Today's Article - Putting Pants on Philip

This article is for quizzes on Monday December 7th...

Putting Pants On Philip is a silent short film starring American comedy double act Laurel and Hardy. Made in 1927, it's the first film to bill them as an official team. The duo appeared in a total of 107 films between 1921 and 1950. The idea for the film was Stan Laurel's and was based on a story recounted by a friend while Laurel worked in music hall. The archivist William K. Everson described the film as "one of the real gems of comedy from the late 20's, and perhaps the most individual of all the Laurel and Hardy comedies, though not necessarily the funniest."

Piedmont Mumblethunder (Hardy), seeing Philip for the first time, tells a friend that he pities whoever has to collect this character, only to be upset when he turns out to be that person. Hardy is embarrassed at the effeminacy of his kilt-wearing Scottish nephew Philip (Laurel). At one point Philip loses his underwear and, pursuing a pretty girl, steps on a ventilator grate. This blows his kilt up which results in several women fainting.

Piedmont then takes Philip to a tailor to be fitted for trousers. Philip leaves the tailor to continue pursuing the woman he saw earlier. Catching up to the woman he takes off his kilt to cover a puddle, the woman leaves and Piedmont steps on the kilt and falls into a covered mud hole.