Hats Off

Hats Off

  • Release Date: November 5th, 1927
Hats Off (1927) is a silent comedy film directed by Hal Yates, starring the iconic comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. In the movie, Laurel and Hardy play two bumbling door-to-door salesmen trying to sell a washing machine. Their antics escalate as they haul the heavy machine through increasingly ridiculous situations. The film is best remembered for its slapstick humor, showcasing the chemistry and physical comedy that would make Laurel and Hardy famous.
 
Hats Off was produced by Hal Roach.  Roach founded Hal Roach Studios in 1914.  They produced Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, and other popular comedies in the teens and twenties and were known as the “Laugh Factory to the World.”  The studio continued to operate until 1959 at its headquarters at 8822 Washington Blvd. The studio does not stand today and the site is now part of the Culver City Platform development. I found this website that has some great images of Hal Roach Studios in its heyday.
 

Fun Fact: Hats Off is considered a significant piece of early film history because it was the first collaboration between Laurel and Hardy that showcased their classic comedic style. Unfortunately, Hats Off is now a lost film, with no known surviving copies. Despite this, the film is credited as an early precursor to their later classic, The Music Box (1932), which also involves the duo struggling to deliver a large object—in that case, a piano. 

Although the film did not survive, we do have this awesome still from the movie showcasing it’s Culver City location.  In this scene, Stan and Ollie sit in the middle of Main Street in Culver City with the camera facing north across Venice Blvd.  That sure is a lot of hats!

Laurel and Hardy in Culver City in Hats Off
Laurel and Hardy sit at the corner of Main Street and and Venice Blvd in Culver City, CA

Below is another image of Laurel and Hardy horsing around on Main Street from Hats Off.  I found this image on OliverHardy.com, which has other fun Laurel and Hardy filming locations.

Laurel, Hardy, and the gang horse around on the corner of Main Street and Venice

Below is the location today.  It is pretty amazing that these two buildings (9401 Venice Blvd on the left and 9349 Venice Blvd on the right) look almost identical to the way they appeared in 1927 almost 100 years later.

Main Street and Venice Blvd in Culver City in 2024

The image of Laurel and Hardy sitting on Main Street was even used on the promotional poster for the film.  If found the below image on The Beau Chumps Tent of Sunderland UK website, which is a Laurel and Hardy appreciation society.  They a lot more information about Hats Off and other Laurel and Hardy films.

Hats Off movie poster
Laurel and Hardy sit on Main Street in Culver City in poster for "Hats Off"

Silent Locations is a great website to check out more filming locations by Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, and many more early film legends.  I found the image from Hats Off on their website.

Also, if you are in the area, the Museum of Jurrasic Technology at 9341 Venice Blvd (pictured in green at the right of the modern image), is definitely worth a visit.  It’s almost too strange to explain.  If you like the quirky and the strange, you will have a memorable time there.

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