The Bullfighters

Plot synopsis:
Private detectives Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy travel to Mexico City in pursuit of an infamous female larcenist named Hattie Blake (Carol Andrews), who is publicly known as ”Larceny Nell”. Meanwhile, an American sports promoter, Richard K. Muldoon (Ralph Sanford) meets with publicity man ”Hot Shot” Coleman (Richard Lane), and his assistant (Irving Gump) to discuss an upcoming bullfight featuring famed Spanish matador Don Sebastian. But when Muldoon sees pictures of the bullfighter he is enraged; Don Sebastian looks exactly like Laurel. Hot Shot is confused until Muldoon tells him the story: Eight years earlier, Laurel and Hardy both testified against Muldoon in a criminal case, and Muldoon was wrongfully convicted of the crime (the details of which were never specified) and granted a twenty-year jail sentence; However, after five years the true criminal confessed to the crime and Muldoon was subsequently released. But while in prison he had lost his wife and business and had to start all over in Mexico. He still holds a grudge against Stan and Ollie and vows revenge showing a large knife: "Someday our paths will cross! And when they do, I'll skin them alive! First the little one, then the big one! I'll skin them both alive!!"
Meanwhile, Ollie and Stan confront Blake in an attempt to arrest her only for her to snatch the papers that permit them to arrest her outside the States followed by an egg-breaking tit for tat sequence before she escapes. They run into Coleman who sees Stan's uncanny resemblance to the bullfighter. Since the real Don Sebastian's arrival is delayed because of passport trouble, Coleman, after telling the confused Ollie and Stan about Stan's resemblance to Don Sebastian and the vengeful Muldoon's wrongful conviction, forces Stan to impersonate the bullfighter in the meantime, threatening to reveal his and Ollie's presence to Muldoon if he doesn’t cooperate, but promising them a very handsome payment for their trouble if he does. Stan reluctantly agrees only because Hot Shot promises he won't have to fight bulls. But eventually, the real Don Sebastian's passport trouble turns out to be worse than originally thought and so Stan will have to take his place in the ring and fight bulls after all.
On the day of the fight Stan, nervous about fighting bulls, gets drunk. But then, unbeknownst to anyone, the real Don Sebastian has somehow miraculously contrived to making it to Mexico City just in time for the big bullfight. Ollie mistakes him for Stan and forces him into the arena. Stan staggers up, and Hardy sends him into battle. With two Laurels in the ring, the outraged spectators cry foul and every bull in the arena is turned loose. Stan and Ollie try to escape the vengeful Muldoon, but not fast enough. The film ends with Muldoon catching up with them at their hotel as they are about to pack before attempting to escape to the airport. Just like he promised, he skins them alive, leaving them, except their heads, in bare bones. Then Ollie says his "another nice mess…" catchphrase to Stan. Stan whimpers before they decides to go home.

Tags: flashback

Review:
Laurel and Hardy, in their last American made movie, have made a silly little film with enough story and gags to entertain the little ones and make the adults smile.
A great moment occurs when the boys are sitting in a hotel lobby near a fountain and Stan decides to "investigate" what a particular faucet is for.
THE BULLFIGHTERS (1945)This was the last movie the aging Laurel and Hardy made for Twentieth Century-Fox, and it's another fun and underrated one at that, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the classic shorts they made a decade earlier.
They really manage to inject a lot of old tried and true gags into the proceedings, thanks in part to the fact that Stan Laurel is reported to have co-directed, and so the team had more input with regard to their jokes and material.
Here, the "boys" are in Mexico where Stan is mistaken for a famous bullfighter.
Laurel & Hardy's last American film is also probably the best(or more accurately,least worst)of their post-Hal Roach movies.One positive aspect,unlike their previous Fox/MGM wartime efforts,is that there are scenes in the film which are reasonably in character,as likeable innocents,and not complete idiots.
A reworking of the egg-breaking sequence from HOLLYWOOD PARTY(1934)works quite well,as does a water-throwing routine.Arguably the best moments in the film are with cult character actor Hank Worden,who while registering at the hotel says he can't write("He's forging my name!",Stan protests!).
Where the film falters is with supposed villain Ralph Sanford.Walter Long,Rychard Cramer,Charlie Hall and James Finlayson were both menacing and funny in the Roach films,but in this film,Sanford is neither despite his bulky frame.Former Radio announcer Richard Lane is good though,but the film falters in it's second half with a hackneyed 'double' story;namely Stan being a lookalike for the great bullfighter Don Sebastian.And for the first time since their earliest silent days,Fox's make-up department do away with their comic hairstyles.Still,the film brightens up with an amusing 'freak' ending,which Stan liked to employ occasionally with the Hal Roach studios.Not a good film,but certainly a tolerable one compared to A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO(1942) and THE DANCING MASTERS(1943)..
Of course, this Laurel & Hardy feature is not another "Way Out West" (1937), but it's still worth watching.
Their final Hollywood picture is far better than the other Fox and MGM products that the Boys did in the forties.
Even Stan's make-up, which he was forced to change in the former Fox movies and that made him look much older, resembles his appearance in the old Roach days.
It's always sad to think of the fact, that there was only one more Laurel & Hardy film to be done after "The Bullfighters"..
Entertaining enough but no more than that- last Laurel & Hardy movie for Twentieth Century-Fox..
It's no big surprise to say that Laurel's & Hardy's movies for the Twentieth Century-Fox aren't their best.
"The Bullfighters" is a decent entertaining movie but it's lacking in anything refreshing or magical, like in all of the other earlier movies always was the case.It's probably true that Laurel & Hardy should had stopped before the '40's.
It was like Laurel & Hardy were playing a parody of their old selves in that time period.
It sounds perhaps a bit too harsh, also considering that their movie from that period were all still pretty entertaining to watch.As a standalone movie, "The Bullfighters" is a pretty decent movie to watch but as a Laurel & Hardy movie, it's a pretty bad one by their standards.
The same goes for some needless plot lines, like the boys being two private detectives.The movie does have its good moments and its amusing ending also makes up a lot, although it comes a bit too late to completely make- or save the movie entirely.Too simple and not refreshing enough to really leave a lasting impression but entertaining enough to watch, nevertheless.6/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
Way back in the day before Laurel teamed with Hardy, Stanley was quite the comic silent screen star and many of his short subjects were satires of current big screen productions.
20th Century Fox also now owned the rights to Blood And Sand because of the great Tyrone Power sound version that had come out a few years earlier.So in their farewell film before the disastrous comeback with Utopia, Stan and Ollie did The Bullfighters where Laurel got to be a bullfighter again.
And he plays a dual role the great Don Sebastian of Spain and just plain Mr. Laurel who with Mr. Hardy are a pair of private eyes from Peoria.Now if you can wrap your minds around the concept of ANYBODY hiring these two as detectives, The Bullfighters is an amusing enough film though not up to the standards of their Hal Roach work.
They're in Mexico on an extradition job to bring back Carol Andrews and of course in their usual fashion make a holy hash of that.But promoter Richard Lane notices Stan's resemblance to Don Sebastian and since this guy whom he has brought over and promoted is being held up at the border.
They've got a problem however in Ralph Sanford who got sent up the river on the mistaken testimony of these two lugnuts and threatens to skin them alive.The Bullfighters is amusing, especially in that last sequence when both of Laurels personas show up in the bullring with the PI from Peoria getting well fortified for the occasion.
I can't blame Stan it's the only way I would go in a bull ring.You'll have to see The Bullfighters to see if Sanford makes good on his threat..
A decent and watchable final American film for Laurel and Hardy.
Of all the six films Laurel and Hardy made for Fox Studios, THE BULLFIGHTERS is probably the second best of the lot and as such wasn't a bad way for the team to finish their last American film.
Too bad they later decided to star in the rather dismal ATOLL K for a French studio.For years, I assumed that all the films the team made post-Hal Roach Studios were bad.
But at least they were pleasant little films (aside from the dreadful THE BIG NOISE and perhaps THE DANCING MASTERS).I think the reason why THE BULLFIGHTERS was such a watchable film is because the team had more say-so in the film and it was a bit more fun than the rather dull previous films (excepting JITTERBUGS).
While a couple of the routines were unfortunately copies of fights from earlier films (such as BIG BUSINESS, TIT FOR TAT and Hollywood PARTY), the rest of the film was rather amusing.
Plus, unlike so many of these 40s films, there is no stupid sub-plot to get in the way--just lots of Laurel and Hardy.
As it happens, not only is Stan a dead ringer for a noted bullfighter, but a man whom the guys helped imprison is seeking revenge.There are some funny scenes, but the movie isn't quite like their 1930s movies.
yes, their final for the USA, and too bad it is far from their "average" feature for the great Hal Roach (1927-1940).on the other hand, along with THE DANCING MASTERS, this hangs together as a *comedy* and the Director thankfully does not bog them down as the naïve but lovable dummies who spend all their time helping the young lovers.some genuine laughs are delivered...and this cannot be said of most of their post-Roach stuff in the '40s.
some great opportunities are lost, as usual in this Fox effort, but the picture has the right look and the comedy flows, like the '43 flick mentioned above..
This film is merely a stitched together series of some of the old gags used in their earlier shorts and features but without any direction or cause and effect.
The Bullfighters was as good a farewell as could be for Laurel & Hardy's last American movie.
Ironic this became the last film Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy made in Hollywood-and for 20th Century-Fox-as it was a definite improvement to those other post-Hal Roach movies from the previous five years.
It's only because of a fast-talking go-between man named Hotshot Coleman (Richard Lane who has great chemistry with Stan & Ollie) that the boys mostly manage to avoid Richard K.
Also appearing were Carol Andrews-the woman L & H are looking for-who participates in perhaps one of the funniest sequences in the movie, a reprise of the boys' "egg battle" sequence they previously did with Lupe Velez in Hollywood Party, and Hispanic bombshell Diosa Costello who performs her sexy song-and-dance act here.
I initially saw this movie 25 years ago on VHS and I enjoyed it then and still do now especially since the DVD version I just watched also had a fine commentary track by Scott MacGillivray, author of the book-"Laurel & Hardy: From the Forties Forward"..
Down Mexico Way. It is very easy to understand Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's appeal, with their such great comic timing and memorable contrasting and distinct personalities, and why they are so fondly remembered.
Their best material, both verbal and particularly physically, was amusing to hilarious and their best films, short and feature, are perfect examples of how to do comedy.Which is why it is sad that their filmography declined as drastically as it did in the post-Hal Roach period post-1940 (know that a few of the late 30s films were less than great but not to this extent).
For me though, while not a great film and far from prime Laurel and Hardy, 'The Bullfighters', most significant for being their final American film, is still one of their better post-Hal Roach efforts alongside 'Jitterbugs'.Some of the second half is a bit hackneyed with a double subplot that feels forced at times, while the private detectives business doesn't serve as much point as ought, feeling like padding and making the story feel unfocused.
The supporting cast are a bit hit and miss, with Ralph Sanford coming over as on the anaemic side as the villain, was expecting someone more formidable and with sharper comic timing.The humour is also mixed, some of it is derivative of past material and not all of it feels very fresh.However, Laurel and Hardy actually feel like leads here (not always the case with their later films).
Both have more energy than in other films from this period and they are good fun and look like they're enjoying themselves more than most of their post-Hal Roach films.
The fountain sequence is one of the best and funniest sequences of the duo's later films and the final gag is surprisingly creative.Richard Lane is good fun in his role and the first half has zest and energy.
Visually, 'The Bullfighters' is generally nicely made and looks professional in how it's shot, the editing not crude, while the direction is competent if not always the most inspired.In summary, decent post-Hal Roach outing and, although far from classic Laurel and Hardy, one of the best from this declining period.
Bullfighters, The (1945) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Laurel and Hardy's final American film finds them playing detectives in Mexico looking for a woman.
Going through L&H's final films at Fox, I think one could agree that they're not the best work from the boys but at the same time they're not nearly as horrible as their reputations would have you believe.
This film here certainly isn't the greatest but there are enough laughs to make it worth viewing and the 61-minute running time goes by rather quickly.
The best gag in the film happens early on when the boys are sitting next to a fountain and Laurel accidentally shoots Hardy with some water.
Hardy, thinking it was a man sitting next to them, starts a water fight and this rather long sequence just keeps getting funnier and funnier as it goes along.
It's time for another Laurel and Hardy adventure.This time Stan and Ollie find themselves in New Mexico, where the boys from Peoria, Illinois go as private detectives.Their job is to find Larceny Nell.There is also a certain Richard K.
Muldoon, who the boys sent in prison a few years back.He was later found not guilty, but he seeks for revenge on those two saps.He wants to skin them alive, first the little one, then the big one.There's another fine mess Stan's gotten Ollie into.There also happens to be a huge resemblance between Stan and a famous matador from Barcelona.He doesn't get there on time because of some passport problems, so Stanley has to pretend to be him.And the poor little guy is allergic to bulls.The Bullfighters (1945) is directed by Malcolm St. Clair, but also Stan Laurel wrote and directed portions of this feature.This is Laurel's and Hardy's last movie to be made in America for 20th Century Fox and their second last movie in general.Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) show us that they are the greatest comedy team ever lived.It's their childlikeness that makes them so likable.A good comedian never lets his inner child die, and they knew that.There's also a great supporting cast in this movie.Margo Woode portrays Senorita Tangerine.Richard Lane is 'Hot Shot' Coleman, the man who makes Stan a bullfighter.Diosa Costello (b.1917) plays Conchita, who sings Bim Bam Bum and shows her fantastic dance moves in the film.Carol Andrews plays Hattie Blake, also known as Larceny Nell.Ralph Sanford is Richard K.
Muldoon.Hank Worden plays the part of Mr. McCoy.This movie contains many funny gags that will make the L&H fans laugh.When Stanley is kissed by a beautiful woman, and he faints, is one of those moments that I loved.And I liked the water fight at the fountain.The egg gag is pretty hilarious, where Larceny Nell and the boys start messing each other with eggs.Or Oliver disguising him with a mask when Muldoon comes in, and when he's in the telephone booth and falls on the poor guy.And when Stanley pretends to be Don Sebastian and he takes a big bow and hits his head on the table.You can't help but laugh at the little man's mishaps.And when the boys find themselves in a sticky situation hanging over the hay bales after the bull gets wild.In the end we see the boys with their bones rattling all over the place, after Muldoon has skinned them alive.To me this is a better movie than what has been said of it.I and my family really enjoyed this comedy by Laurel and Hardy.L&H have never left me with a disappointment.These boys brought us their comedy, which we still find amusing.There's a little less laughter and a little less joy when Stan and Ollie aren't there with their new movies..
While this is nowhere near the quality of any of their Hal Roach films, "The Bullfighters" is one of the best if not the best of the films Laurel and Hardy did for Fox. For one thing, they are not playing second fiddle to an boring love story.
Stan, stripped of his white face makeup by Fox degree, always looks a bit tired as his dark age lines show, but he also puts in a better performance than in the other Fox vehicles.One of the films biggest problems may be the villain.
Ralph Sanford plays Richard Muldoon, a man who was sent to jail for 20 years based mostly on Stan and Ollie's testimony.
However, if he's so anxious for revenge, one wonders why he just didn't go back to Peoria and track Stan and Ollie down, rather than move to Mexico and just "happen" to run into them.
The part screams for someone like Walter Long ("The Live Ghost", "Going Bye Bye", "Any Old Port", "Pardon Us") or Tiny Sanford ("Busy Bodies") both of which would have been much more intimidating.Edward Gargan does okay in a tit for tat scene with Stan and Ollie at a fountain (though one longs for James Finlayson) and the lovely Carol Andrews does fairly well in reprising the egg scene Lupe Velez did so well in "Hollywood Party".All in all, I found this film better than expected after seeing the dreadful "Atoll K", "Great Guns" and "A Haunting We Will Go".
If you have to see Laurel and Hardy in a Fox film, this is the one to see..
In this last of the Fox-sponsored Laurel and Hardy comedies, the boys are private detectives, who have come to Mexico to find and arrest one Hattie Blake(Carol Andrews), also known as Larceny Nell.
Initially, Maldoon is persuaded that Stan is the look-alike of famous Spanish bullfighter Don Sebastian, while Ollie succeeds in hiding from him.
However, Stan continues to get it wrong, addressing him as Potshot, or Hotfoot.........In addition to the eggs fight, the boys have an old fashioned water fight with a man.........Ollie is in a phone booth, trying to talk to Stan, who is in another part of the night club.
Although he gets in the ring, he doesn't have to fight the bull, as Sebastian shows up to do so.........See the film in B&W at YouTube.
Although nearly all the Hal Roach-produced talkies have been colorized, none of the 4 Fox L&H films I have seen has a colorized version at YouTube..
NOTES: Laurel & Hardy's final American film.
Nor does the support cast come up to the standard of their other Fox features.
The girls are most certainly attractive, but they have a relatively minor role, the proceedings being dominated by Ralph Sanford and Richard Lane, capable enough actors within the limits of their usual type-casting, but not the sort of personalities we are likely to enjoy throughout an entire film.
Still, for all the film's shortcomings, Laurel and Hardy are still a delight and their routines are fairly amusing..
Laurel & Hardy's last major film has a skeleton of a plot..
Going "Down Mexico Way" as private investigators, the boys once again are part of a case of mistaken identity with Laurel believed to be a famous (!) Spanish bullfighter.