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Sons of the Desert

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For other uses, see Sons of the Desert (disambiguation).

Sons of the Desert
Window card with Laurel and Hardy at center, in fezzes
Theatrical release window card
Directed byWilliam A. Seiter
Written byFrank Craven
Byron Morgan (continuity)
Produced byHal Roach
StarringStan Laurel
Oliver Hardy
Charley Chase
Mae Busch
Dorothy Christy
CinematographyKenneth Peach
Edited byBert Jordan
Music byMarvin Hatley
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • December 29, 1933 (1933-12-29) (U.S.)
Running time
64 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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

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Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, members of the fraternal lodge called Sons of the Desert, attend a California meeting where it is resolved that all members must attend the upcoming national convention in Chicago. While Oliver is eager to honor the oath, Stan is apprehensive about how his wife Betty will react. Despite initial reluctance, Stan gives in to Oliver's persuasion. Their plans, however, conflict with their wives' own arrangements.

Oliver's wife Lottie insists on a mountain retreat she has planned. To get out of it, Oliver pretends to be ill. Stan then arranges for a fake doctor's recommendation that a voyage to Honolulu is needed, allowing them to attend the convention without their wives knowing. At the event, the song "Honolulu Baby" is performed, creating a festive atmosphere.

Unaware of the deception, their wives become alarmed when they hear that a ship returning from Honolulu has sunk in a typhoon. While they search for news of survivors, Stan and Oliver return home to find their houses empty. They hide in the attic, but are soon discovered when their wives see a cinema newsreel showing both men clearly participating in a parade at the convention.

Under pressure, Oliver tries to maintain the illusion that they were shipwreck survivors, but Betty quickly sees through the lie. Stan eventually confesses, which leads to relief from Betty and anger from Lottie. Betty is pleased to have won her earlier bet with Lottie about which husband was more honest, and rewards Stan with affection.

Oliver, in contrast, must face Lottie's fury, not only for the deception but also for embarrassing her in front of a neighbor. As Stan returns to check on Oliver, he finds him bruised and surrounded by broken crockery. Stan begins to sing "Honolulu Baby," but is struck in the head by a well-aimed saucepan, leaving Oliver alone to deal with the consequences.

Cast

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Half-sheet theatrical release poster

Production notes

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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.

Soundtrack

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Awards and honors

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The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Similar films

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  • Sons of the Desert is a partial remake of 1928's We Faw Down.
  • 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 to 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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ King, Susan (December 19, 2012). "National Film Registry selects 25 films for preservation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  2. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". AFI Catalog.
  3. ^ "Charita". IMDb.
  4. ^ "Brother Oliver Hardy". Scottish Rite, NMJ. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Honolulu Baby Lyrics". International Lyrics Playground. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  6. ^ "Soundtracks for Sons of the Desert". IMDb. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  8. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" (PDF). American Film Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  9. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes" (PDF). American Film Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  10. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees (10th Anniversary Edition)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  11. ^ "Sons of the Desert". TCM.
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