Flying Elephants

17 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguagesSilent film
English (Original intertitles)

Flying Elephants is a two-reel silent film from 1928 directed by Frank Butler and co-written and produced by Hal Roach. It stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as a pair of battling cavemen.

Plot

The narrative unfolds within a Stone Age setting, where the ruler of the cave-dwelling populace mandates that all males aged 13 to 99 must secure a female partner or risk exile. Hardy embarks on a quest to find a spouse, enduring repeated blows from irate "husbands" in his pursuit. Eventually, he encounters a potential mate but remains unaware that Laurel, his companion, also seeks her hand in marriage.

As Laurel and Hardy vie for the same woman, their rivalry escalates, leading to a series of competitions to win her favor. In a pivotal scene, Laurel attempts to eliminate his competitor by luring him to a precarious cliff edge. However, his scheme is thwarted when a hostile goat intervenes, causing Hardy to plummet from the precipice. Seizing the opportunity, Laurel claims victory and the affections of the coveted bride-to-be.^[1]

Cast

Production and distribution

Although released in February 1928, Flying Elephants was actually filmed in May 1927, before the duo were established as a comedy team. As a result, the film lacks the Laurel and Hardy trademarks and consists mostly of solo performances by the two comedians.^[2]

Taking place entirely outdoors, the rocky desert locations were photographed in Moapa, Nevada. Some locations would later be used in 1940 for Hal Roach's prehistoric drama One Million B.C..^[1][3]

The title Flying Elephants refers to a scene where Hardy's character points out three animated pachyderms flying up above in the sky.^[4]

References

External links

• Flying Elephants at IMDb
• Flying Elephants is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
• Flying Elephants at AllMovie
• Flying Elephants at Rotten Tomatoes