This is a very funny 1929 L&H comedy short. I watched the colorized version at YouTube. .......The boys begin by being transported to a prison(hoose-gow), along with a bunch of other men who were all arrested together for some illegal activity, in a police raid. The boys protested they were but innocent bystanders, but the judge ruled otherwise........Ollie managed to sneak in 2 green apples they are supposed to throw over the wall as a signal for some friends to throw a rope ladder over the wall(How are they supposed to know in what section of the wall this will take place?) But, a guard sees them talking about the apples, and demands they give them to him. He throws one over the wall(why?), and a rope ladder soon appears. The guard climbs it, and chases the men away. But, somehow, the boys end up outside the prison wall, anyway. They run, but a guard sees them and shoots them both in the rear with a shotgun. They return........They join a work gang, digging ditches. For some reason, the 2 work too close together, allowing interference. You can imagine what mischief they get into with their pickax and shovel. Ollie received a real wound in the rear from Stan's pickax........Come lunch time, the boys are very slow to get to the mess area. Hence, there is no more room on the benches. One inmate tells them that's their table over there. The sit at the small table, set for 2 people(but there is only one overseer). Stan opens the pepper shaker and sprinkles a little pepper in his soup. But, he doesn't screw the cap back on. Ollie holds it over his soup, and all the contents spills into his soup.(They had done this gag previously, in the silent short "You're Darn Tooting")........After the overseer scolds him, they ask the cook how they can get some food? He tells them to gather some firewood: the more they gather, the more food they will get. So, Ollie suggests they chop down the tree next to the cooking tent(Green timber for a cooking fire?). This tree happens to contain a lookout station in the top, which they don't see. Also, why don't the cook and other inmate see or hear the chopping? Of course, it falls in the middle of the cook tent........ In the next frame, they're back digging ditches, and again get into trouble because they are too close to each other. Stan again puts a big rip in Ollie's jacket(They are wearing their usual street clothes!). Angry Ollie throws Stan's pickax far away. Unfortunately, it lands in the radiator of the car that brought the governor(James Finlayson) and entourage for a visit. A leak sprouts, so what are the boys to do? One inmate recommends they pour some rice in the radiator to stop the leak. Somehow, they obtain a partial bag of rice from the destroyed cooking tent, and pour a bunch in. Soon the leak stops. The governor and entourage are ready to leave. When they warm up the car, a thick slurry of rice and radiator fluid emerges from the top, which the boys had neglected to screw on. A guard starts a rice brawl by pushing Stan into a bunch that had fallen on the ground. Stan retaliates, but hits the wrong person in the face. Soon, the others, including the ladies, are embroiled in a brawl. Very funny! I'll leave the remainder of the finale for you to see.
Review of The Hoose-Gow
