Double Whoopee is a 1929 silent short film (19 minutes) directed by Lewis R. Foster, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Stan and Ollie are up to their usual antics, this time at a swanky hotel. When they first arrive, they are mistaken for a vaguely Germanic prince and his prime minister who are arriving at the same time. That little misunderstanding is cleared up when our heroes reveal themselves to be the new doorman and footman, respectively. Stan and Ollie take up their posts and more misadventures ensue.
18-year-old Jean Harlow, yes, Jean Harlow, appears as the hot blonde who gets out of a taxi in front of the hotel and has an unfortunate encounter with Stan and Ollie. This was the first of three Laurel and Hardy shorts that up-and-coming Harlow appeared in, before she hit it big in 1930 with Hell's Angels.
Tropes:
- Aside Glance: Ollie did this at least Once an Episode, this time shooting his exasperated look at the camera when Stan walks right past him at the door and collects a tip that should have gone to Ollie.
- Eye Poke: Stan first does this to Ollie in front of the front door after Ollie takes his tip. The climactic sequence involves a frenzy of eye poking between Stan, Ollie, the hotel manager, the cop, and a hotel guest.
- High-Class Glass: The Prussian prince sports one of these, because he is a Prussian prince.
- Implausible Deniability: Ollie doesn't know what the whistle attached to his uniform is for. When he blows on it, a cab zips up to the front door. When the cabbie gets mad and Ollie realizes what he did, he says "It blew."
- Logo Joke: One of many MGM Laurel and Hardy shorts to replace Leo the Lion with a cute lion cub in the closing title card.
- Never Learned to Read: Poor Stan signs his name on the hotel registry with an X.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The monocle-wearing prince is an obvious goof on Erich von Stroheim.
- No OSHA Compliance: The hotel elevator does not have outer doors! This is to allow for a Running Gag involving the prince falling into an elevator shaft.
- Running Gag: Three times, the arrogant prince manages to fall into the elevator shaft. Luckily it's on the ground floor so he doesn't fall very far.
- Sexy Backless Outfit: Did Jean Harlow ever appear in a movie where she didn't wear one of these? This is what her character is wearing as she gets out of the cab, even before the Clothing Damage ups the Fanservice factor.
- Stripping Snag: The main reason Jean Harlow is in the movie. Stan manages to shut the cab door on the skirt of her dress, which rips off when Harlow walks away, leaving her wearing basically a teddy and stockings as she goes to the front desk.
- Title Drop: The prince says "And I am here to make what you Americans call—whoopee."
