

Jim

Not seven sequels, seven Beery/Hatton films.

I got hold of a VHS Grapevine copy, and can't believe I found it not bad at all (except of course that it's a VHS Grapevine copy IYKWIM). It's often pretty funny, though how some big jokes were left untold was something of a shame. It slacked a bit during the battle sequence (the tank gag was too long among others) and some of the humor was rather gruesome, like the butcher just disappearing. Good Ralph Spence titles helped get the humor over. I get the feeling their films worked for an audience (otherwise why make seven?), but that critics didn't like them. I find not many positive reviews of any of their films in the silent-era publications I've read. I don't know that I'd go so far as to tread into Dane/Arthur territory, though. I remember some dire tales of viewings.

Paramount's publicity for BEHIND THE FRONT promised "Bombshells of laughter."

Paramount's publicity for BEHIND THE FRONT promised "Bombshells of laughter."

Half right.

Jim

Paramount's publicity for BEHIND THE FRONT promised "Bombshells of laughter."

Half right.

Jim

Well, it was one of the top boxoffice hits of 1926 (WE'RE IN THE NAVY NOW was another) and it was most likely responsible for Laurel and Hardy's existence.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Paramount's publicity for BEHIND THE FRONT promised "Bombshells of laughter."

Half right.

Jim

Well, it was one of the top boxoffice hits of 1926 (WE'RE IN THE NAVY NOW was another) and it was most likely responsible for Laurel and Hardy's existence.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

I figured the films would play well with an audience. My father was a WWI vet and he'd have laughed at this as he had other service comedies.

On the other hand, i thought this was one of the ghastliest things i've ever seen.

greta

On the other hand, i thought this was one of the ghastliest things i've ever seen.

greta

Some of the gags peg my "crude" meter, but I couldn't help laughing at the bit when each finds they have the same girl and are willing to step aside for the other. It has Beery telling Hatton he's handsome and Hatton telling Beery he has "sex appeal". I kinda expect crude-but-funny gags from Eddie Sutherland.

I just found LOC has a 16mm copy of The Big Killing. That one got a few decent reviews. I love the fact the highest rated of their films on IMDB gets that rating only because Louise Brooks is in it.

On the other hand, i thought this was one of the ghastliest things i've ever seen.

greta

Some of the gags peg my "crude" meter, but I couldn't help laughing at the bit when each finds they have the same girl and are willing to step aside for the other. It has Beery telling Hatton he's handsome and Hatton telling Beery he has "sex appeal". I kinda expect crude-but-funny gags from Eddie Sutherland.

I just found LOC has a 16mm copy of The Big Killing. That one got a few decent reviews. I love the fact the highest rated of their films on IMDB gets that rating only because Louise Brooks is in it.

LOC actually has beautiful 35mm material on THR BIG KILLING (1928), which is an odd film placing Beery and Hatton in a non-military position of being mistaken for hit men in the middle of an Hatfield-Mccoy feud in Hillbilly Country. It sort of starts out like OUR HOSPITALITY with a completely serious opening, then goes into black comedy mode when Beery and Hatton show up. It was directed by F. Richard Jones, and has it's moments, but degenerates into a somewhat disorganized chase scene at the end.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

On the other hand, i thought this was one of the ghastliest things i've ever seen.

greta

Some of the gags peg my "crude" meter, but I couldn't help laughing at the bit when each finds they have the same girl and are willing to step aside for the other. It has Beery telling Hatton he's handsome and Hatton telling Beery he has "sex appeal". I kinda expect crude-but-funny gags from Eddie Sutherland.

I just found LOC has a 16mm copy of The Big Killing. That one got a few decent reviews. I love the fact the highest rated of their films on IMDB gets that rating only because Louise Brooks is in it.

LOC actually has beautiful 35mm material on THR BIG KILLING (1928), which is an odd film placing Beery and Hatton in a non-military position of being mistaken for hit men in the middle of an Hatfield-Mccoy feud in Hillbilly Country. It sort of starts out like OUR HOSPITALITY with a completely serious opening, then goes into black comedy mode when Beery and Hatton show up. It was directed by F. Richard Jones, and has it's moments, but degenerates into a somewhat disorganized chase scene at the end.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Thanks, Richard! It's not in the online LOC listing I found, which showed only 16mm elements. I'm sort of curious of F. Richard Jones, being that he died young. The plot and reviews made it seem promising and I still wouldn't mind seeing it even if there's a letdown.

BEHIND THE FRONT was Paramount's most successful comedy of 1926. An earlier post suggested that the Beery-Hatton team let indirectly to Laurel & Hardy. It also led DIRECTLY to other studios scrambling around to create their own comedy teams and/or place established teams in a military setting. MGM's ROOKIES with Dane and Arthur is the most obvious example. Fox reteamed Sammy Cohen and Tom McNamara from WHAT PRICE GLORY for a brace of military comedies, THE GAY RETREAT (which would seem to be the precursor to Laurel and Hardy's GREAT GUNS, with the team playing the loyal servants of the soldier hero) and WHY SAILORS GO WRONG; this string of films was cut short by McNamara's early death in 1928. Over at First National, Charlie Murray and George Sidney of "Cohens and Kellys" fame were seen in LOST AT THE FRONT, a WW1 farce set in Russia (!). Al Christie reteamed W.C.Fields and Chester Conklin for the in-name-only remake of TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE, which concluded with a wartime segment. Howard Hughes offered us Bill Boyd and Louis Wolheim in TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS (admittedly inspired more by WHAT PRICE GLORY than BEHIND THE FRONT); Universal offered BUCK PRIVATES (1928 not 1941) with Malcolm McGregor and Eddie Gribbon.And independent producer Morris Schranck produced TOP SERGEANT MULLIGAN (1928), teaming Wade Boteler and Wesley Barry. And let's not forget (though many have tried to!) Warner Bros. blackface extravaganza HAM AND EGGS AT THE FRONT, with Moran and Mack wannabes Tom Wilson and Heinie Conklin. Also, there was the comic threesome of Conrad Nagel, George Cooper and Bert Roach in TIN HATS...and eventually, the trio of Laurel, Hardy and Finlayson in WITH LOVE AND HISSES. (Getting away from Army comedies, WB tried their own Beery-Hatton combination with William Demarest and Clyde Cook, who in real life became close friends and business partners).

Thanks, Richard! It's not in the online LOC listing I found, which showed only 16mm elements. I'm sort of curious of F. Richard Jones, being that he died young. The plot and reviews made it seem promising and I still wouldn't mind seeing it even if there's a letdown.

Why would you be interested in someone just because they died young? I was interested in Jones because he was a very talented Director and Comedy Craftsman. THE BIG KILLING is his last silent film and next-to-last film period (his last was BULLDOG DRUMMOND) and thouh the story has problems blending the serious drama and comedy, it does have some interesting directorial touches.

Beery and Hatton were not "indirectly" responsible for Laurel and Hardy, they were just as DIRECTLY responsible as they were for all of the other military comedy teams mentioned, though Dane and Arthur actually preceded them. Speaking of which, there's nothing wrong with Dane and Arthur's comedies, ROOKIES is quite good, and DETECTIVES, though not as good as ROOKIES, is a serviceable comedy as well. TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS is horrid, Howard Hughes must have bought someone off at the Academy to have gotten it the Oscar for Best Comedy Film.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

"it was most likely responsible for Laurel and Hardy's existence". That's quite a segway even for you, Richard. Please, explain that one to me.

Thanks, Richard! It's not in the online LOC listing I found, which showed only 16mm elements. I'm sort of curious of F. Richard Jones, being that he died young. The plot and reviews made it seem promising and I still wouldn't mind seeing it even if there's a letdown.

Why would you be interested in someone just because they died young? I was interested in Jones because he was a very talented Director and Comedy Craftsman. THE BIG KILLING is his last silent film and next-to-last film period (his last was BULLDOG DRUMMOND) and thouh the story has problems blending the serious drama and comedy, it does have some interesting directorial touches.

Beery and Hatton were not "indirectly" responsible for Laurel and Hardy, they were just as DIRECTLY responsible as they were for all of the other military comedy teams mentioned, though Dane and Arthur actually preceded them. Speaking of which, there's nothing wrong with Dane and Arthur's comedies, ROOKIES is quite good, and DETECTIVES, though not as good as ROOKIES, is a serviceable comedy as well. TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS is horrid, Howard Hughes must have bought someone off at the Academy to have gotten it the Oscar for Best Comedy Film.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Richard, when they die young, they are often forgotten whether talented or not. It's unjust, and I want to find out how I like them myself. I want to see more of Jones' work as I have Lowell Sherman's. From Jones, I have only seen a couple of Mabel Normands, THE GAUCHO, and BULLDOG DRUMMOND. From those I decided I'd like to see more of his work, and he did direct the last couple of Beery/Hatton films, of which I find at least one exists in good condition. A long explanation of a quip, but it seems necessary.

As far as the Dane/Arthur team, it's just reputation. I haven't heard many good words about their films, until yours.

"it was most likely responsible for Laurel and Hardy's existence". That's quite a segway even for you, Richard. Please, explain that one to me.

Both Hal Roach and, I believe, Leo Mccarey admitted in interviews that one of the reasons they were looking for a comedy team at the Studio was the popularity of Buddy Picture/Comedy teams due to the popularity of Beery/Hatton and Dane/Arthur. It's no coincidence that a number of Laurel and Hardy's first shorts together run the usual gamut of military oriented comedies (WHY GIRLS LOVE SAILORS, WITH LOVE AND HISSES, SAILOR BEWARE), then detectives (DO DETECTIVES THINK), then prisoners (THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS) which was nearly the set pattern of comedies for most comedy teams even by then. After that, it was good fortune and a lot of talent that sent them beyond the stereotype into their own comedy niche'.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Richard, when they die young, they are often forgotten whether talented or not. It's unjust, and I want to find out how I like them myself. I want to see more of Jones' work as I have Lowell Sherman's. From Jones, I have only seen a couple of Mabel Normands, THE GAUCHO, and BULLDOG DRUMMOND. From those I decided I'd like to see more of his work, and he did direct the last couple of Beery/Hatton films, of which I find at least one exists in good condition. A long explanation of a quip, but it seems necessary.

As far as the Dane/Arthur team, it's just reputation. I haven't heard many good words about their films, until yours.

Fair enough. F. Richard Jones indeed does not get enough credit for his very important contributions to the Comedy Film Industry nor for his talents as a Director. Jones brought important stylistic changes to both the Sennett and Roach Studios (in fact, he is a key player in the creation of the Hal Roach style in his years as the Studio's Director-General), and his surviving feature work does indeed indicate a major talent cut short (I've always thought THE GAUCHO was one of Fairbank's best features). On the dark side, I always thought it was interesting that he was one of Mabel Normand's best friends, and they both died of tuberulosis aroung the same time.

Most likely the bad words came from members of the comedically-challenged Cinecon Audiences where both ROOKIES and DETECTIVES has been shown in the last few years. I recall lots of whining particularly about the latter, but I found them both to be perfectly adequate entertainments, but I like the Beery/Hatton films too.....

RICHARD M ROBERTS

As far as the Dane/Arthur team, it's just reputation. I haven't heard many good words about their films, until yours.

I love the Dane & Arthur films I've seen, and that includes their sound shorts, of which I've seen almost all.

Richard, when they die young, they are often forgotten whether talented or not. It's unjust, and I want to find out how I like them myself. I want to see more of Jones' work as I have Lowell Sherman's. From Jones, I have only seen a couple of Mabel Normands, THE GAUCHO, and BULLDOG DRUMMOND. From those I decided I'd like to see more of his work, and he did direct the last couple of Beery/Hatton films, of which I find at least one exists in good condition. A long explanation of a quip, but it seems necessary.

As far as the Dane/Arthur team, it's just reputation. I haven't heard many good words about their films, until yours.

Fair enough. F. Richard Jones indeed does not get enough credit for his very important contributions to the Comedy Film Industry nor for his talents as a Director. Jones brought important stylistic changes to both the Sennett and Roach Studios (in fact, he is a key player in the creation of the Hal Roach style in his years as the Studio's Director-General), and his surviving feature work does indeed indicate a major talent cut short (I've always thought THE GAUCHO was one of Fairbank's best features). On the dark side, I always thought it was interesting that he was one of Mabel Normand's best friends, and they both died of tuberulosis aroung the same time.

Most likely the bad words came from members of the comedically-challenged Cinecon Audiences where both ROOKIES and DETECTIVES has been shown in the last few years. I recall lots of whining particularly about the latter, but I found them both to be perfectly adequate entertainments, but I like the Beery/Hatton films too.....

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Thanks for the tip! I think it would be worth my while to watch a Dane/Arthur if I get the chance, although I fear it won't happen soon.

Beery and Hatton were not "indirectly" responsible for Laurel and Hardy, they were just as DIRECTLY responsible as they were for all of the other military comedy teams mentioned, though Dane and Arthur actually preceded them. RICHARD M ROBERTS[/quote]

BEHIND THE FRONT came out in February 1926, ROOKIES in April 1927. Were Dane and Arthur teamed in any films prior to ROOKIES?

Beery and Hatton were not "indirectly" responsible for Laurel and Hardy, they were just as DIRECTLY responsible as they were for all of the other military comedy teams mentioned, though Dane and Arthur actually preceded them. RICHARD M ROBERTS

BEHIND THE FRONT came out in February 1926, ROOKIES in April 1927. Were Dane and Arthur teamed in any films prior to ROOKIES?[/quote]


Nope, my mistake. On the road and typing too fast. Beery and Hatton indeed preceded Dane and Arthur.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Nope, my mistake. On the road and typing too fast.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

24 letters per second?

Jim

Typos or not, thanks again for a short course in an area of film comedy I didn't know was there to be studied. I do appreciate you broadening our comic horizons. I never considered Beery and Hatton to be anything significant in the comedic scheme of things, but your information leads me to look at their pairing in a different light. Did Charley Chase have anything to do with the coupling of Laurel and Hardy, besides getting Hardy to come over to Roach initially? Fluttering Hearts (1927) is my favorite with Chase and Hardy.

Typos or not, thanks again for a short course in an area of film comedy I didn't know was there to be studied. I do appreciate you broadening our comic horizons. I never considered Beery and Hatton to be anything significant in the comedic scheme of things, but your information leads me to look at their pairing in a different light. Did Charley Chase have anything to do with the coupling of Laurel and Hardy, besides getting Hardy to come over to Roach initially? Fluttering Hearts (1927) is my favorite with Chase and Hardy.

Well, considering Chase was Director-General of the Roach Studios when Stan Laurel also returned for the first time in his second starring series, yes, I would say that he had a pretty sizeable hand in the creation of that team as well.

Those Beery and Hatton films were indeed pretty darn big stuff in their day, they're also responsible for the endless number of military buddy pictures that have continued down throught the ages. I remember Bill Murray having an equally huge hit with STRIPES and thinking that the chain was continuing through the decades. I pretty much ignore modern movies, has there been a sighting since then?

Comedy Teams have pretty much redone the same themes since the 20's, war picture, boxing picture, horror picture, western picture, prison picture, detective picture. Universal deliberately put Abbott and Costello through remakes of Wheeler and Woolsey's oeurve'.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

[silentfilm]

Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton in Firemen, Save My Child (1927).


George K. Arthur, Karl Dane and E.H. Calvert in Rookies (1927).

The closest I would offer as a military buddy comedy is Tropic Thunder (2008). Not a true one in the strictest sense, but I believe it has the elements of what it's ancestors contained. This is a film about actors portraying soldiers in Vietnam, having to eventually become soldiers to fight their way out of a predicament with a pre-adolescent drug lord and his army. We have male bonding, comedic competition, and one-ups-manship to prove who the leader is. They are thrown into a crisis in which they have to band together to extricate themselves, and hilarity ensues. To be more accurate, it is a Hollywood-behind-the-scenes hybrid with a military buddy comedy. Tom Cruise does a cameo in it that shows some comedic chops many of us did not believe he possessed.

Those Beery and Hatton films were indeed pretty darn big stuff in their day, they're also responsible for the endless number of military buddy pictures that have continued down throught the ages. I remember Bill Murray having an equally huge hit with STRIPES and thinking that the chain was continuing through the decades. I pretty much ignore modern movies, has there been a sighting since then?

People, shall we tell him about Pauly Shore?

Jim