Metro Goldwyn Mayer

The famous vaudeville comedy act, Laurel & Hardy starred in this early talkie short (19 minutes). Early scenes are filmed at Santa Fe Railway’s La Grande Station in Los Angeles.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy play, well, themselves with a series of sight gags at the depot and onboard a heavyweight passenger train (partially filmed in the studio). They have tickets for a Pullman “section” set up for night time use (even though it’s broad daylight for the entire trip to “Pottsville”).

Motive power for the train is ATSF #1373, a 1337 class, Baldwin-built (1913), 4-6-2 Pacific. Santa Fe #1373 even has its own locomotive.fandom.com web page!

Will the boys make it to their destination in one piece? Let’s take a peek and see.

The majority of the plot consists of the duo attempting to get into their upper berth, well-illustrated in this movie poster; Not seen in the movie, but in this publicity shot is Stan & Oliver between a pair of outside-braced box cars. The car behind them is lettered “P.E.” for Pacific Electric, a subsidiary of Southern Pacific Railroad.

Here we are at Santa Fe Station. Stan is waiting with his enormous bass fiddle (part of their act). At the appointed time, Ollie comes marching out of the depot looking for Stan. In a carefully-choreographed ballet, the two keep missing each other.

Note the cool, circular Western Union sign above Hardy. I’d love to add that to my collection! The Moorish influence of the station (arches and un-seen onion top domes) are unmistakable.

Meanwhile, a short passenger train enters the Los Angeles station. It’s ATSF #1373 leading a heavyweight baggage car and coaches. That’s the First Street Viaduct in the background.

As a comparison, here is sister locomotive #1376 at Denver in 1/1/1942. Source of the picture is www.rrpicturearchives.net, taken by Guy L. Dunscomb from the collection of Wil Hata.

Meanwhile, passengers begin boarding the train while the boys listen to the Conductor calling out its stops down the line.

The rub is, the Conductor is speaking gibberish in a loud voice, confounding Stan & Ollie.

Once he finishes his litany, Oliver politely asks if this train goes to Pottsville. The Conductor responds with a curt, “Keep your ears open!”, walking over to the last car whilst AGAIN calling out badly-spoken stations on the train’s route.

At the last possible moment, the Conductor calls out “POTTSVILLE!”, waves a highball to the Engineer as Laurel & Hardy scramble to collect their dropped sheet music and bass fiddle.

Ollie urges Stan to hurry, as he stands on the step box; Since the train has moved forward, Oliver does a spectacular pratfall; Stan finally arrives, but only makes the situation worse, with papers flying everywhere.

Note the two Pacific Electric streetcars running on the First Street Viaduct over the Los Angeles River in the background.

Abandoning everything except Stan’s bass fiddle, the two thespians make a last, desperate attempt to catch their train. Note the step box in the rear vestibule and the passengers waving goodbye. Nice string of heavyweight passenger cars on the depot tracks.

Finally on board, Ollie asks Stan how they’re going to perform at their next gig without sheet music? This appears to be a Pullman Section sleeper made up for day configuration. Studio set? Actual Pullman? It’s hard to tell.

The Pullman Conductor lifts their ticket and sends them into the next car (configured with upper and lower berths with curtains for privacy). Stan manages to pull down a set of curtains with his bulky instrument, prompting a shrill scream from the scantily-clad girl in the lower.

At the end of the hall, the boys accidently burst into a compartment (you guessed it, more female screams), before making their way into the next car.

This starts off a whole chain of events (mistaken identity) as boyfriend seeks revenge — from the wrong person, ripping up their sport coat, with the action spilling throughout the train as we’ll see later.

Reaching their assigned berths, there’s the problem of how to get into the upper. Interlocking fingers doesn’t work. Neither does standing on Hardy’s back (Laurel takes his time removing his coat). At last, the porter happens by with a ladder (which is the way it was done on actual Pullman cars).

The ladder doesn’t help either. They manage to pull down the upper’s mattress and bedding, however. “There’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into…”

Somehow, some way, they make it into the berth and undress for beddie-bye.

Much to the horror of the Pullman Conductor, the rending of clothing has spread to the entire train. Over the sounds of material ripping, the Train Boss has to walk the gauntlet, getting his uniform shredded in the process.

Pottsville! I believe this scene was filmed at a small train station somewhere on the S.P. or P.E. As a steam locomotive flashes by, I can just make out, “SOUTHERN PACIFIC” on the tender.

Still in their jammies, Ollie and Stan are deposited on the platform. As their train pulls out, notice the overhead catenary. This has got to be somewhere on the Pacific Electric.

“Where’s the fiddle?” Stan answers with his trademark goofy smile and points at the departing train. To close our picture, Ollie chases Stan down the tracks as the credits roll.

Here’s what IMDb has to say about Berth Marks:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019686/

If you have ANY information about this movie you’d like to share, please contact me at: Lindsay.Korst@gmail.com, or leave a comment.  Thanks and enjoy the blog!

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