Get 'Em young -1926

Country: USA
Language: English
Directors: Fred Guiol, Stan Laurel
Writers: Stan Laurel; James Parrott; H.M. Walker (titles); Hal Yates
Stars: Stan Laurel, Harry Myers and Eugenia Gilbert
Release Date: 31 October 1926 (USA)
Production Co: Hal Roach Studios
Sound Mix: Silent
Color: Black and White
Genres: Short | Comedy
This is the movie that got Stan Laurel out from behind the camera permanently at Roach. He was supposed to direct this movie and Oliver Hardy was supposed to play the role of the butler, but fell ill -- and so Laurel took the role himself.
This was one of the 'All Star' pictures that Roach was making at this time, taking a slightly out-of-luck movie star and surrounding him or her with several of Roach's comics. Theda Bara starred in a couple, Lionel Barrymore did at least one and this time the marquee value is provided by Harry Myers, who had starred in a popular version of A CONNECTICUTT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT a couple of years earlier, but is now best remembered for playing the millionaire in Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS.
Stan steals the show, although his technique is still a little crude here, taking some nice falls and doing an interesting drag bit. Worth the time of any L&H fan.
In Montreal, 9 January 1927, at the Laurier Palace theatre, 78 people died during a showing of this film. A fire broke out in the projection room, and was quickly under control, but the audience, consisting mostly of children, panicked and stampeded towards the exits; those in the gallery became trapped in the stairwell, and the 78 died of being crushed. 77 of the dead were 16 years old or younger.
Oliver Hardy was originally cast as Summers, the butler, in this short film, but had to be replaced before filming by Stan Laurel. Hardy had been injured in a cooking accident (which also forced his removal from the cast of the Mabel Normand movie Raggedy Rose, already in production at the time of the accident) and was still recovering when filming for 'Get 'em Young' began.