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» » Going Bye-Bye! (1934)

Short summary

Stan and Ollie give evidence which convicts vicious gangster Butch. They plan to leave town and advertise for a traveling companion to share expenses. Butch's girl replies to the advert and the boys come to collect her. Butch meanwhile has escaped and when the boys finally succeed in freeing him from a trunk he exacts a terrible revenge.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Blackstalker
    A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short.

    Stan & Ollie are GOING BYE-BYE! Butch, a notoriously violent criminal has threatened them with great bodily harm for squealing on him. Wanting to get out of town fast, and not aware that Butch has escaped the police, the Boys arrange to travel with a shady lady to share expenses. Naturally, she turns out to be Butch's girlfriend and the hilarity begins when they all show up at her apartment...

    A very funny little film - the slapstick `trunk sequence' is wonderful. That's Mae Busch as the girlfriend and Walter Long as Butch.
  • comment
    • Author: Runeshaper
    "Going Bye-Bye !" shows the screen's greatest comic double-act in brilliant form. It is in fact their last short comedy film classic - another five more two-reelers followed followed (though only one of these - "Them Thar Hills" - approaches the standard of this one). Long is at his fearsome best, and the dialogue ("Excuse me, I have milk in my ear"), characterisations and slapstick are wonderful. This is up there with Stan and Ollie's best. A must.
  • comment
    • Author: Getaianne
    This is one of the better Laurel & Hardy two reelers I have seen. The good thing with this short film is that it is not only entertaining and making you smile, the gags still work as good as they probably did back then. I laughed a lot with this short. Only the last five minutes are a little less funny, but those minutes are very original. The final gag belongs to the best I have seen in a Laurel & Hardy short.

    The story shows us how Laurel & Hardy are responsible for the conviction of a criminal. The criminal tells them that when he comes out he will harm them very badly. Laurel & Hardy plan to leave town. They want to take a passenger to share expenses. A lady offers to go along and of course she knows the criminal who by that time has escaped.

    The story is predictable, some of the gags are too, but they all work. Highly recommended.
  • comment
    • Author: Asher
    Laurel and Hardy are witnesses against a murderer who promises at the trial that he will escape and tie their legs around their necks. He escapes. By the most improbable series of coincidences he winds up locked in a trunk belonging to a lady that the boys are trying to help. Laurel drills holes in the trunk for air. The bit penetrates the trunk and punctures Hardy on the other side, when it's not puncturing the trunk's inhabitant. They try melting the lock and set the murderer on fire, then put the fire out with a hose that almost drowns him.

    It's one gag after another, with little in the way of complexity, and it's often very amusing. You can guess what shape Laurel and Hardy are left in, after the killer finishes with them.
  • comment
    • Author: Fordg
    Stan & Ollie testify against a dangerous criminal "Butch" who swears revenge and then promptly escapes from jail and goes looking for them. Laurel & Hardy meanwhile prepare to get out of town and, by a million to one chance, find themselves in Butch's apartment. To say any more would be giving the (wonderful) plot away, so you'll have to watch it. of course, I'm sure most people on Planet Earth have already seen this delightful "short". It's not one of L&H's best but still VERY funny. The film is greatly assisted by Walter Long (the ultimate comedy tough guy) who plays "Butch". I've just seen Going Bye Bye on BBC2. The restored version is magnificent. It looks as if it was made yesterday! Well worth watching.
  • comment
    • Author: Oreavi
    In this one Stan and Ollie testify against a ruthless gangster named Butch who vows revenge on the duo. So, then Stan and Ollie leave town to avoid him, and fail in the process! This episode is another one of my favorites of the Laurel and Hardy series.

    Walter Long was expectional as the villain Butch, and Mae Busch played his girlfriend, and she was a very accomplished actress in her heyday! Those two just blended in very well with Laurel and Hardy. (Spoiler): The best part was the end when Butch got caught and Stan and Ollie had their legs tied around their necks and Ollie says to Stan his famous line, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" And Stan just did one of his trademarks, the incoherent sob!

    This L&H episode is a definate must-see for any fans! Don't miss it! :)
  • comment
    • Author: Nea
    I've seen most L&H comedy shorts, and I laughed out loud the most at this one. Right way, Stan makes some classic gaffs in the courtroom, which the audience laughs at. There's plenty of slapstick and sight gags. Walter Long is great as the creepy gangster Butch, whom the boys are mainly responsible for putting behind bars. The trouble is, Butch makes good his claim that no prison in the US can hold him very long. Seems the prison is right in the town where the trial took place, because Butch breaks out right away(which we don't see). Besides staying clear of the police, his main initial goal is to "Break off your legs and wrap them around your necks" in regard to Stan and Ollie......... The boys are trying to get out of town as quickly as possible, in case Butch does escape. But, they only have a little gas money. So, Stan suggests they advertise for a traveling companion, to share expense and driving. Unexpectedly, a woman is first to answer. Played by Mae Busch, with a blond wig, she talks like a gangster's moll. In fact, she is Butch's girlfriend, he calling her Mary! As the cops expected, Butch makes a bee line to Mary's place, and arrives shortly before the boys ring the door bell, which they have some trouble with. Butch and Mary assume it's the police who are ringing the doorbell. Thus, she hustles him into the back room, where there is a large empty trunk he's able to just fit in. Scared stiff, she opens the door and greets the boys. She takes them to the back room, and tries to open the trunk to give Butch some air. But, it's locked itself, and she doesn't know where the key is. Stan has the idea to drill some holes, to at least give him a little air. He finds an auger with a very long drill, and drills a hole, before sticking Butch in the side. He tries again, and miraculously misses Butch, but it goes out the other side, and sticks Ollie, who is on his knees. Now, Butch can see clear enough to recognize the boys. He licks his chops. But, he still has to get out, somehow. Butch suggests using s blow torch to melt the lock. They find such in the room, but turn it up too high. Somehow, the flame goes inside the trunk, and burns Butch and his clothes. He screams, as smoke continues to exit from the holes. The boys find a firehose in the hall, and squirt it in a hole. After a short while, we can see water pouring out of the holes, and hear Butch screaming that he's drowning........... Meanwhile, Mae has gone to get a friend to get Butch out. But, she's intercepted in the lobby, by a cop, who wants her to show him Butch is not in her apartment. While, the boys are putting the firehose back, Butch somehow manages to burst the trunk open, leaving it in splinters. When the boys return, they are horrified to discover it's Butch. .Just before a police squad enters, the boys try to escape, but Butch catches them, and makes good his threat articulated in the courtroom......You can see this at YouTube, either in its colorized form or the traditional B&W. I saw the colorized version, which, unlike some of their colorized films, was in sharp focus.
  • comment
    • Author: Buzalas
    "Going Bye-Bye!" is a 20-minute black-and-white sound film from 1934, so this one is already over 80 years old, almost 85, and it is among the many collaborations between Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy with director Charley Rogers and the supporting cast here is also gonna show us familiar faces. They may be the greatest comedy, maybe even in general, duo in film history, but this one here is not among their very best and I can see why it is not among their most known, even if the rating here on imdb is a bit too high for sure. This takes Stan and Ollie in the world of crime for once or at least close to it as they don't share too much screen time with the bad guy except at the ery start and very end. It is their usual shenanigans and they elevate the material as always, but it just isn't good enough. Also the moments when the film steps a bit away from the comedy genre are not too bright and it's tough to take it seriously as anything else. Perhaps they should have gone 100% comedy this time. If you really love the duo, you can watch this one, but if not it may be better to go for another Laurel/Hardy work as I doubt this one's gonna turn you into a fan. I give it a thumbs-down.
  • comment
    • Author: MisterQweene
    "Going Bye Bye" was one of the last short films Laurel and Hardy made before they embraced feature films full time. This 1934 short is an absolute riot! Stan and Ollie are instrumental in the apprehension of a notorious killer Butch (played by character actor Walter Long). The opening scene is in court as Butch is found guilty and he swears revenge against the boys. They don't exactly make life easy for themselves by antagonising him! Stan and Ollie agree they need to leave town as soon as possible but they are very low on funds. As a result, they place an advert in a local newspaper to invite someone to travel with them and share expenses. Ollie was silly enough to entrust Stan the job of writing the advert. The expression on Ollie's face and his reaction are priceless! An excellent comedy short with loads of laughs and a good story.
  • comment
    • Author: Cha
    This time, Stan and Ollie help convict a criminal who swears revenge on them, forcing them to try and leave town. Sure enough, all manner of mishaps result. I think that my favorite part of "Going Bye-Bye" was the whole scene with the telephone. It's the sort of movie where you could turn off the sound and it would still be a riot.

    One can see Laurel and Hardy's influence on the relationship between Gilligan and the Skipper. The characters in Gore Verbinski's "Mouse Hunt" also do a lot of things that are similar to Laurel and Hardy. It just goes to show that these guys were a comedy team for the ages. I understand that they co-starred in a movie in the early 1920s a few years before they became a team - and Hardy had appeared in a number of shorts, billed as Babe - but once they became a team, things took off.

    Anyway, really funny.
  • comment
    • Author: Nicanagy
    This is so very funny. Walter Long plays Butch, a murderer who Stan and Ollie have helped convicted. With that stern, ugly, threatening smirk, Butch tells them in court that he will escape, catch them, and tie their legs around their necks. He goes off to prison, but, of course, he escapes and the fun starts. The boys leave town but they need some financial aid and advertise for a travelling companion. It turns out to be Mae Bush, who is Butch's girlfriend. The arrive a her apartment shortly after Butch, who hides in a steamer trunk. The boys are take with Mae who is quite voluptuous in a 1930's kind of way. Butch realizes he can't get out of the trunk and much of the episode involves the duo trying to get him out, not realizing they are about to seal their fates. Tremendous character acting by Long and a really great plot.
  • comment
    • Author: HappyLove
    Testifying against criminal Walter Long, Laurel and Hardy desperately try to leave town after a sinister threat causes them concern. They advertise for a travel mate, and what do you know, it turns out to be Long's mill (Mae Busch), a floozie with a heart of acid. Long manages a daring escape, but hiding in a trunk, gets the Laurel and Hardy treatment, ultimately making prison a more pleasant option. But that doesn't stop hilarity from seeking its revenge, leaving the audience with one of the more iconic plot twists and a twisted sight gag that is one of the more famous shots of them, regularly used in comic montages and salutes to the lovable team. Busch is rather underused, more of an intruder in the plot than an actual participant. Pretty good for one of their later shorts, and a fun diversion.
  • comment
    • Author: Freaky Hook
    This is a wonderful little Laurel and Hardy film. Stan and Ollie do their civic duty and testify against criminal Walter Long (who, by the way, played the scariest looking criminal in several Laurel and Hardy films). The thug is convicted and as he's being drug off to prison, he threatens to get even--saying he'll "tie their legs around their heads like a bow-tie!". Well, despite being pretty dumb, the boys wisely decide to leave town. But, because they are short of funds, they advertise for someone to come along and share driving expenses. Because this is a comedy short, it's no surprise that the person that answers their ad is the girlfriend of Walter Long! And just before the boys arrive at the lady's house to pick her up, Long escapes and heads to her house as well. However, Long and the boys don't meet up right away. When Stan and Ollie ring the bell, Long hides in a trunk (not realizing who's at the door) and gets locked inside. Not knowing who is inside, Stan and Ollie try their best (which means, they do a horrible job) of trying to get him out--and in the process make you feel sorry for Long! Eventually, he gets out and this leads to one of the better sight gags to end a Laurel and Hardy film.

    The short is well written and acted and has excellent pacing. All-in-all, it's one of their better shorts and well worth seeing.
  • comment
    • Author: Beardana
    Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were comedic geniuses, individually and together, and their partnership was deservedly iconic and one of the best there was. They left behind a large body of work, a vast majority of it being entertaining to classic comedy, at their best they were hilarious and their best efforts were great examples of how to do comedy without being juvenile or distasteful.

    Although a vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's previous efforts ranged from above average to very good ('45 Minutes from Hollywood' being the only misfire and mainly worth seeing as a curiosity piece and for historical interest, and even that wasn't a complete mess), 'Two Tars' for me was their first truly classic one with close to flawless execution. 'Going Bye-Bye!' for me is up there with their best later efforts and certainly among their funniest.

    Can't really find anything wrong with it, was past caring this time as to whether the story was as thin as ice when there is so much content and energy that continually makes the film compelling, on top of being riotously funny in its best moments.

    From start to finish 'Going Bye-Bye!' is wonderful, never less than very amusing and the best moments being classic Laurel and Hardy. It is never too silly, there is a wackiness that never loses its energy and the sly wit is here, how it's all executed actually doesn't feel too familiar and it doesn't get repetitive. A lot happens yet it doesn't ever feel rushed or over-stuffed. The second half especially is a sheer delight and hilarious, despite the viewer being in no doubt how things were going to end.

    Laurel and Hardy are on top form here, both are well used, both have material worthy of them and they're equal rather than one being funnier than the other (before Laurel tended to be funnier and more interesting than Hardy, who tended to be underused). Their chemistry feels like a partnership here too, before 'Two Tars' you were yearning for more scenes with them together but in 'Going Bye-Bye!' and on the most part from 'Two Tars' onwards we are far from robbed of that. Their comic timing is impeccable and they handle the material, material more than worthy of their talents, with adept ease.

    'Going Bye-Bye!' looks good visually, is full of energy and the direction gets the best out of the stars, is at ease with the material and doesn't let it get too busy or static. Simple it somewhat is but it doesn't ever get overly so. The supporting cast are more than up to their level, especially a truly fearsome Walter Long.

    In summary, one of Laurel and Hardy's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox
  • comment
    • Author: Bil
    Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. In the courtroom, criminal Butch (Walter Long) is found guilty of the crime Ollie and Stan gave evidence for, and he promises he will get them and break off their legs and tie them round their necks, and he could have done it breaking out of his straight jacket. A man advises them they should get out of town, but they don't have enough gas to get to where they want to, so Stan suggests they advertise for a fellow traveller to join them and pay expenses. While packing ready for the trip Ollie is knocked into the bed post by Stan, and after getting out, and some glasses confusion he reads the slightly silly advert Stan placed in the newspaper. Then the phone rings while Stan packs some kitchen utensils, Stan gives Ollie a milk tin instead of the phone, and he also knocked a razor blade in a brush he uses to polish off Ollie's milk covered coat, so tears all over. The phone call was Butch's Girlfriend (Mae Busch) interested in the advert, but when Butch comes through the window, she knows that the police will be looking there first, so he hides in a chest when the boys come ringing. After breaking the door bell, the boys say they are fine with an extra person joining her, and she assures them the man that has threatened them can't be as bad as the guy she is bringing, they don't know it is him yet. Then she finds out Butch is locked in the chest without a key, so while she goes to get a Jerry, the boys use the tools available to get him out. They boar some holes so Butch has some air too, one going on his backside, and another getting Ollie's, and while the Girlfriend has a policeman dragging her home to Butch, he has noticed it is the boys threatened peaking through a hole. To get out quicker he suggests melting the lock off with a blowtorch, only to have his backside on fire and a toss of the box wrecking the room. To put the fire out the boys dash for the outside hose, filling it to the point where Butch is gargling and when the water stops he breaks out himself. The boys run away in panic realising it is Butch, and you hear some crashing before the police take him away, the film ends with the boys having their threat from Butch carried out, their legs tied round their necks. Filled with good slapstick and all classic comedy you want from a black and white film, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian, and "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" was number 60 on 100 Years, 100 Quotes. Worth watching!
  • comment
    • Author: skriper
    Doing their civic duty for once, Laurel and Hardy are witnesses in a case that sees a violent felon go down for life. The criminal swears bloody revenge and Laurel and hardy decide it's best for them to leave town. Needing help with the gas money they advertise for a travelling companion and their luck is in when a lady replies. Meanwhile the criminal escapes jail and heads to his girlfriend's house for shelter – just before our heroes arrive to pick her up as their travelling companion.

    Despite the dark starting to this film it turns out to be very funny. The film worried me a little as it appeared to be slightly violent in it's threats etc at the start but it soon feel back into routines and slapstick that they do so well. The later routines with the trunk were a little disappointing as they were uninspired but still quite funny – in fact once the criminal turns up in the flat it all had an air of inevitability about it that sapped the film's energy a bit.

    Nevertheless it is still funny and Oliver and Stan are on good form in the early scenes with both good physical work and nice dialogue based routines between the two. It isn't one of their best that I've seen but even them on an off day is very funny and well worth a watch.
  • comment
    • Author: fightnight
    This is a very simple made Laurel & Hardy short with an almost non-existent and not that great story. However the gags in the movie are absolutely hilarious and are the reason why this is one of the better Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts.

    It's a very consistent movie that remains funny throughout its entire running time. It has some absolute priceless visual jokes in it and a really funny ending.

    It's always fun to see Walter Long in a villainous role in any Laurel & Hardy movie, so this one included. He probably is also one of the reasons that makes this movie oh so fun and hilarious to watch. Also a couple of other Laurel & Hardy regulars show up again.

    Simple comedy short but the humor in it is absolutely priceless and its timing spot-on!

    8/10

    http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
  • comment
    • Author: Isha
    A two reel short produced by Hal Roach for M-G-M, this piece utilizes a well-worn Laurel and Hardy plot line gambit: an outrageous sequence of physical affronts being heaped one upon another, targeting various victims, with the action opening here within a court room setting where "Butch" Long (Walter Long), a brutal criminal, is being tried for murder, and is convicted based upon testimony given by Stan and Ollie, although the former's tendency to speak according to whim occurs after the presiding justice imposes a sentence of life imprisonment upon Butch, and Laurel loudly asks of the judge: "Aren't you going to hang him?" Stan's less than discreet utterance effectually guarantees Butch's unremitting hatred, and the comical pair elect to leave town in case prison fails to contain the maddened felon who, while yet in the court room, vows to escape, track down the "squealers", tear off their legs, and wind them around their necks. In order to gain assistance with travel expenses, Stan and Ollie place a newspaper advertisement requesting a solvent companion for their upcoming trip, the ad catching the eye of an attractive woman (Mae Busch) who meets with their approval, and the trio is about to leave when we learn that she is, in fact, the girl friend of Butch who has freshly escaped from prison. Most of this work is composed of merely silly slapstick, although there are some episodes during which Laurel and Hardy engage in dialogue that is enhanced by Stan's non-sequiturs, and craggy-faced Walter Long is always a valuable addition to a film. Weak development and erratic pacing result in a short that is inferior as a whole to the cinema standard established by the two comics.
  • comment
    • Author: Ynonno
    This short is one of the best they did (The Music Box being the best). Not only do you have the somewhat predictable storyline of Stan and Ollie ending up with the girlfriend of the villain they have just helped put behind bars for the rest of his life, it also shows Stan Laurel's brilliance. After placing the advertisement in the newspaper (the wording of which is another Laurel piece of work) watch the bunch of flowers that Ollie brings when they go to meet Butch's girlfriend. Stan and Ollie spend the rest of this short passing the flowers back and forth without thought in the middle of all the chaos. They're still in Ollie's hands at the end. This one thing turned what would have been just another slapstick into pure genius. Whtch this episode! It's one of the best.
  • comment
    • Author: Gaua
    Apart from their wonderful ability to perform slapstick, Laurel and Hardy were more than capable of sit-com and subtlety as shown in this wonderful short.

    How many people notice the running gag of never putting the flowers down once they enter the apartment?

    It is also one of the few chances to check out Walter Long, a great Laurel and Hardy stooge who really should have appeared in more of their films. It's also worth seeing him in the shorts "Any Old Port" and "The Live Ghost" as well as an appearance in the film "Pardon Us" as 'The Tiger'.
  • comment
    • Author: Dark_Sun
    GOING BYE BYE is a Laurel and Hardy short that is possibly best remembered for its grotesque final scene . I use the word grotesque but you don`t have to be The Masked Magician to work out how the physical trick is achieved . Oh hold on I`m starting at the end .

    The story gets off to a good start as Stan shows that despite all his innocence he does have a common sense approach to retribution - " Aren`t you gonna hang him ? " , and there`s other funny scenes and lines throughout the story . However there is a problem and that is the plot towards the end revolves around the quite remarkable coincidence of someone answering an advert who knows someone that Stan and Ollie don`t want to meet

    As some other people have said this isn`t the greatest Stan and Ollie short ( To my dying day I claim THE LAUREL AND HARDY MURDER CASE is their greatest moment ) but as everyone else has pointed out it`s still funny
  • comment
    • Author: Frostdefender
    The critic in me says that the entire film is structured for the sole purpose of the sight gag with which the film ends. But, OH, WHAT A SIGHT GAG!

    I saw this the other night at a local arts club screening, but available nowhere else. Why isn't this (or for matter, their masterpiece "The Music Box") on video?
  • Complete credited cast:
    Stan Laurel Stan Laurel - Mr. Laurel
    Oliver Hardy Oliver Hardy - Mr. Hardy
    Mae Busch Mae Busch - Butch's Girlfriend
    Walter Long Walter Long - Butch
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