Habeas Corpus main backdrop
Habeas Corpus main poster

Habeas Corpus

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6.6/10 • 28

1928-12-010h 20m

Comedy

Loony scientist hires Laurel and Hardy to raid the cemetery to keep him supplied with dead bodies for his experiments.

Directors
James Parrott

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Stan Laurel

    Stan Laurel

    Stan

  2. Oliver Hardy

    Oliver Hardy

    Ollie

  3. Richard Carle

    Richard Carle

    Professor

  4. Charley Rogers

    Charley Rogers

    Ledoux - the Butler (as Charlie Rogers)

  5. Chester A. Bachman

    Chester A. Bachman

    2nd Policeman (uncredited)

  6. Leo Sulky

    Leo Sulky

    Detective On Telephone (uncredited)

Reviews1

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Sep 3, 2015

7/10

They buried somebody too soon! Starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Habeas Corpus is directed by James Parrott and photographed by Len Powers. Plot finds Stan and Ollie as a couple of drifters short of cash who agree to do a bit of grave robbing to earn themselves $500, courtesy of the mad professor Padilla (Richard Carle). But the cemetery at night is not a fun place to be... Not so much Burke & Hare, more like Berk & Berk! Not a prime short from the boys but lots to enjoy. The frenetic organ swirls as Stan & Ollie prat about down at the cemetery. After the tone is set via a fun escapade with wet paint, the spooky shenanigans begin - which constitutes the boys scaring each other even without outside influences! There's the usual visual ticks, the various looks at the camera, which are supplemented by some animal participation (including the world's fastest cat and a fun tortoise). An extended sequence of them trying to get over the wall of the cemetery is overplayed, but after an Ollie wrecking ball moment and a quite brilliant and hilarious body bag sequence of events, this short is back on track and showing why they would become legends of cinema. 7/10

Media

  • Habeas Corpus poster
  • Habeas Corpus poster
  • Habeas Corpus poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
cemeteryblack and whitesilent filmshort film