''Scram!'' is a 1932

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...

film produced by

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

, directed by

Ray McCarey Raymond Benedict McCarey (September 6, 1904 – December 1, 1948) was an American film director, brother of director Leo McCarey. Biography McCarey began working at Hal Roach Studios, where he did work on short films with Our Gang and Laure ...

, and distributed by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

Plot

The story begins in a courtroom, where Stan and Ollie appear before Judge Beaumont on a charge of

vagrancy Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, tem ...

. The duo quickly anger the judge, who can't remand them in custody for 180 days as he would normally do because the jail is full; and so instead gives them "One hour... to get out of town! And never let me set eyes on you again..." — dismissing the case by snarling "Scram! Or I'll build a jail for you!" Later, as Stan and Ollie are walking down the sidewalk in a heavy rainstorm, they meet a well-dressed, highly intoxicated man and help retrieve his car key, which he has dropped down a grating, and in return he invites the homeless pair to stay at his mansion. Once they arrive at the residence, the congenial drunk cannot find his house key, but the boys finally get into the house, where they startle a young woman, causing her to faint. They revive her with what they think is water, but is actually gin, and all three get tipsy in the process. While the three enjoy music and dancing in the woman's bedroom, the drunk in the hallway learns from the butler that he is in the wrong house, so he staggers away to find his real home. Soon the mansion's true owner arrives: it is Judge Beaumont. Finding Stan and Ollie upstairs with his drunk wife and wearing his pajamas, the enraged judge ominously advances toward Stan and Ollie, who hurriedly retreat to a corner of the bedroom. In a panic, Stan switches off the lights — and the film ends in darkness with Judge Beaumont's wrath conveyed via a soundtrack of breaking glass, screams, whirlwinds, and explosions!

Cast

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 s ...

as Mr. Laurel *

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

as Mr. Hardy *

Richard Cramer Richard Earl Cramer (July 3, 1889 – August 9, 1960) was an American actor in films from the late 1920s to the early 1950s. Burly, menacing and gravel-voiced, Cramer specialized in villainous roles in many low-budget westerns, but is today ...

as Judge Beaumont *

Arthur Housman Arthur Housman (October 10, 1889 – April 8, 1942) was an American actor in films during both the silent film era and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Career Arthur Housman was one of the first screen comedians known to the public by name, and ...

as Drunk *

Vivien Oakland Vivien Oakland (born Vivian Ruth Andersen; May 20, 1895 – August 1, 1958), was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios. Oakland appeared in 157 films ...

as Mrs. Beaumont

Controversy

According to the book ''Laurel & Hardy Compleet'' by Dutch author and Laurel and Hardy specialist Thomas Leeflang, this film was banned in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1932. Moral crusaders thought the scene in which Stan and Ollie lie on a bed with a woman was indecent. Today the ban is no longer in effect.

References

External links

* * * * 1932 films 1932 comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Ray McCarey Laurel and Hardy (film series) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films Films with screenplays by H. M. Walker 1932 short films Censorship in the Netherlands Film controversies in the Netherlands American comedy short films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{short-comedy-film-stub