Wrong Again | 1929 | Comedy, Short

Title: Wrong Again | 1929 | Comedy, Short Director: Leo McCarey. Studio: Hal Roach Studios. Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Dell Henderson, Josephine Crowell, William Gillespie. Release Date: February 23, 1929. Runtime: 20 minutes. Format: Black-and-white; 35 mm; 1.33:1; synchronized music and sound effects with English intertitles. Country: United States. Language: Silent with synchronized music and effects. Genres: Comedy, Short. --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Stable duties and reward headline 00:03:30 Mistaken “Blue Boy” 00:08:00 Arrival at the mansion 00:12:30 Horse on the piano 00:17:00 Revelation and retreat --- Summary: Stable grooms Stan and Ollie overhear news of a $5,000 reward for the return of “Blue Boy.” Believing the notice refers to a horse in their care rather than Thomas Gainsborough’s famous painting The Blue Boy, they deliver the animal to a wealthy collector’s mansion. Misunderstandings ensue as the unseen homeowner instructs them to bring “Blue Boy” inside and place him on the piano, leading to elaborate sight gags and mounting chaos. The short plays on miscommunication, literal-mindedness, and class contrast, with the duo’s earnest efforts colliding with genteel expectations. The result is a compact showcase for Laurel and Hardy’s physical comedy and timing. --- Background: Produced by Hal Roach Studios and directed by Leo McCarey, Wrong Again was filmed in late 1928, with location work at The Uplifters in Rustic Canyon and studio work in Culver City, before its U.S. release on February 23, 1929. Issued during the transition to sound, it featured a synchronized orchestral score and effects despite having no spoken dialogue; later circulating prints were often silent-only, affecting pacing and reception. --- Trivia: The working title was Just the Reverse, echoing a recurring 180-degree hand-twist gag used by writers at the Hal Roach lot to signify flipping a dramatic situation into comedy. Contemporary versions sometimes reconstruct the opening credits from other Laurel and Hardy materials; one noted composite used titles modeled after Big Business . Filming locations included The Uplifters in Rustic Canyon, the Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, and the Milbank & McFie House on Country Club Drive in Los Angeles. Although long treated as a silent short, it originally played with a synchronized score and sound effects, a practice common for late-1920s releases bridging silent and sound eras. IMDb records specific production dates from November 21 to December 1, 1928, aligning with accounts that the unit wrapped just before the studio’s year-end sound installation. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: February 23, 1929. Original Studio / Distributor: Hal Roach Studios / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Copyright Status: Public Domain . Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: WrongAgain LaurelAndHardy StanLaurel OliverHardy HalRoach 1929 SilentFilm ClassicComedy PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wrong_Again_(1929).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Wrong_Again_%281929%29.webm