It's not the first Oliver Hardy "tie-twiddle" that's supposed to be in this film, it's the first "camera-look," and even that's not quite true. In 1954, Oliver Hardy gave an interview to John McCabe in which he recounted what he remembered as the first of his long-suffering gazes into the camera. The scene he recalled--being hit in the face by buckets of water immediately after opening a door, and then staring into the camera in disgust--is in this film, although Hardy mistakenly remembered it as being in "Why Girls Love Sailors." He doesn't actually stare into the camera after being hit with the water so much as glance a few times at us. What's interesting is that Stan Laurel is playing directly to the camera throughout this entire film, both in long shots and close ups. With their next film, "Do Detectives Think?," the process is more like what it would be in their mature films, with only Ollie breaking the fourth wall and looking directly into the camera.The credited director of this film was Hal Yates, although he actually only directed one day's worth of retakes (April 18, 1927). I know this to be a fact as I am the author of "Laurel & Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies" and spent years doing research on the team, locating the precise shooting dates for most of their films. The actual director for most of the filming (April 4 through 14) was Hal Roach. The reason that Fred Guiol is credited as the director on the available DVD is because the producer of that disc created new main titles (they were missing on the available print, which was from a foreign source) and substituted a director credit title from "With Love and Hisses."This is quite an excellent film, with fine support from Anita Garvin and Viola Richard. The production values are surprisingly elaborate, which isn't really apparent in the battered print that's currently available on DVD.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were not deliberately planned to be a comedy team. They did several films together over the years starting with LUCKY DOG and Hal Roach Studios didn't realize they'd be a good team until they just happen to make about a dozen films together. The fact that they appeared together pre-official teaming wasn't surprising, as studios like Roach tended to use the same groups of actors again and again. It was only by chance that they slowly evolved into a team.SAILORS BEWARE is one of these earlier films where Stan and Ollie are not yet a bone fide team. Like so many of these movies, their parts are very separate and they play against each other more than with each other. Because of this their chemistry is all wrong compared to what we are used to and most of these earlier films are sub-par for the boys. However, in the case of SAILORS BEWARE, the film is still excellent--one of the best before they became an official team. In fact, it is better than quite a few of their later films as well due to an excellent and exciting script.The film begins with cabbie Laurel getting stuck on a cruise ship after bringing aboard a rich lady and her baby. Because Laurel isn't able to afford the fare, he is made to work on board--with Ollie as his not particularly nice boss. At about the same time, there are a number of thefts on the ship and it's up to Stan to get to the bottom of it.Seeing that the baby is played by Harry Earles--a somewhat famous dwarf who acted in several films--it isn't too surprising to guess who's behind the thefts. Interestingly, Earles plays much the same character he played in both the silent and sound versions of THE UNHOLY THREE (with Lon Chaney). Still, despite me recognizing him, it still was an exciting and funny film--one worth seeing by anyone--not just Laurel and Hardy fans.

One of the better shorts made with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before their celebrated teaming;well produced,some amusing sequences,though frustratingly the boys don't share that many scenes in the film.Still,we get the the first known camera-look from Hardy(although he had performed this trait in previous films,notably STICK AROUND,made in 1925),and Anita Garvin and Harry Earles are fine as an improbable man and wife jewel thieving team.Hal Yates is credited with the direction,though in fact Hal Roach is thought to have been the director,with Yates filming one day's worth of retakes.Later in the year,he directed HATS OFF,when the teaming was becoming an item;sadly no copy of HATS OFF is known to exist.

I am not a huge fan of Laurel and Hardy, I will admit. BUT, I am a huge fan of Harry Earles, who plays the baby/midget in this short. In general, I would say that this movie is very very good. It is pretty quickly paced, Hardy plays the slightly effeminate (IMHO) steward on a ship in which Laurel has mistakenly been put aboard. Since Laurel doesn't want to be there, and with the only other choice being too detrimental to his well-being, he decides to go along with it. During his pseudo-duties, he finds a midget (Harry Earles) acting as a baby in order to help his thieving wife aboard the ship. Generally a good bit o' fun! The only problem I had was with the many many sound effects that accompanied my version. Hopefully you won't have the same problem!