Bacon Grabbers (1929) starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy, Charlie Hall
Bacon Grabbers – Laurel and Hardy try to repossess a radio from Edgar Kennedy. But he won’t let them in the house! And then …
If you’re familiar with the current reality TV series “Repo Men”, you should be warned that back in 1929 the term “Bacon Grabbers” meant repossession men.
The 1929 Laurel and Hardy silent short film, Bacon Grabbers, deals with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy working as “bacon grabbers”. Their job is to repossess a radio from Edgar Kennedy. Since he has fallen behind of his payments. Laurel and Hardy try to serve a subpoena to repossess it …. But Edgar Kennedy refuses to let them into the house.  This is the central conflict of the short film.
After slapstick antics between Laurel, Hardy, Edgar Kennedy and Charlie Hall — Mrs. Kennedy arrives. The lovely Jean Harlow. Where she tells the would-be bacon grabbers that … She just made the final payment!
Editorial review of Bacon Grabbers courtesy of Amazon.com
Their next to last silent comedy, “Bacon Grabbers” is an excellent Laurel and Hardy comedy, and boasts the sort of stellar cast which would follow the boys into talkies–Edgar Kennedy, Charlie Hall and even the young Jean Harlow, who was headed for superstardom. The plot was one of those simplistic wonders for which silent comedy was so well known: Stan and Babe are members of the local constabulary, assigned to the attachment squad. Edgar has stiffed the lien holder on his grand console; the boys are sent to serve him with papers and get it back. Sounds simple, right? Remember this is the world of Laurel and Hardy!
Cast of characters
- Stan Laurel … Stan (process server)
- Oliver Hardy … Oliver (process server)
- Edgar Kennedy (Angora Love) … Collis P. Kennedy
- Jean Harlow (Suzy) … Mrs. Kennedy
- Harry Bernard (Any Old Port) … Cop
- Eddie Baker … Sheriff
- Bobby Dunn (Tit for Tat)
- Charlie Hall (Below Zero) … Truck driver
- Sam Lufkin (The Hoose-Gow) … Man in sheriff’s office