Sons of the Desert is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. Directed by William A. Seiter, it was released in the United States on December 29, 1933. In the United Kingdom, the film was originally released under the title Fraternally Yours.
In 2012, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[1]
Plot
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, members of the fraternal lodge, Sons of the Desert, attend a California meeting where it is mandated that all members must attend the upcoming national convention in Chicago. While Oliver is eager to honor the oath, Stan is apprehensive about his wife Betty's reaction. Despite initial reluctance, Stan succumbs to Oliver's persuasion. However, their plans are thwarted by their wives' conflicting agendas.
Lottie, Oliver's wife, vehemently opposes the trip as she has organized a mountain retreat. Resorting to deception, Oliver feigns illness to avoid Lottie's plans. Stan orchestrates a ruse involving a faux doctor's recommendation for a Honolulu voyage, enabling them to attend the convention without their wives' knowledge. At the convention, the catchy tune "Honolulu Baby" is performed, adding a jovial atmosphere to their escapade.
Meanwhile, their wives, unaware of the deception, become concerned when a ship returning from Honolulu sinks in a typhoon. As they investigate the fate of the survivors, Stan and Oliver return home to an empty house, only to discover their wives' suspicions upon their return. To evade confrontation, the duo hides in the attic, but their secret is jeopardized when their wives stumble upon footage of the convention in a cinema newsreel.
Facing mounting pressure, Oliver attempts to maintain the illusion of a shipwreck survival, but his fabricated story quickly unravels under Betty's scrutiny. Stan, on the other hand, decides to confess, prompting a mix of relief and anger from Betty and Lottie, respectively. While Betty welcomes Stan's honesty, Lottie unleashes her fury on Oliver, culminating in a altercation.
Stan's frightened confession allows Betty's pride, in her earlier bet with Lottie that she had the more honest of the two husbands, to triumph over her best friend, which for her has become far more important, so she greatly spoils him upon returning home.
Whereas Oliver endures Lottie's wrath not only now for attending the convention, and lying, but for being the cause of her ignominy in front of her neighbour.
Stan returns to Oliver's front door and enquires of a black-eyed Oliver, surrounded by smashed crockery, how it went with him. He begins to serenade "Honolulu Baby," but is hit on the back of his retreating head by a distantly-thrown, well-aimed saucepan, leaving Oliver to face the aftermath of his wife's fury.
The fraternal organization seen in the film is styled to resemble the Shriners, known formerly as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, which is a club exclusive only to master masons of Freemasonry. Oliver Hardy was a freemason [4] and Stan Laurel was a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats.
Another Laurel and Hardy short film called Be Big! has a storyline similar to this feature. Stan and Ollie are invited to a party with a club that the two attend. However, they are about to take their wives on holiday for the weekend. Ollie pretends to be ill and persuades the wives go ahead, saying Stan will stay to look after him and they will arrive at the holiday location the next day. They get changed into their uniforms, which causes problems such as Stan putting on Ollie's boots by mistake. In contrast to Sons of the Desert, in Be Big, Stan is initially unaware of the party at their club until Ollie fills him in, and then tells him his sick act was a charade.
Legacy
The international Laurel and Hardy society The Sons of the Desert takes its name from this feature film.
The title was also used as the name of a country group, as well as that of the Danish comedy quartet "Ørkenens sønner" (1991–present), the literal translation of the movie's title. The comedy group uses the basic theme of a fraternal organization, and their stage costumes are identical to the ones used in the movie's organization. Even their theme song is a translation of the one from the movie. Though adult themed, their gags and jokes resemble the ones seen at the movie's Chicago party.[11]
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