#hal roach studios
“Tit for Tat” is a 1935 short comedy film starring Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy. It is their follow-up sequel film to “Them Thar Hills” which was released the previous year & includes the same two supporting characters, Mr. & Mrs. Hall, portrayed by Charlie Hall & Mae Busch.
Release Date: January 05, 1935
27" X 41" (rare) One Sheet theatrical Poster
There is a bit of “cockney rhyming slang” at work here. A “tit-fer”refers to“hat” as in “Tit-for-tat”. (This is why Stan tips his hat.)
Stan (in a later interview), had said that he’d put special jokes “in for England”…. I had often wondered what he meant by that & over the years; I have spotted a few things–In the films “Perfect Day” & “Way Out West” Stan & Oliver both say “Oh! me apple!” Also, the film title “Towed In A Hole” (1933)suggests a play on “toad in the hole” a name for a dish consisting of sausages baked in batter. There are possibly other examples!
The regal lady the boys are tipping their hats to has been identified by Richard Bann as their co-star of the silent days; Viola Richard. She was listed as an extra in the film, but isn’t seen in the finished cut of “Tit For Tat”.
THE 8TH ACADEMY AWARDS |Thursday, March 05, 1936
Stan Laurel attends the Awards banquet at the Biltmore Hotel.
“Tit For Tat” was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Live Action Short Film (Comedy) of 1935, although it did not win. (For the record, Robert Benchley’s “How To Sleep” won.)
TheOur Gang kids line up for a publicity photo. Probably taken during production of “The First Seven Years”, which was in production October 28 through November 16, 1929. The finished film was released March 01, 1930.
(seen left to right are: Bobby ‘Wheezer’ Hutchins, Mary Ann Jackson, Jackie Cooper, Allen 'Farina’ Hoskins & Norman 'Chubby’ Chaney)
Happy Valentine’s Day~!
Fun Fact: In the 1960’s Swiss Miss Della Lind was Stan Laurel’s neighbor when he resided at The Oceana apartments in Santa Monica, California.
“Kick-off” time —
Great moment from“Blockheads” (1938) – with Tommy “Butch” Bond, who was usually the bully in “Our Gang” but as it turns out; he was a very nice guy. I got to meet him along with his wife & son at the Las Vegas Sons of The Desert convention back in 1992. Well, he & Alfalfa went on to do a series of “B” movies called the “Gas House kids”. Those were done in 1946-47 & I had gotten a lobby card from “The Gas House Kids in Hollywood” that showed him & Alfalfa with the others in a jalopy… I was going to ask him to sign it, but when I showed it to him he was visibly moved by it… it was obviously a happy memory for him.. He asked if he could show it to his wife & son… I said; “You know– this belongs in your home; Please have it..” He was very moved & teary-eye’d .. He saw to it I got a signed still from this very scene he did with Laurel & Hardy.. There were probably a ton of those he signed that week, but still.. that was special one to me….
from The LA Herald Examiner of Saturday, April 19, 1930.
