You're Darn Tootin'
| You're Darn Tootin' | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | E. L. Kennedy |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Written by | H.M. Walker (titles) |
| Starring |
Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy |
| Cinematography | Floyd Jackman |
| Edited by | Richard C. Currier |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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20 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
Silent film English (Original intertitles) |
You're Darn Tootin' is a 1928 Laurel & Hardy silent comedy short, produced by Hal Roach. It was shot in January 1928 and released April 21, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The title is an American idiomatic phrase akin to "You're darn right!"
When the orchestra leader strides onstage and makes his way to his podium, the audience at the bandshell applauds — and it's the last moment of harmony in the film. Of course, Laurel and Hardy establish themselves as the epicenter of the difficulties: somehow, they get out of synch with the other musicians, so when the conductor taps his baton for the band to stand up, The Boys sit down; another tap, and the band sits while The Boys stand up. Up and down, down and up — it takes a look-that-could-kill from the maestro to wilt the two back into their chairs.
He gets the music rolling then, and it seems to proceed well: the group plays a passage, then the soloists stand and contribute — a trumpet first, then a trombone, until the clarinetist is called upon for his solo — and the cutaway shows him still sorting through his music charts with his friend, Mr. Hardy. Another up-close-and-personal staredown gets a bleat from Stan's woodwind that blows the hat off the maestro and is unmistakably a sour note — even though it's a silent picture. Touchingly, Ollie stands and provides the needed solo line from his French horn for his friend.
Stan's performance is dealt another blow when his clarinet comes all apart in his hands, then a particularly robust riff from the trombonist behind him blows his music from its stand over to the conductor's podium and under his feet. Stan plucks the music — the French horn music — from Ollie's stand, sending him over to retrieve the sheets from under the maestro's stomping foot. When Ollie returns with the charts, he sees that they are for b-flat clarinet, and there is a musical twist on the wrong-hat swap. The kerfuffle over the music causes all the music stands (and several musicians) to tumble over like so many dominoes.
Back at their boardinghouse, The Boys settle in for a hearty meal — the pleasure of which is blunted when they find a note from the landlady: "In the excitement of having a job, you have overlooked 14 weeks board bill." Ollie tucks it away for postprandial attention, but then the top falls off the pepper shaker and befouls his soup; he swaps his bowl with Stan's, and the salt shaker top falls off and ruins this second bowl. The landlady asks a boy at the table how the concert was, and he says, "It was great — after they was fired," pointing at The Boys. Wordlessly, they rise slowly from the table and are met at the door by the landlady, who is holding the totality of their worldly goods: one clarinet, one French horn — and two derbies.
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