The Flying Deuces (1939)

The Flying Deuces is a brisk, absurdist buddy comedy starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, directed by A. Edward Sutherland and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It’s one of the duo’s most famous non-Hal Roach productions, and a rare example of their work outside their usual studio system. The film reimagines their earlier short Beau Hunks (1931) with a broader setting, higher stakes, and a surreal twist that includes reincarnation and aerial hijinks.

Plot Summary
While vacationing in Paris, Ollie falls hopelessly in love with Georgette, the innkeeper’s daughter—only to discover she’s already married to a Foreign Legion officer. Heartbroken, Ollie decides to join the French Foreign Legion to forget her, dragging the ever-loyal Stan along for the ride.

Their stint in the Legion is predictably disastrous: they botch laundry duty, offend their superiors, and eventually face a death sentence for desertion. In a last-ditch escape, they steal a plane and crash spectacularly. The film ends with a bizarre reincarnation gag—Stan survives, while Ollie returns as a horse.

Cast Highlights

• Stan Laurel as Stan
• Oliver Hardy as Ollie
• Jean Parker as Georgette
• Reginald Gardiner as François
• Charles Middleton as Commandant
• James Finlayson in a brief but memorable role

Behind the Scenes Trivia

• This was the first Laurel & Hardy feature made without producer Hal Roach, though they had previously appeared in guest roles for MGM.
• Producer Boris Morros acquired the rights to the French film Les deux legionnaires (1936) to build the story around the Legion setting.
• The film was shot in just four weeks, with many scenes filmed in continuity to accommodate the duo’s improvisational style.
• The airplane escape sequence used miniatures and rear projection, typical of 1930s effects work, but still manages to deliver slapstick thrills.
• The reincarnation ending was Stan Laurel’s idea, adding a surreal twist that baffled some audiences but delighted fans of their more anarchic humor.