Thicker than Water (1935 film)

Plot

Stan and Ollie are ordered to wash the dishes by Ollies wife but Stan dries them and puts them back in the bowl. Ollie then tells him to put them somewhere dry and he places them on a gas ring where they heat up, so that when Ollie picks them up he drops them and they all smash. James Finlayson then calls to collect payment for some furniture. Stan, Ollie and Mrs Hardy embark on a lengthy "the money that you gave to him, to give to me to pay him" dialogue routine. At Stans suggestion Ollie then withdraws the couples savings from the bank to buy furniture and inadvertently pays virtually the whole amount at an auction for a grandfather clock which is soon crushed under a passing truck. Awaiting the wrath of Mrs Hardy back at home he tells Stan that "here is another nice kettle of fish youve pickled me in".

Mrs Hardy then causes serious injuries to Ollie when she hits him over the head with a frying pan, requiring him to be rushed to hospital for a blood transfusion. The doctor conscripts Stan to be the unwilling blood donor ("what do you think I am, a blood worm?"). During the transfusion, too much blood is pumped out of Stan and into Ollie, requiring some of the blood inside Ollie to be pumped into Stan. But too much blood gets pumped back into Stan, requiring another reversal, and so forth ... until the transfusion machine explodes. This sets up the climactic sight gag: when Laurel and Hardy exit the hospital they appear to have morphed into each other. Ollie is minus his toothbrush mustache and wearing Stans hat and bow-tie, while Stan is wearing Ollies hat, necktie and mustache. The two comedians proceed to do spot-on imitations of each others mannerisms. Ollie mimes Stans famous befuddled head scratch while an exasperated Stan twiddles his tie in response and delivers Ollies signature catchphrase, "Heres another nice mess youve gotten me into!" (in Hardys dubbed voice). Ollie reacts by breaking into Stans trademark cry for the comic fadeout.

Cast

Special effects

At one point in the film, Laurel and Hardy drag the next scene into the frame from off-camera. This effect was achieved with the optical-printing device known as a wipe.