The Battle of the Century

Comedy, Silent

Facing financial hardship, Ollie orchestrates a boxing match between Stan and Thunderclap Callahan, offering a cash prize of $100 to the victor. Stan, fighting under the alias "Canvasback Clump," inadvertently knocks out Callahan in the initial round.

However, Stan's refusal to return to his corner prevents the referee from completing the ten-count, allowing Callahan to recover and retaliate, ultimately overpowering Stan.

Following the match's chaotic conclusion, a disillusioned Ollie encounters an insurance salesman who convinces him to invest the meager winnings in an insurance policy on Stan, with the stipulation that Stan must sustain an injury for Ollie to profit. In a misguided attempt to fulfill this requirement, Ollie orchestrates a scenario involving a banana peel on a sidewalk.

However, the plan backfires when a pastry chef becomes the unintended victim of the slippery hazard, leading to a comical altercation involving pies that quickly escalates into a neighborhood-wide skirmish. (Wikipedia)

Movie Info

Directed by: Clyde Bruckman
Written by: Hal Roach, H.M. Walker
Produced by: Hal Roach

Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Noah Young, Eugene Pallette, Charlie Hall, Sam Lufkin, Gene Morgan, Steve Murphy, George B. French, Dick Sutherland, Anita Garvin, Dick Gilbert, Wilson Benge
Cinematography: George Stevens

Edited by: Richard C. Currier
Music by: Leroy Shield
Production company: Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Release date: December 31, 1927
Running time: 26:08 (2020 digital remaster)
Country: United States
Languages: Silent film, English intertitles

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