Drafted into the army during World War I, those muddled misfits
Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy make a shambles of Training Camp before being shipped to France. When their best pal Eddie (
Donald Dillaway) is killed in battle, Stan and Ollie vow to locate the grandparents of Eddie's orphaned little daughter (
Jacquie Lyn).
Unfortunately, the grandparents are named Smith--and they live in New
York City. With only a city directory and phone book as their guide,
Stan and Ollie undergo several chucklesome misadventures as they scour
the canyons of Manhattan to find Mr. and Mrs. Smith. With the orphanage
officials hot on their heels, the boys take drastic action to raise
enough money to get out of town with the little girl. All turns out well
when Eddie's grandfather makes an appearance under the least likely
circumstances. But before
Laurel &
Hardy
can enjoy their own happy ending, they cross the path of an old enemy
from their army days: a knife-wielding chef with blood in his eye. The
second of
Laurel &
Hardy's feature-length films,
Pack Up Your Troubles is, so far as we're concerned (and here we part company with most
Laurel &
Hardy buffs), infinitely more amusing than their first feature effort, 1931's
Pardon Us. Best bit: An overtired
Laurel,
attempting to tell a bedtime story to the little girl, ends up snoozing
away as the kid finishes the story. The powerhouse supporting cast
includes such
Laurel &
Hardy regulars as
James Finlayson,
Billy Gilbert,
Rychard Cramer,
Charles Middleton and
Charlie Hall.
George Marshall,
the film's director, proves a mirthsome menace in the small role of the
vengeful chef. For years available only in its 62-minute reissue form,
Pack Up Your Troubles was restored to its full 68-minute glory in the mid-1980s.