The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 American comedic feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe. Directed by James W. Horne and Charles Rogers, it was produced at the Hal Roach Studios and stars Laurel and Hardy, and Thelma Todd in her final film role. This was the last of thirteen pictures of Mae Busch and Oliver Hardy together. This was also the only appearance of Darla Hood in a full-length feature produced by Hal Roach.
Contents
Plot
A group of gypsy caravans set up on the edge of a wood. They realise they are camped on the estate of Count Arnheim who will not tolerate their presence. The gypsies sing and dance to entertain themselves.
Stanley Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the misfit pair of Gypsies in the group. When hen-pecked Oliver is out pickpocketing, fortune-telling or attending his zither lessons, his wife has an affair with Devilshoof. A cruel nobleman, Count Arnheim, persecutes the Gypsies, who are forced to flee, but Mrs. Hardy, in revenge for Devilshoof being lashed on the Count's orders, kidnaps the Count's daughter, Arline, and Mrs. Hardy fools Hardy into thinking she is their daughter, since he believes everything she tells him. She soon elopes with Devilshoof, and leaves Oliver and "Uncle" Stanley holding the toddler. Arline is too young to remember her old life.
Twelve years later, the Gypsies return to Arnheim's estate. When grown-up Arline accidentally trespasses in Arnheim's garden, she recognises the place and Arnheim's voice, but is arrested by the captain of the guard and sentenced to a lashing. Stan and Oliver try to save her, but Stan is too drunk and both are arrested. Just as Arline is stripped in order to be lashed, she is rescued in time by Arnheim, who recognizes a medallion she wears and a family birthmark, and both try to rescue Stan and Oliver. It is too late though: Laurel and Hardy had already been worked over in the torture chamber: Hardy emerges stretched to a height of eight feet, while Stan has been crushed to only a few feet tall and the captain of the guard just stands yelling and moaning.
Cast
Stan Laurel as Stan
Oliver Hardy as Ollie
Jacqueline Wells as Arline
Darla Hood as Arline as a child
Mae Busch as Mrs. Hardy
Antonio Moreno as Devilshoof, Mrs. Hardy's lover
William P. Carleton as Count of Arnheim
James Finlayson as Finn, Captain of the Guard
Zeffie Tilbury as old Gypsy Queen
Mitchell Lewis as Salinas, Gypsy Queen's advisor
Harry Bowen as Laurel and Hardy's first victim (the drunkard)
Sam Lufkin as Laurel and Hardy's second victim (the innkeeper)
Eddie Borden as Laurel and Hardy's third victim (the nobleman)
James C. Morton as the officer who arrests the nobleman
Harry Bernard as bell ringer
Thelma Todd as singer of "Heart of a Gypsy"
Felix Knight as singer of "Then You'll Remember Me"
Winter Hall as Servant (uncredited)
Howard C. Hickman as Dignified Captain (uncredited)
Laughing Gravy as Dog
Casting and production details
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer wanted to cast a talented newcomer as Arline. Hal Roach cast Darla Hood, who had just begun appearing in Roach's Our Gang comedies, as young Arline and Jacqueline Wells as adult Arline.
Rosina Lawrence dubs Jacqueline Wells's singing.
Paulette Goddard has a small uncredited role as a Gypsy.
Stan Laurel's pet myna, Yogi, appears in the film.
The Count was played by William P. Carleton, who had played the role on stage over a number of decades.
Thelma Todd died during production. Due to the controversy and rumors surrounding the circumstances of her death, most of Todd's scenes were cut and a few re-filmed with Zeffie Tilbury replacing Todd in the role. Todd appeared only in a musical number in the final release.
Ban in Malaysia and Germany
The film was banned in Malaysia due to its depictions of Roma themes. It was also banned in Nazi Germany due to its positive depiction of gypsies, which Joseph Goebbels, the minister of propaganda for the regime, said "had no place" in the Third Reich.