Seeing The World

film no. 55

availability:

The Larger World Of Laurel And Hardy Volume III (DVD) from Looser Than Loose Publishing

This print has good picture quality, but 'pulsates' in and out of focus during the second half. It includes the original opening title, but also a reproduction of the crew credits. It appears that almost the entire film is included, with the original footage totaling 19:26.

Rascals Silents Vol. 1 (VHS) from A-1 Video and

Versatile Laurel & Hardy (VHS) from A-1 Video

This copy has the original opening title, crew credits and inter-titles, but a different end title. The picture quality is fair. The print totals 19:45 with 19:44 of it original footage. It appears that almost all of the original film is included.

Our Gang Volume #7 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

This copy is a home movie print from Blackhawk. The inter-titles are original, but the end title seems to come from another source. The picture quality is fairly poor, and some of the footage is missing. The print totals 17:13, with 16:09 of it original footage. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 4 (VHS) from HenryButch

This version is the same as on the A-1 Video release.

technical details:

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Credited in the film as a presenter.

Supervised by F. Richard Jones

Credited in the film as supervising director.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan

This credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Assistant Director: Charles Oelze

According to Rob Stone's list.

Photographed by Art Lloyd and William Draper

This credit appears in the film. According to Rob Stone's list, an additional photographer named Draper also worked on this film. There was a prop man at the studio named William Draper, who may have been the same person.

Edited by Richard Currier

This credit appears in the film.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit appears in the film. The inter-title cards now have the speckled gray tone look.

Story by Hal E. Roach

This credit doesn't appear in the film.

Props by Don Sandstrom and ? O'Donnell

According to Rob Stone's notes.

Released by Pathé Exchange, Inc.

Passed by the National Board of Review

As indicated in the film.

studio personnel

• general manager - Warren Doane
• assistant general manager - L. A. French
• secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach
• construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
• laboratory superintendent - Charles Levin
• still photographer - Bud "Stax" Graves
• transportation director - Bob Davis
• school teacher - Fern Carter

possible uncredited involvement

• editing - Bert Jordan and William Terhune were among the cutters during this period.
• writing - Robert F. McGowan, Robert A. McGowan, Carl Harbaugh and Frank Butler may have been among the gag writers.
• property department - Charles Oelze was probably involved in this capacity, and possibly Ted Driscoll, William Draper, William A. Collins, Sherbourne Shields and Roy Seawright.
• animal training - Tony Campanaro was probably among the animal trainers.

the kids:

featured players

Allen "Farina" Hoskins as "Farina"

Featured role. He's given most of the funny lines among the kids, and is the one that Finlayson joins on the plunge from the Eiffel Tower.

Joe Cobb

Supporting role. He gets to make a few wisecracks and bits of business.

Elmer "Scooter" Lowry

Supporting role. He wants to pick a fight with an Italian boy, and later gets drenched while riding in the gondola.

Johnny Downs

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting, but also provides one of the wisecracks.

Jay R. Smith

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting, but is also the one that slaps Farina's tooth away.

Jackie Condon

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting.

Peggy Eames

Supporting role. She does pretty much entirely ensemble work in this short.

the other kids in the class

boy 055

Small part. This is the class prankster. I'm pretty sure he appeared in "Olympic Games" (no. 63).

other kids

Extras. There are an additional six boys and six girls in the class.

the European kids

the doubles

Small parts. Three sets of doubles, in Naples, Rome and Paris, were used for the seven featured kids. Presumably, only one set was selected per city, and the Naples set was probably used at both Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius.

other kids

Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The Roman boy that Scooter wants to sock.
(2.) There are at least a couple of kids shown in the longshots.

questionable listings

Jean Darling

According to Maltin & Bann. Perhaps she's in the scene at the dock, since her mother is listed among the people there, but she's not visible in these prints.

the animals:

animals

Small parts and extras.
(1.) The pigeon that ends up with Farina's tooth.
(2.) Several horses, mostly in London and Paris, but a couple in Rome as well.
(3.) Dozens of pigeons at Trafalgar Square in London, and scores of pigeons at St. Marks in Venice.

the adults:

James Finlayson as "James Finlayson," the teacher

Lead role. Maltin & Bann indicate that "Old Buzz-Fuzz" is a character name, but it's clearly just name-calling on Joe's part. He's virtually the star of the film.

Stan Laurel as one of the English pedestrians

Bit part. He's a victim of the kids' peashooters.

Frank Butler as one of the English pedestrians

Bit part. He's also a victim of the peashooters. His name also appears in the newspaper article detailing the contest.

Charlie Hall as the English chauffeur

Bit part. He points out the Prince of Wales.

David, Prince of Wales

Bit part. Later Edward VIII, King of Great Britain and Ireland, and after that, Duke of Windsor. He's seen briefly telling the gang to "carry on."

Ed Brandenberg as the window washer

Bit part. He's the victim of Joe's slingshot.

President of France

Bit part. This was Gaston Doumergue in 1926. He's standing next to the Sultan of Morocco.

Sultan of Morocco

Bit part. This was Yusef ben Hassan in 1926. He's standing next to the President of France.

Charles McMurphy as a ship's official

Extra. It looks like he's the official closest to the camera as the kids board the ship.

Charley Young as one of the people at the pier

Extra. He can be seen standing right next to Finlayson.

other adults

Bit parts and extras. Maltin & Bann list Dorothy Hamilton Darling as one of the people at the dock, but it's not possible to tell in these prints. This is also true of Ham Kinsey, who plays a ship's official. Among the additional adults in the film are:
(1.) The French chauffeur, who doesn't know any English.
(2.) "Mrs. Dribblechin," the other teacher at the school.
(3.) The guy rowing the gondola. His face isn't shown.
(4.) The English chauffeur and the French chauffeur in the footage shot in London and Paris respectively.
(5.) The official at the Eiffel Tower.
(6.) Many people at the dock and on the ship.
(7.) Scores of pedestrians in Rome, London and Paris.

the music (sort of):

"America (My Country 'Tis Of Thee)" by Samuel F. Smith

The music first appeared in Thesaurus Musicus in 1744. Smith added the lyrics in 1832. This is the song sung by the class.

the locations:

Naples

Seen very briefly in an establishing shot.

Pompeii

Including Mt. Vesuvius.

Rome

Including St. Peter's, the Colisseum and the Forum.

Venice

Including St. Mark's

London

Including Trafalgar Square, The Houses of Parliament, St. James, and The Tower Bridge

Paris

Including L'Opera, Napoleon's tomb, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel Tower. A stage at the Roach studio was used for the Eiffel Tower footage on November 9th.

Culver City

Footage was shot here for a "running insert" on November 3rd and 4th.

Monte Mov Vista stage

Rob Stone's notes list this as a location for November 10th.

miscellaneous:

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