Hal Roach Starting with “N”

Nature in the Wrong (1933) — Charley Chase

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~18 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: Charley Chase
  • Writers: H.M. Walker (titles), Charley Chase (story)
  • Release Date: 1933
  • Genre: Parody, slapstick, dream sequence
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Charley — the hopeful suitor
  • Muriel Evans as Muriel — the woman he wants to marry
  • Carlton Griffin as Ronnie — Charley’s rival
  • Nora Cecil as Muriel’s mother (uncredited)
  • James Finlayson as the voice of the lion (uncredited)
  • Charles Gemora as Mr. Chadwick, the gorilla (uncredited)
  • Supporting cast includes Charlie Hall, Mary Gordon, and others in dream sequence roles

Plot Summary

Charley Chase wants to marry Muriel, but her family insists on knowing his ancestry. His rival Ronnie tricks him into believing he’s descended from Tarzan. After being conked on the head, Charley dreams he’s a modern-day jungle man, swinging from vines and living in a treehouse with Muriel and their child.

The dream sequence includes surreal gags: a gorilla neighbor drops by for dinner, Charley attempts jungle calls, and stock animal footage is intercut with slapstick. The parody pokes fun at Tarzan tropes, Leo the Lion, and even political figures. Charley wakes up to find it was all a dream — but not before thoroughly embarrassing himself.

Style & Legacy

  • A bold pre-Code parody of Tarzan, blending surrealism with Chase’s trademark embarrassment comedy
  • Features James Finlayson’s voice work and Charles Gemora’s gorilla suit performance
  • Noted for its vine-swinging gag, dream logic, and meta-humor
  • Chase’s direction leans into absurdity, making it one of his more experimental shorts
  • While not universally praised, it’s remembered for its ambition and genre spoofing

Streaming Availability

You can watch Nature in the Wrong (1933) in full on:

YouTube – Full Short Film

Internet Archive – #123 in the list

Neighborhood House (1936) — Charley Chase

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~22 minutes; originally 55 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Directors: Charley Chase, Harold Law, Alan Hale Sr.
  • Writers: Charley Chase, Harold Law, Richard Flournoy, Arthur Vernon Jones
  • Cinematography: Art Lloyd
  • Editor: Ray Snyder
  • Release Date: 1936
  • Genre: Domestic farce, movie theater satire
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Charley Chase
  • Rosina Lawrence as Rosina Chase (his wife)
  • Darla Hood as Mary Chase (their daughter)
  • George Meeker as Adolph, the theater manager and Rosina’s former beau
  • Dick Elliott as Mr. Perkins, Charley’s boss
  • Ben Taggart as Clancy, the cop
  • Harry Bowen as an irate movie patron
  • Supporting cast includes Jessie Arnold, Baldwin Cooke, and Bobby Dunn

Plot Summary

Charley Chase and his family attend “Bank Night” at their local movie theater — a popular Depression-era promotion where a lucky ticket holder wins a cash prize. The manager, Adolph (George Meeker), who once courted Rosina, greets them warmly and selects young Darla to draw the winning ticket.

She picks her father’s number, prompting cries of fraud. A second draw yields her own number, and a third draw lands on Rosina. The crowd erupts in protest, forming a horn-blaring motorcade that follows the family home. To restore his reputation, Charley stages his own giveaway at the theater, leading to more comic chaos.

Style & Legacy

  • Originally titled Bank Night, the film was conceived as a 55-minute feature satirizing moviegoing habits and theater promotions
  • Legal threats from the real Bank Night corporation forced Hal Roach Studios to cut the film to 22 minutes and rename it Neighborhood House
  • Features Darla Hood in a rare non–Our Gang role, alongside Charley Chase’s real-life daughter Polly Chase (uncredited)
  • Noted for its meta-humor, audience satire, and ensemble timing
  • One of Chase’s final major shorts before Hal Roach phased out two-reel comedies

Streaming Availability

You can watch Neighborhood House (1936) in full on:

YouTube – Full Short Film

Internet Archive – #186 in the list

Next Week-End (1934) — Hal Roach Studios

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~16 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: Eddie Dunn
  • Cinematography: Francis Corby
  • Editor: William Terhune
  • Sound: Harry Baker
  • Release Date: February 24, 1934
  • Genre: Nightclub farce, slapstick ensemble
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Douglas Wakefield as Doug — one of the dinner guests
  • Billy Nelson as Billy — another guest
  • Nena Quartero as Billy’s girlfriend
  • Dorothy Granger as nightclub singer
  • Billy Gilbert as a flustered patron
  • Don Barclay as a comb-stealing boyfriend
  • Will Stanton as the drunken host
  • Supporting cast includes Billy Bletcher, Harry Bowen, Charlie Hall, James C. Morton, and Betty Danko

Plot Summary

Will Stanton hosts a painfully dull dinner party where guests drone on about the weather. Bored and tipsy, he leaves to find excitement at a local nightclub. There, emcee Eddie Dunn introduces Dorothy Granger as the featured singer, but her performance is met with blank stares.

Stanton arrives and disrupts the scene with escalating antics: mussing patrons’ hair, slapping backs, and pouring soap on the dance floor. Dancers slip and tumble in a chaotic ballet of legs and laughter. A seltzer bottle melee erupts, culminating in Stanton returning home and spraying his guests with soda water, declaring he’s learned how to liven things up.

Style & Legacy

  • A classic Hal Roach All-Star farce, blending British-style slapstick with American nightclub satire
  • Features Billy Gilbert’s signature flustered reactions and Dorothy Granger’s musical interlude
  • Noted for its soap spill gag, seltzer bottle finale, and ensemble timing
  • Directed by Eddie Dunn, who also appears as the emcee
  • Rare showcase for Will Stanton in a lead comic role, with physical comedy reminiscent of silent-era drunks

Streaming Availability

You can watch Next Week-End (1934) in full on: Vimeo – Full Short Film

The Nickel Nurser (1932) — Charley Chase / Hal Roach Studios

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~21 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: Warren Doane
  • Writers: Charley Chase, H.M. Walker
  • Cinematography: Len Powers
  • Editor: Richard C. Currier
  • Release Date: March 12, 1932
  • Genre: Domestic farce, mistaken identity comedy
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Charley — the efficiency expert
  • Thelma Todd as Thelma — the millionaire’s daughter
  • Billy Gilbert as Todd’s butler
  • Edward Dillon as Mr. Todd (uncredited)
  • Estelle Etterre and Hazel Howell as Todd’s daughters (uncredited)
  • Harry Bowen as the messenger (uncredited)
  • Howard Truesdale as Attorney J.M. Blake (uncredited)

Plot Summary

Charley Chase plays an efficiency expert hired by a wealthy businessman, Mr. Todd, to monitor his daughters’ spending while he’s away. Upon arrival, Charley is tricked into believing that the maid is one of the daughters and vice versa. The real daughter (Thelma Todd) pretends to be a servant, leading to a series of misunderstandings and comic mishaps.

Charley’s attempts to enforce frugality backfire as he’s drawn into romantic entanglements and household chaos. The climax involves mistaken identities, wardrobe confusion, and Charley’s signature flustered reactions — including a gag involving his underwear. The short ends with Charley realizing he’s been duped, but not before delivering a few laughs at the expense of high society.

Style & Legacy

  • A classic Charley Chase “comedy of embarrassment”, built around social satire and romantic confusion
  • Features Thelma Todd’s sharp timing and Billy Gilbert’s flustered delivery
  • Noted for its role-reversal gag, frugality theme, and pre-Code boldness
  • Part of Chase’s transition into sound-era shorts, blending his silent-era pacing with talkie dialogue
  • Often cited as a mid-tier Chase short, with standout moments but uneven pacing

Streaming Availability

You can watch The Nickel Nurser (1932) in full on:

YouTube – Full Short Film

Internet Archive – #87 in the list

Night ‘N’ Gales (1937) — Our Gang

Overview

  • Series: Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals)
  • Entry: 156th short in the series
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: Gordon Douglas
  • Cinematography: Art Lloyd
  • Editor: William H. Ziegler
  • Music: Leroy Shield, Marvin Hatley
  • Release Date: July 24, 1937
  • Runtime: ~10 minutes
  • Language: English
  • Genre: Domestic farce, musical slapstick

Cast

  • George “Spanky” McFarland as Spanky
  • Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer as Alfalfa
  • Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas as Buckwheat
  • Eugene “Porky” Lee as Porky
  • Darla Hood as Darla
  • Gary Jasgur as Junior (Darla’s brother)
  • Johnny Arthur as Mr. Hood (Darla’s father)
  • Elaine Shepard as Mrs. Hood

Plot Summary

Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and Porky form a singing group called The Four Nightengales and perform “Home! Sweet Home!” at Darla’s house. Their off-key harmonizing drives Mr. Hood to the brink of madness. Just as he’s about to send them home, a thunderstorm forces the gang to stay overnight.

Mr. Hood is forced to share his bed with the boys, leading to a series of slapstick mishaps: Alfalfa swats a moth that lands on Mr. Hood’s face, Buckwheat snores, and Porky kicks in his sleep. Unable to rest, Mr. Hood retreats to the living room and wraps himself in a bear rug. The gang mistakes him for a real bear and chaos erupts as they try to “defend” themselves.

Style & Legacy

  • A standout domestic farce in the Our Gang sound era
  • Features Johnny Arthur’s return as a flustered father figure, previously seen in Anniversary Trouble
  • Includes dreamlike slapstick, ensemble timing, and classic misidentification gags
  • Inspired a follow-up short, Feed ‘Em and Weep, with similar themes
  • Noted for its bear rug gag, stormy night setting, and meta-humor about child performers

Streaming & References

Watch on YouTube – Full Short Film

Watch on Internet Archive – Full Short Film #71 on the List

Night Owls (1930) — Laurel & Hardy

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~21 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: James Parrott
  • Writers: H.M. Walker, Leo McCarey
  • Cinematography: George Stevens
  • Editor: Richard C. Currier
  • Music: Marvin Hatley
  • Release Date: January 4, 1930
  • Language: English
  • Genre: Slapstick, burglary farce

Cast

  • Stan Laurel as Stan
  • Oliver Hardy as Ollie
  • Edgar Kennedy as Officer Kennedy
  • James Finlayson as Meadows, the butler
  • Anders Randolf as the Police Chief
  • Supporting cast includes Baldwin Cooke, Harry Bernard, and Charles McMurphy as policemen

Plot Summary

Officer Kennedy (Edgar Kennedy) is under pressure from his police chief (Anders Randolf) to solve a rash of burglaries or face dismissal. Desperate, Kennedy recruits two vagrants — Stan and Ollie — to stage a fake burglary at the chief’s house so he can “heroically” catch them and save his job.

Reluctantly, the boys agree, but their attempt to break in is a disaster. They bungle every step: falling off ladders, getting tangled in ropes, and triggering alarms. Meanwhile, the butler (James Finlayson) adds to the confusion with his suspicious behavior. In a twist of fate, Kennedy ends up being mistaken for the real thief when he’s found with the stolen goods, and Stan and Ollie escape unscathed.

Style & Legacy

  • First film to feature Laurel & Hardy’s iconic theme song, “The Ku-Ku Song” by Marvin Hatley
  • Released in multiple languages, including Spanish (Ladrones) and Italian (Ladroni), with extended runtimes
  • A quintessential Laurel & Hardy “comedy of incompetence”, built around escalating slapstick and mistaken identity
  • Features Edgar Kennedy’s slow-burn frustration and James Finlayson’s trademark double-takes
  • Widely praised for its pacing, physical gags, and ensemble timing

Streaming Availability

You can watch Night Owls (1930) in full on:

YouTube – Full Short Film

Internet Archive – #17 in the list

The Nightshirt Bandit (1938) — Charley Chase / Columbia Pictures

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~19 minutes)
  • Studio: Columbia Pictures
  • Director: Jules White
  • Writers: Aleen Leslie, Al Giebler, Elwood Ullman
  • Release Date: October 28, 1938
  • Genre: Slapstick, campus farce, mistaken identity
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Professor Chase — a criminology professor with a sleepwalking problem
  • James C. Morton as Dr. Gideon Pruitt — the college dean
  • Eva McKenzie as Mrs. Gray — a dorm matron
  • Phyllis Barry as Mrs. Chase — Charley’s wife
  • Supporting cast includes Marjorie Deanne, June Gittelson, and Fred “Snowflake” Toones as Sam the night watchman

Plot Summary

Professor Chase is hired to investigate a string of mysterious thefts plaguing a college campus. The culprit, dubbed the “Nightshirt Bandit,” strikes only at night and leaves no trace — except for stolen items and baffled witnesses. As Chase digs deeper, he discovers the shocking truth: he himself is the bandit, committing the thefts while sleepwalking.

The film follows his attempts to recover the stolen goods without revealing his identity. This leads to a chaotic infiltration of a girls’ dormitory, where he’s mistaken for a prowler and chased through the halls. A mischievous dog steals the loot, adding to the confusion. The climax features classic Jules White slapstick: pratfalls, sound effects, and a boxing glove gag.

Style & Legacy

  • One of Charley Chase’s Columbia shorts, distinct from his earlier Hal Roach work
  • Directed by Jules White, known for his work with The Three Stooges — resulting in a more physical, gag-heavy tone
  • Features Fred “Snowflake” Toones in a memorable supporting role
  • Noted for its mirror scene, where Chase confronts his own reflection in horror
  • Often cited as one of Chase’s more surreal and slapstick-heavy late-career shorts

Streaming Availability

You can watch The Nightshirt Bandit (1938) in full on: Internet Archive – Full Short Film

Now We’ll Tell One (1932) — Charley Chase

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~19 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Director: James Parrott
  • Writers: H.M. Walker (titles), Charley Chase (story)
  • Release Date: 1932
  • Genre: Sci-fi farce, slapstick, mistaken identity
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Charley — the unwitting test subject
  • Muriel Evans as Muriel — Charley’s girlfriend
  • Lillian Elliott as Mrs. Evans — Muriel’s mother
  • Frank Darien as Professor Darien — Muriel’s grandfather
  • Gale Henry as Mortified Vocalist
  • Supporting cast includes Eddie Baker, Baldwin Cooke, Billy Franey, Sam Harris, and Ellinor Vanderveer

Plot Summary

Charley Chase plays a fashion-conscious suitor who unknowingly becomes the test subject for a bizarre scientific experiment. He dons a belt that’s part of a personality-switching device developed by Professor Darien. The belt causes Charley’s personality to change depending on who’s wearing the matching belt on the other end — leading to a series of surreal and socially awkward transformations.

As the experiment unfolds, Charley’s behavior shifts erratically: one moment he’s a romantic gentleman, the next a belligerent drunk, then a classical dancer. These changes wreak havoc on his relationship with Muriel and her family, especially during a formal party where Charley’s antics escalate into slapstick chaos. The film ends with Charley regaining his senses — just in time to flee the scene.

Style & Legacy

  • A classic Charley Chase “comedy of transformation”, blending sci-fi absurdity with social farce
  • Noted for its belt-switching gag, ensemble timing, and pre-Code boldness
  • Features Gale Henry’s musical cameo and Finlayson-style double takes
  • One of Chase’s more experimental shorts, exploring identity and behavior through physical comedy
  • Often praised for its inventive premise, though some critics find the setup overly complex for a two-reel format

Streaming Availability

You can watch Now We’ll Tell One (1932) in full on: YouTube – Full Short Film

Nurse to You! (1935) — Charley Chase

Overview

  • Type: Two-reel comedy short (~19 minutes)
  • Studio: Hal Roach Studios
  • Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • Directors: Charley Chase, Jefferson Moffitt
  • Writers: Charley Chase, H.M. Walker
  • Cinematography: Francis Corby
  • Editor: William Terhune
  • Release Date: October 4, 1935
  • Genre: Domestic farce, mistaken diagnosis comedy
  • Language: English

Cast

  • Charley Chase as Charley — a penny-pinching hypochondriac
  • Muriel Evans as Muriel Chase — his long-suffering wife
  • Clarence Wilson as Mr. Wilson — Charley’s strict boss
  • Frank Darien as Mr. Case — the actual sick man
  • Billy Gilbert as Dr. W.J. Gilbert — the insurance doctor
  • Supporting cast includes Harry Bowen, Carlton Griffin, Fred Kelsey, Lee Phelps, Stanley Price, and Ben Taggart

Plot Summary

Charley Chase plays a comically frugal man who goes to absurd lengths to save money — sharing newspapers, splitting shoeshines, and coasting his car downhill to avoid using gas. His life takes a dramatic turn when an insurance doctor (Billy Gilbert) mistakenly tells him he has only six months to live, confusing him with another patient, Mr. Case.

Believing his time is short, Charley abandons his thriftiness and begins living lavishly: buying gifts, quitting his job, and treating his wife to luxuries. The mistaken diagnosis leads to a series of escalating gags, including a visit to a drugstore, a traffic cop encounter, and a final revelation that he’s perfectly healthy. The film ends with Charley trying to undo the damage — and reclaim his old miserly ways.

Style & Legacy

  • A classic Charley Chase “personality reversal” farce, built around mistaken identity and comic transformation
  • Features Billy Gilbert in a subdued but pivotal role, delivering the misdiagnosis with his trademark fluster
  • Noted for its running gags about thrift, including a shoeshine split and newspaper sharing
  • One of Chase’s final Hal Roach shorts before transitioning to Columbia Pictures
  • Praised for its tight pacing, character-driven humor, and pre-Code boldness

Streaming Availability

You can watch Nurse to You! (1935) in full on:

YouTube – Full Short Film

Internet Archive – #172 on the list