Released 100 Years Ago Today - 10 October 1921

Lucky Dog (1921)

Starring: Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Florence Gillet

Director: Jess Robbins

Writer: Jess Robbins (screenplay)

Sun-Lite Pictures

Time: 24 Min (uncut)

The Lucky Dog was the first film to include both members of the famous comedy duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, later known as Laurel and Hardy and is the first occasion that they worked together. Though they appear in scenes together, they play independent of each other and not as the comedic team that they would later become. The film was shot as two reels, but some versions end abruptly after the first reel where Stan is robbed by Ollie.

The film was shot in the latter part of 1920 and into early 1921 and then released for distribution in late 1921 by Reelcraft. The film's production cost was thought to have been about $3000

Plot

Stan plays the hapless hero, who after being thrown out onto the street for not paying his rent, is befriended by a stray dog. The dog and Stan then bump into Oliver (playing a robber) who is holding someone up. Oliver, who in the process has accidentally placed his victim’s money into Stan's back pocket, turns from his first victim (who runs off) to rob Stan. Oliver then steals the money he had already stolen, from a very bemused Stan who had thought he was broke.

Stan and the dog escape and the dog makes friends with a poodle. The poodle’s lady owner (Florence Gillet) persuades Stan to enter his dog into the local dog show. When his entry is refused, Stan sneaks in anyway, but is quickly thrown out, followed by all the dogs in the show. Stan spots the poodle’s owner outside looking for her dog and offers his dog in its place. She accepts and in turn offers him a lift to her home. This scene is witnessed by her jealous boyfriend, who happens to bump into Oliver and together the two plot their revenge on Stan.

At the lady's house, Stan is introduced to the boyfriend and Oliver (in disguise as the Count de Chease of Switzerland). The boyfriend proposes and is refused while Oliver attempts to shoot Stan only to have the gun jam. The boyfriend chases the lady around the house while Ollie tries to blow up Stan with a stick of dynamite. The dog comes to the rescue, chasing Ollie and the boyfriend into the garden with the dynamite and leaving them to be blown up.