Berth Marks

Berth Marks
Berth Marks
	Lobby card
Directed by	Lewis R. Foster
Written by	Leo McCarey; H. M. Walker
Produced by	Hal Roach
Starring	Stan Laurel; Oliver Hardy; Pat Harmon; S. D. Wilcox; Eleanor Fredericks; Harry Bernard; Baldwin Cooke; Paulette Goddard; Charlie Hall; Sammy Brooks
Cinematography	Len Powers
Edited by	Richard C. Currier
Music by	Marvin Hatley (1936 reissue)
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; DIC Entertainment (1990 reissue)
Release date	June 1, 1929;
Running time	19:34 (English); 49:09 (Spanish)
Country	United States
Languages	English; French; Spanish; German; Silent film with English intertitles

Berth Marks is the second sound film starring Laurel and Hardy and was released on June 1, 1929.

Plot[edit]

Stan and Ollie, two musicians en route to a performance in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, find themselves embarking on a sleeper train. However, their journey is marked by a series of mishaps. Stan inadvertently spills a substantial portion of their musical paraphernalia, much to Ollie's chagrin. Their interactions with fellow passengers further compound their troubles, as they unintentionally disturb a diminutive traveler and startle a woman in the midst of disrobing while mistakenly entering a private compartment.

The resulting fracas escalates when the incensed husband of the startled woman accuses an innocent bystander, sparking a cascade of clothing-ripping reprisals among the passengers. Amidst this chaos, Stan and Ollie endeavor to retire to their cramped upper berth, struggling to change into pajamas. Their efforts are further hampered by the general pandemonium onboard.

As they near their destination, Stan and Ollie finally manage to settle into their sleeping quarters, albeit belatedly. However, in their haste to disembark, they inadvertently leave their musical instrument behind. Ollie, realizing their oversight, gives chase along the tracks as the train recedes into the distance.

Cast[edit]

Stan Laurel as Stan
Oliver Hardy as Ollie
Pat Harmon as station master
S. D. Wilcox as conductor
Sammy Brooks as short train passenger
Eleanor Fredericks as lady in berth
Harry Bernard as passenger
Baldwin Cooke as passenger
Paulette Goddard as passenger
Charlie Hall as passenger^[2]

Production notes[edit]

Berth Marks was the second sound film released by Laurel and Hardy. A silent version was also made for cinemas that were not yet wired to show talking pictures. Action and dialogue scripts were written mid-April 1929, with filming taking place between April 20–27, 1929.^[1]

Several of the train sequences (including some not used in the English release) were utilized for foreign language versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case in 1930. Overall there were three different versions of The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case combined with Berth Marks, released for the foreign language market:-

Feu mon oncle - French
Noche de duendes - Spanish
Spuk um Mitternacht - German^[1]

Berth Marks was reissued in 1936 with a music score added to introductory scenes.^[1] This version and was subsequently included on the 10-disc Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection DVD set, as well as the Spanish Noche de duendes. In 2020 both the 1936 soundtrack version and the original 1929 soundtrack version were issued on "Laurel & Hardy - The Definitive Restorations" DVD and Blu-Ray collections.

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Skretvedt, Randy; Jordan R. Young (1996) [1987]. Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies. Beverly Hills, California: Past Times Publishing. ISBN 0-940410-29-X.
^ "Berth Marks - Cast", imdb.com; accessed April 20, 2017.

External links[edit]

[Skretvedt-1] Skretvedt, Randy; Jordan R. Young (1996) [1987]. Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies. Beverly Hills, California: Past Times Publishing. ISBN 0-940410-29-X.

[2] "Berth Marks - Cast", imdb.com; accessed April 20, 2017.

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