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Beau Hunks

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Wikipedia article




'Beau Hunks' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Laurel and Hardy film, directed by James W. Horne. The title is a reference to the Beau Geste trilogy ('Beau Geste' (1924), 'Beau Sabreur' (1926) and 'Beau Ideal' (1927) and the Hollywood films of the same period based on them); to the line in 'Beau Sabreur' where Buddy says '"Sure thing, Son Hank if a gang of Touareg Bohunks couldn't, French troops couldn't. . . . I s'pose it 'is' us he's after?"'; or to 'bohunk', a common ethnic slur of the time in the United States. At 37 minutes, it is the longest Laurel and Hardy short. The French Foreign Legion scenario was reused in 'The Flying Deuces' with Charles B. Middleton again playing their commanding officer.

Plot



Stan and Ollie are at home while a lovesick Ollie sings and plays piano for his absent sweetheart Jeanie-Weenie (only ever seen as a photograph), before revealing to Stan that he is to marry her. The postman delivers a letter from Jeanie-Weenie rejecting Ollie for another. A heartbroken Ollie announces that the pair of them shall be joining the French Foreign Legion, as it is the only place where he can forget her. When they arrive at the barracks in French Algeria, they discover that not only are all the other soldiers also trying to forget lost loves, they are all trying to forget the same lost love as Ollie and one another: Jeanie-Weenie!

An attempt by the pair to leave the Legion is angrily rejected by the camp commander and the entire platoon is sent on a forced march. A scout enters the camp in a hurry to say that Legion fortress Fort Arid is to be besieged by native Riffian tribesmen, and the garrison is sent to defend it. The duo get cut off from the rest of the regiment in a sandstorm but reach the fortress before the others. Surprisingly, with the aid of barrels of nails, the boys defeat the Riffians by themselves and the leader of the Riffians is revealed to be yet another of Jeanie-Weenie's conquests.

Cast



Hal Roach's Favorite Movie



In January 1992, seven days after Hal Roach celebrated his hundredth birthday, the centenarian appeared as a guest on 'The Tonight Show'. On that occasion, Jay Leno was subbing for host Johnny Carson. When Leno asked Roach which of the movies he had made was his favorite, he selected 'Beau Hunks'. Roach said it was strictly because "leading lady" Jean Harlowwho had started at Roach's studio but had moved on to become a star at MGMappeared in 'Beau Hunks' for nothing. Harlow "appeared" in the film only through old publicity photographs for the Roach studio.

The Dutch musical group



A Dutch musical ensemble, named The Beau Hunks Orchestra after that film, was formed in early 1992 for the purpose of performing some of the soundtrack music at an Oliver Hardy centennial celebration in Amsterdam. They went on to release a number of recordings of the film music of Leroy Shield and some other composers, notably Raymond Scott.

References






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