Saps at Sea

1940 film by Gordon Douglas

Saps at Sea is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, distributed by United Artists. It was Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by the Hal Roach Studios, as well as the last film to feature Ben Turpin and Harry Bernard.

Stan and Ollie work in a horn factory, where the constant noise exacerbates Hardy's stress levels. Their predicament is underscored by the frequent mental breakdowns of their colleagues, a situation highlighted by a recent incident resulting in a worker's descent into madness. Ollie, succumbing to "hornophobia," is sent home from work due to his heightened aversion to horn sounds. Concerned about Ollie's condition, Stan proposes a therapeutic boat trip to alleviate his friend's anxiety. However, their plans for a docked boat excursion are disrupted by a series of comedic mishaps, including a gas explosion in their kitchen caused by a cross eyed janitor. As they embark on their boat trip aboard the ill fated vessel "Prickly Heat," unforeseen events ensue, including the unwelcome presence of an escaped convict named Nick Grainger. With the goat they brought along inadvertently setting the boat adrift and Nick taking control of the situation, Stan and Ollie find themselves at the mercy of the criminal's whims. In a turn of events, Stan's trombone playing inadvertently triggers Ollie's uncontrollable rage, leading to a confrontation with Nick. Ultimately, Stan's musical intervention aids in subduing the criminal, albeit with unforeseen consequences as the police arrive. Despite Stan's attempts to demonstrate the trombone's role in calming Ollie, their efforts backfire spectacularly, resulting in their arrest and incarceration alongside Nick.

When Laurel and Hardy left the Hal Roach studio after this film, they also left behind Roach stock supporting players Charlie Hall, James Finlayson, and Harry Bernard. The film also stars Mary Gordon, who played Mrs. Hudson opposite Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes. The film was shown aboard HMS Prince of Wales during the voyage to Newfoundland, where Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met to establish the Atlantic Charter. It was a favorite film of Churchill, who called it "A gay but inconsequent entertainment". The title is an allusion to the 1937 film Souls at Sea, starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. This was the last film to feature the once popular silent film comedian Ben Turpin, who has a small cameo as the cross eyed plumber and died on 1 July 1940, less than two months after the film's release. It was also the last film for Harry Bernard, who died on 4 November 1940. Saps at Sea is referenced in the Ray Bradbury short story "Night Call, Collect", where a lone Earthman marooned on the abandoned Mars colony is described as watching this Laurel & Hardy film, among various media tapes with which he passes his time.