Night Owls (1930 film)

1930 film

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Night Owls

Directed by| James Parrott
Written by| H.M. Walker
Produced by| Hal Roach
Starring| Stan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
Edgar Kennedy
James Finlayson
Cinematography| George Stevens
Edited by| Richard C. Currier
Music by| Marvin Hatley
Distributed by| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
DIC Entertainment (1990 re-release)

Release date

* January 4, 1930 (1930-01-04)

Running time

| 20:44 (English)
36:06 (Spanish)
Country| United States
Language| English

Night Owls is a 1930 American Pre-Code Laurel and Hardy short film. It was filmed in October and November 1929, and released January 4, 1930.

## Plot

[edit]

Police officer Edgar Kennedy finds himself under pressure from his police chief to address a surge in burglaries within his jurisdiction or face dismissal from his position. Seeking a solution to appease his superior, Kennedy encounters vagrants Laurel and Hardy and devises a scheme to stage a burglary at the chief's residence in a bid to curry favor.

Initially hesitant due to the perceived risk, Laurel and Hardy are coerced into the plan by Kennedy's threats of severe punishment. Assured by Kennedy that he will ensure their release upon apprehension, the duo reluctantly agrees to participate. However, their endeavor is beset by numerous obstacles and complications.

Ultimately, as the plot unfolds, the chief discovers Kennedy in possession of stolen items within his own home, leading to the unraveling of the deceitful scheme. Despite encountering various challenges along the way, Laurel and Hardy manage to evade capture, escaping the predicament unscathed.

## Cast

[edit]

* Stan Laurel as Stan Laurel
* Oliver Hardy as Oliver "Ollie" Hardy
* Edgar Kennedy as Officer Kennedy
* James Finlayson as Butler Meadows
* Anders Randolf as the Police Captain

## Production

[edit]

This was the first film to use their celebrated theme tune, "The 'Ku-Ku' Song", written by Marvin Hatley. The Film Classics reissue print features the instrumental version of Marvin Hatley's "Honolulu Baby" from the Sons of the Desert soundtrack in place of "The 'Ku-Ku' Song."

## International versions

[edit]

The film was also released in an alternate Spanish version,[1] Ladrones,[2][3][4] expanded to nearly four reels in length instead of the English two reels. The film was also released in an Italian version,[1] Ladroni, and in an Esperanto version Ŝtelistoj, which are both now lost. The foreign versions retained not only the headliners, but Edgar Kennedy and James Finlayson as well. The English and Spanish versions are available on DVD.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Variety's Bulletin Condensed". Variety. Vol. C, no. 4\. August 6, 1930. p. 28. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
2. ^ "Garbo's KISS May Set Foreign System". Variety. Vol. XCVIII, no. 8\. March 5, 1930. p. 5. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
3. ^ Schallert, Edwin; Schallert, Elza (May 1930). "Hollywood High Lights". Picture Play Magazine. Vol. XXXII, no. 3\. Street & Smith Publications. p. 53. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
4. ^ Schallert, Edwin; Schallert, Elza (February 1930). "Hollywood High Lights". Picture Play Magazine. Vol. XXXI, no. 6\. Street & Smith Publications. p. 94. Retrieved August 9, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Night Owls at IMDb
* Night Owls at AllMovie
* Night Owls at the TCM Movie Database
* Night Owls at Rotten Tomatoes

* v
* t
* e

Laurel and Hardy filmography

* Stan Laurel
* Oliver Hardy

Short films|

| Silent|

* The Lucky Dog (1921)
* 45 Minutes from Hollywood (1926)
* Duck Soup (1927)
* Slipping Wives (1927)
* Love 'em and Weep (1927)
* Why Girls Love Sailors (1927)
* With Love and Hisses (1927)
* Sugar Daddies (1927)
* Sailors, Beware! (1927)
* The Second Hundred Years (1927)
* Hats Off (1927)
* Do Detectives Think? (1927)
* Putting Pants on Philip (1927)
* The Battle of the Century (1927)
* Leave 'Em Laughing (1928)
* Flying Elephants (1928)
* The Finishing Touch (1928)
* From Soup to Nuts (1928)
* You're Darn Tootin' (1928)
* Their Purple Moment (1928)
* Should Married Men Go Home? (1928)
* Early to Bed (1928)
* Two Tars (1928)
* Habeas Corpus (1928)
* We Faw Down (1928)
* Liberty (1929)
* Wrong Again (1929)
* That's My Wife (1929)
* Big Business (1929)
* Double Whoopee (1929)
* Bacon Grabbers (1929)
* Angora Love (1929)

|

Talking|

* Unaccustomed As We Are (1929)
* Berth Marks (1929)
* Men O' War (1929)
* Perfect Day (1929)
* They Go Boom! (1929)
* The Hoose-Gow (1929)
* Night Owls (1930)
* Blotto (1930)
* Brats (1930)
* Below Zero (1930)
* Hog Wild (1930)
* The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930)
* Another Fine Mess (1930)
* Be Big! (1931)
* Chickens Come Home (1931)
* Laughing Gravy (1931)
* Our Wife (1931)
* Come Clean (1931)
* One Good Turn (1931)
* Beau Hunks (1931)
* Helpmates (1932)
* Any Old Port! (1932)
* The Music Box (1932)
* The Chimp (1932)
* County Hospital (1932)
* Scram! (1932)
* Their First Mistake (1932)
* Towed in a Hole (1932)
* Twice Two (1933)
* Me and My Pal (1933)
* The Midnight Patrol (1933)
* Busy Bodies (1933)
* Dirty Work (1933)
* Oliver the Eighth (1934)
* Going Bye-Bye! (1934)
* Them Thar Hills (1934)
* The Live Ghost (1934)
* Tit for Tat (1935)
* The Fixer Uppers (1935)
* Thicker than Water (1935)
* Galaxy of Stars (1936 promotional)

Feature films|

* Pardon Us (1931)
* Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)
* Fra Diavolo / The Devil's Brother / Bogus Bandits (1933)
* Sons of the Desert (1933)
* Babes in Toyland (1934)
* Bonnie Scotland (1935)
* The Bohemian Girl (1936)
* Our Relations (1936)
* Way Out West (1937)
* Swiss Miss (1938)
* Block-Heads (1938)
* The Flying Deuces (1939)
* A Chump at Oxford (1940)
* Saps at Sea (1940)
* Great Guns (1941)
* A-Haunting We Will Go (1942)
* Air Raid Wardens (1943)
* Jitterbugs (1943)
* The Dancing Masters (1943)
* The Big Noise (1944)
* Nothing But Trouble (1944)
* The Bullfighters (1945)
* Atoll K / Utopia (1951)

Related|

* Stan Laurel filmography
* Oliver Hardy filmography
* Laurel and Hardy (animated TV series)
* The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy (1999)
* Stan & Ollie (2018)
* Music
* The Sons of the Desert

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by James Parrott

* Mixed Nuts (1922)
* The Cow's Kimona (1926)
* On the Front Page (1926)
* Fluttering Hearts (1927)
* Now I'll Tell One (1927)
* Their Purple Moment (1928)
* Should Married Men Go Home? (1928)
* Two Tars (1928)
* Habeas Corpus (1928)
* Perfect Day (1929)
* They Go Boom! (1929)
* The Hoose-Gow (1929)
* Night Owls (1930)
* Blotto (1930)
* Brats (1930)
* Below Zero (1930)
* Hog Wild (1930)
* The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930)
* Another Fine Mess (1930)
* Be Big! (1931)
* Pardon Us (1931)
* Helpmates (1932)
* The Music Box (1932)
* The Chimp (1932)
* County Hospital (1932)
* Twice Two (1933)
* Washee Ironee (1934)

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