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.The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:Pack Up Your Troubles (Wayback)

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, who vows revenge after if he ever catches up with them again.

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 Uncle 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 woth a promise of a lavish meal, marking a triumphant conclusion to their odyssey. However, the banker's cook happens to be the same cook who vowed revenge after they were imprisoned together, and chases Stan and Ollie out of the banker's home with his knife.

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) Charlie Hall as Janitor (uncredited)

Production

The recruitment scenes were filmed at what is now Will Rogers Memorial Park, a public park in Beverly Hills, California.

Reception

Leonard Maltin wrote, "Daffy duo are drafted during WW 1... Good fun." Leslie Halliwell gave it one of four stars: "Patchy comedy vehicle in which too many gags are not fully thought out or timed."

Preservation

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. Restoration funding was provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. The restoration had its world premiere at the 2024 UCLA Festival of Preservation.Pack Up Your Troubles (1932) World Restoration Premiere at UCLA Film & Television ArchiveUCLA Film & TV Archive Facebook site showing samples of restored frames of film

References

External links

Spanish lobby poster(archived)