Directing

Lloyd French

Born January 11, 1900 · San Francisco, California, USA

Died May 24, 1950 · aged 50

Lloyd French (January 11, 1900 – May 24, 1950) was an American director of short films, most of them comedies. His best remembered films are several Laurel and Hardy comedies in the 1930s. He also made several musical short films featuring many bandleaders of the day; in the 1940s he also directed several shorts starring Edgar Kennedy and Leon Errol; he made his last film in 1946. French was born…

Known For

Sons of the Desert

Sons of the Desert · 1933

Sons of the Desert

Ollie and Stan deceive their wives into thinking they are taking a medically necessary cruise when they are really going to a lodge convention.

Towed in a Hole

Towed in a Hole · 1932

Towed in a Hole

Although they are successful fishmongers, Stan convinces Ollie that they should become fishermen too, but making a boat seaworthy isn't an easy task.

The Midnight Patrol

The Midnight Patrol · 1933

The Midnight Patrol

Novice policemen Stan and Ollie bungle a burglary investigation.

Shop Talk

Shop Talk · 1936

A former art student returns from Europe to run the department store he inherited from his father and finds his employees behaving very bizarrely.

Big Business

Big Business · 1929

Stan and Ollie play door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen in California. They end up getting into an escalating feud with grumpy would-be customer James Finlayson, with his home and their car being destroyed in the melee.

Serves You Right

Serves You Right · 1935

Serves You Right

Johnny (Shemp Howard) is promised the chief process server's job if he can serve a summons on Musclebound Pete, a local hood. Like the servers before him, he's not only unsuccessful, but beat up for his efforts. Pete's only weakness is women, so Johnny switches clothes with girlfriend Helen, and goes after Pete in drag.

Me and My Pal

Me and My Pal · 1933

On the morning of his wedding to oil baron Peter Cucumber's daughter, Ollie receives a jigsaw puzzle from Stan as a wedding gift. The boys soon become absorbed in the puzzle. A taxi driver, butler, policeman and messenger boy join in as well.

Oliver the Eighth

Oliver the Eighth · 1934

Oliver the Eighth

Barbershop owners Stan and Ollie answer an ad in the newspaper from a wealthy widow looking for a husband. Ollie only mails in his response and is invited to the widow's mansion. Stan discovers his unmailed letter and insists on tagging along. At the mansion, the widow's creepy butler informs them that the woman is crazy. She was once jilted by an Oliver and now her hobby is marrying Olivers and then slitting their throats. Now the boys must figure out how to escape.

Filmography

Sort

Sons of the Desert

Sons of the Desert · 1933

Sons of the Desert

Ollie and Stan deceive their wives into thinking they are taking a medically necessary cruise when they are really going to a lodge convention.

Assistant Director

Towed in a Hole

Towed in a Hole · 1932

Towed in a Hole

Although they are successful fishmongers, Stan convinces Ollie that they should become fishermen too, but making a boat seaworthy isn't an easy task.

Assistant Director

The Midnight Patrol

The Midnight Patrol · 1933

The Midnight Patrol

Novice policemen Stan and Ollie bungle a burglary investigation.

Director

Shop Talk

Shop Talk · 1936

A former art student returns from Europe to run the department store he inherited from his father and finds his employees behaving very bizarrely.

Director

Big Business

Big Business · 1929

Stan and Ollie play door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen in California. They end up getting into an escalating feud with grumpy would-be customer James Finlayson, with his home and their car being destroyed in the melee.

Assistant Director

Serves You Right

Serves You Right · 1935

Serves You Right

Johnny (Shemp Howard) is promised the chief process server's job if he can serve a summons on Musclebound Pete, a local hood. Like the servers before him, he's not only unsuccessful, but beat up for his efforts. Pete's only weakness is women, so Johnny switches clothes with girlfriend Helen, and goes after Pete in drag.

Director

Me and My Pal

Me and My Pal · 1933

On the morning of his wedding to oil baron Peter Cucumber's daughter, Ollie receives a jigsaw puzzle from Stan as a wedding gift. The boys soon become absorbed in the puzzle. A taxi driver, butler, policeman and messenger boy join in as well.

Director

Oliver the Eighth

Oliver the Eighth · 1934

Oliver the Eighth

Barbershop owners Stan and Ollie answer an ad in the newspaper from a wealthy widow looking for a husband. Ollie only mails in his response and is invited to the widow's mansion. Stan discovers his unmailed letter and insists on tagging along. At the mansion, the widow's creepy butler informs them that the woman is crazy. She was once jilted by an Oliver and now her hobby is marrying Olivers and then slitting their throats. Now the boys must figure out how to escape.

Director

That's My Wife

That's My Wife · 1929

Oliver stands to inherit a large fortune from his rich Uncle Bernal, with the condition that he be happily married. But when Mrs. Hardy walks out just before Uncle Bernal is due for a visit, Stanley is pressed into duty (and into drag) to impersonate Oliver's loving spouse.

Director

Two Boobs in a Balloon

Two Boobs in a Balloon · 1935

Two Boobs in a Balloon

Professor Cicero Pu and his dummy Charlie take a trip in the "Spirit of Ammonia" hot air balloon to the stratosphere. After the balloon goes out of control, they land in an unexpected place.

Director

Should Married Men Go Home?

Should Married Men Go Home? · 1928

Should Married Men Go Home?

Mrs. Hardy throws Ollie and Stan out of the house. They try to impress two young ladies at a golf course and end up fighting with other golfers.

Assistant Director

Busy Bodies

Busy Bodies · 1933

In this short film, Laurel and Hardy wage battle with inanimate objects, their co-workers, and the laws of physics during a routine work day at a sawmill.

Director

Private Snuffy Smith

Private Snuffy Smith · 1942

Private Snuffy Smith

A hillbilly moonshiner enlists in the army. Monogram Pictures' comedy was inspired by the then-popular comic strip character.

Screenplay

The Old Grey Mayor

The Old Grey Mayor · 1935

The Old Grey Mayor

Bob Hope wants to marry the mayor's daughter, but the mayor doesn't want his daughter to marry Bob Hope.

Director

For the Love of Pete

For the Love of Pete · 1936

For the Love of Pete

Boxer Joe Palooka steps into the ring after a friend's dog gets kicked.

Director

An Ache in Every Stake

An Ache in Every Stake · 1941

An Ache in Every Stake

The stooges are icemen who, while delivering ice to a house on the top of a high hill, destroy several cakes that a wealthy man is trying to bring home. When their antics cause the servants at their customer's house to quit, the boys are hired to take their place and prepare a dinner party. What they don't know is that the party is for the man whose cakes they wrecked. When Moe's gas filled cake explodes and the man realizes who they are, they must leave in a hurry.

Writer

The Choke's on You

The Choke's on You · 1936

The Choke's on You

Joe Palooka and Strangler Chokeovitch have set up training camps on adjacent beachfront sites. When Joe knocks out the Strangler after a misunderstanding, Chokeovitch's manager challenges the champ to a professional wrestling bout, with the winner taking all the gate receipts.

Director

Dirty Work

Dirty Work · 1933

Stan and Ollie are chimney sweeps working at the home of mad scientist Professor Noodle.

Director

So You Won't T-T-T-Talk

So You Won't T-T-T-Talk · 1934

So You Won't T-T-T-Talk

A hen-pecked husband takes his shrewish wife, and her obnoxious little brother, on a weekend camping trip. Along for the ride are the boorish downstairs neighbors (Shemp Howard and Ruth Gillette). A pleasant getaway turns into a nightmare thanks to the antics of Junior, an uncooperative tent, a lazy and oblivious Henry, and a skunk.

Director

A Peach of a Pair

A Peach of a Pair · 1934

A Peach of a Pair

Vaudeville performers Cook and Butler are mistaken for domestic servants; hilarity ensues.

Director

The Officer's Mess

The Officer's Mess · 1935

The Officer's Mess

Gus Doakes joins the National Guard; hilarity ensues.

Director

While the Cat's Away

While the Cat's Away · 1936

While the Cat's Away

Henry and Johnnie need to clean the apartment before the wives get home.

Director

Scram!

Ordered out of town by angry Judge Beaumont, vagrants Stanley and Oliver meet a congenial drunk who invites them to stay at his luxurious mansion. The drunk can't find his key, but the boys find a way in, sending the surprised woman inside into a faint.

Assistant Director

Early to Bed

Early to Bed · 1928

Oliver inherits a fortune and hires Stan as his butler and proceeds to torment him. Stan finally rebels and goes on a rampage, destroying Oliver's fancy furnishings.

Assistant Director