Plot You're Darn Tootin'

when orchestra leader strides onstage , makes way podium, audience @ bandshell applauds — , s last moment of harmony in film. of course, laurel , hardy establish epicenter of difficulties: somehow, out of synch other musicians, when conductor taps baton band stand up, boys sit down; tap, , band sits while boys stand up. , down, down , — takes look-that-could-kill maestro wilt 2 chairs.

he gets music rolling then, , seems proceed well: group plays passage, soloists stand , contribute — trumpet first, trombone, until clarinetist called upon solo — , cutaway shows him still sorting through music charts friend, mr. hardy. up-close-and-personal staredown gets bleat stan s woodwind blows hat off maestro , unmistakably sour note — though s silent picture. touchingly, ollie stands , provides needed solo line french horn friend.

stan s performance dealt blow when clarinet comes apart in hands, particularly robust riff trombonist behind him blows music stand on conductor s podium , under feet. stan plucks music — french horn music — ollie s stand, sending him on retrieve sheets under maestro s stomping foot. when ollie returns charts, sees b-flat clarinet, , there musical twist on wrong-hat swap. kerfuffle on music causes music stands (and several musicians) tumble on many dominoes.

back @ boardinghouse, boys settle in hearty meal — pleasure of blunted when find note landlady: in excitement of having job, have overlooked 14 weeks board bill. ollie tucks away postprandial attention, top falls off pepper shaker , befouls soup; swaps bowl stan s, , salt shaker top falls off , ruins second bowl. landlady asks boy @ table how concert was, , says, great — after fired, pointing @ boys. wordlessly, rise table , met @ door landlady, holding totality of worldly goods: 1 clarinet, 1 french horn — , 2 derbies.

a title card announces: re-financing — in business , pick them on street corner, instruments in hand. without benefit of soundtrack, visuals alone convincing sorry duo cogs in ensemble: exaggerated, uncoordinated foot stomping, attempts play first note together, rapid unraveling of effort. not have hear them know how bad are.

sadly, unaware difficulties here overture upcoming. first, policeman comes , asks if have license. have no dog, befuddled ollie answers — , resulting bum s rush officer finds them seeking out new corner. new locale doesn t ease musical discord, though, friendly drunk offers serve conductor, until zeal walking stick raps stan on knuckles. cop s return sends them off yet again, , first stan, ollie, fall manholes. add incendiary insult, ollie gets blowtorch backside irate subterranean worker.

one last try earn living through music: boys play selection directly cross-eyed passerby pauses, listens, digs in vest pocket if coin — strides away without contributing when pass hats, both of them. ollie: takes stan s clarinet , breaks on knee, in turn stan, kicks french horn under passing steam roller. ollie picks squashed instrument, blows it, , pronounces flat.

the boys enter atypical extended tit-for-tat routine against 1 another, escalating shin-kicking through hanky-tearing, jacket-ripping, button-popping , hat-stomping. man emerging abc restaurant finds himself involved, , melee widens 2 dozen well-dressed adult male participants. takes surreal turn de-pantsing first of hardy laurel, of adjacent combatant, until displaying (impressively white) bvds — including policeman.

from swirling maelstrom of boxer shorts, cut solitary king-size gentleman, alone in frame, arms up, pants gone , chubby pale legs peeking out gleaming white shorts: ve been robbed! cries. s instantly clear happened when see stan , ollie — walking together, in synch, in enormous trousers — tipping derbies @ audience exit shot.