Pack Up Your Troubles (1932 film)

Pack Up Your Troubles
US lobby card
Directed by	George Marshall Raymond McCarey
Written by	H. M. Walker Stan Laurel (uncredited)
Produced by	Hal Roach
Starring	Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy James Finlayson Don Dillaway
Cinematography	Art Lloyd
Edited by	Richard C. Currier
Music by	Marvin Hatley
Production company	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	September 17, 1932 (1932-09-17)
Running time	68 min
Country	United States
Language	English

Pack Up Your Troubles is a 1932 pre-Code Laurel and Hardy film directed by George Marshall and Raymond McCarey, named after the World War I song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile". It is the team's second feature-length film.

Plot

Against the backdrop of 1917, the narrative unfolds with Stan and Ollie's conscription into the American Expeditionary Force during World War I, where their ineptitude earns them the ire of their drill sergeant, relegating them to kitchen duties. A misinterpretation of instructions leads them to deposit garbage cans in the general's private domain, a faux pas that precipitates their imprisonment alongside a disgruntled cook.

Their tumultuous journey continues as they find themselves amidst the perils of war, forming a bond with soldier Eddie Smith, who tragically succumbs to combat. Determined to honor Eddie's memory, the duo embarks on a quest to rescue his daughter from her abusive foster guardian and reunite her with Eddie's estranged parents.

Following the armistice, their endeavors lead them to New York City in pursuit of the girl and Eddie's family. Negotiating the labyrinthine complexity of the urban landscape, they encounter myriad obstacles, including mistaken identities, physical altercations, and bureaucratic resistance. Undeterred, they persist in their mission, even resorting to unorthodox means such as unwittingly obtaining approval for a bank heist. As they draw the attention of law enforcement, a serendipitous revelation connects them with the very individuals they had been seeking: Eddie's parents, concealed within the persona of a banker. The unexpected familial revelation not only absolves them of their transgressions but also elevates them to honored guests, marking a triumphant conclusion to their odyssey. At least until the family cook turns out to be the same man they shared the guardhouse with; and who chases them from the mansion with carving knife glittering.

Cast

• Stan Laurel as Stan
• Oliver Hardy as Ollie
• Don Dillaway as Eddie Smith
• Jacquie Lyn as Eddie's Baby
• Mary Carr as Old Woman With Letter
• James Finlayson as General
• Richard Cramer as Uncle Jack
• Adele Watson as Annie
• Tom Kennedy as Recruiting Sergeant
• Charles Middleton as Welfare Assistance Officer
• Richard Tucker as Mr. Smith Sr
• Muriel Evans as Wrong Eddie's Bride
• Grady Sutton as The Wrong Eddie
• C. Montague Shaw as Wrong Eddie's Father
• Billy Gilbert as Mr. Hathaway
• Charley Rogers as Rogers
• George Marshall as Pierre (uncredited)

Production

Pack Up Your Troubles ad from The Film Daily, 1932

The initial shot of Laurel and Hardy sitting in the park at the beginning of the recruitment scene was filmed at Palisades Park in Santa Monica, California. The recruitment scenes were filmed at what is now Will Rogers Memorial Park, a public park in Beverly Hills, California.

Restoration

Pack Up Your Troubles was restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive from the 35mm nitrate original picture negative, a 35mm nitrate lavender positive, a 35mm master positive and a 35mm nitrate variable density track negative. Its world restoration premiere was on April 26, 2024.

External links

• Pack Up Your Troubles at IMDb
• Pack Up Your Troubles at the TCM Movie Database
• Pack Up Your Troubles at AllMovie
• Pack Up Your Troubles at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Pack Up Your Troubles at Rotten Tomatoes
• Spanish lobby poster(archived)