Duck Soup (1927 film)

1927 short film by Fred Guiol
the 1933 Marx brothers film

Duck Soup is a 1927 American silent comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy. The team appeared in a total of 107 films between 1921 and 1951.

Seeking refuge from a contingent of forest rangers engaged in the recruitment of vagrants for firefighting duties, Laurel and Hardy seek sanctuary within an uninhabited mansion. Exploiting the absence of the owner, who is on vacation, and the absence of household staff, Hardy assumes the role of the proprietor, proffering the property for rent to an English couple. Engaging Laurel in the ruse, he enlists him to impersonate a maid. However, their attempt at subterfuge is foiled when the rightful owner unexpectedly returns, exposing their deception to the prospective tenants. Subsequently, Laurel and Hardy are compelled to evade capture once more, but are ultimately apprehended by the forest rangers and compelled to participate in firefighting efforts to mitigate wildfires.

Duck Soup underwent a near half century period of being classified as a lost film until a print resurfaced in 1974. Prior to its rediscovery, film scholars believed that Laurel and Hardy shared minimal screen time, if any. However, upon inspection, it became evident that they featured as a comedic duo throughout the entirety of the film, albeit in rudimentary tramp costumes. Hardy's portrayal included an unshaven chin, a monocle, and a top hat. The print unearthed in 1974 was a cropped 9.5mm re release with French intertitles replacing the originals. Subsequently, a pristine full aperture 35mm nitrate print was discovered at the BFI National Archive, presumably from a British re release. A restored version of the film, featuring a theater organ soundtrack accompaniment, was broadcast on the Movies! channel in the U. S. on December 26, 2020. Directed by Fred Guiol, the film's significance was largely attributed to Leo McCarey, the supervising director, who recognized Laurel and Hardy's potential as a comedic pairing. McCarey would later employ the same title for the renowned Marx Brothers film, Duck Soup (1933), which he directed for Paramount Pictures. Interestingly, the sketch that inspired the film was penned by Stan Laurel's father, Arthur J. Jefferson. Duck Soup was remade as Another Fine Mess (1930).