Randy Skretvedt, author of the great Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind The Movies, has appropriately dubbed this film "The Holy Grail of Laurel and Hardy movies." It was, at the time, L&H's most popular and successful comedy to date. Since then, it seems to have vanished off the face of the earth. No known print of Hats Off exists -- not a rarity for a silent film, but especially unfortunate in this instance, as it received widespread critical praise and was the genesis for their Academy Award-winning short from 1932, The Music Box. |
Thanks to Dave Heath, of Another Nice Mess: The Films of Laurel and Hardy (http://lordheath.com) for the use of these pictures.
Copyright © 2012 John Larrabee, John V. Brennan