Laurel and Hardy in
Private detectives Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy travel from their hometown of Peoria, Illinois to Mexico City in pursuit of an infamous larcenist named Hattie Blake (Carol Andrews), who is publicly known as ”Larceny Nell”. Meanwhile, an American sports promoter, Richard K. Muldoon (Ralph Sanford) meets with publicity man ”Hot Shot” Coleman (Richard Lane), and his assistant (Irving Gump) to discuss an upcoming bullfight featuring famed Spanish matador Don Sebastian. But when Muldoon sees pictures of the bullfighter he becomes enraged.
Don Sebastian looks exactly like Laurel. Muldoon tells Hot Shot that eight years earlier in Peoria, Laurel & Hardy both testified against him in a criminal case, and Muldoon was wrongfully convicted of the crime and sentenced to twenty years in jail. But, after five years the true criminal confessed, and Muldoon was released. But while in prison he lost his home, wife, fortune and business. HE had to start over in Mexico, and still holds a grudge against Laurel & Hardy and vows revenge brandishing a large knife for emphasis, "Someday I'll run across them again! And when I do, I'm going to skin them alive! First the little one, then the big one! I'm going to skin them BOTH alive!!"
Laurel & Hardy confront Blake, attempting to arrest her, only for her to snatch the extradition papers that permit them to arrest her outside the U.S., followed by an egg-breaking tit for tat sequence before her escape. They run into Hot Shot who sees Stan's uncanny resemblance to the bullfighter while receiving a telegram that tells the real Don Sebastian's arrival is delayed because of passport trouble. After explaining Stan's resemblance to Don Sebastian to the confused Ollie and Stan, and about the vengeful Muldoon's wrongful conviction, Hot Shot forces Stan to impersonate the bullfighter, threatening to reveal his and Ollie's presence to Muldoon if he does not cooperate but promising them a very handsome payment for their trouble if he does. Stan reluctantly agrees, only because Hot Shot promises he will not have to fight bulls. Eventually, the real Don Sebastian's passport trouble turns out to be worse than originally feared and so Stan will have to take his place in the ring and fight bulls after all.
On the day of the fight Stan, nervous about fighting bulls, gets drunk. But then, unbeknownst to anyone, the real Don Sebastian has somehow miraculously contrived to making it to Mexico City just in time for the big bullfight. Ollie mistakes him for Stan and forces him into the arena. Stan staggers up, and Hardy sends him into battle. With two Laurels in the ring, the outraged spectators cry foul, especially Muldoon, who now recognizes "Don Sebastian" as Stan Laurel from Peoria who sent him up for twenty years and, in a livid frenzy, punches out Hot Shot, calling him a swindler. Every bull in the arena is then unleashed. Stan and Ollie try to escape the vengeful Muldoon, but not fast enough; Stan and Ollie, while packing for their flight back home and planning to sneak away to the airport, discover Muldoon hiding in their closet, his knife handy. Just as promised, he skins them alive; leaving them, except their heads, in bare bones. Ollie says his "another nice mess…" catchphrase to Stan. Stan whimpers before Ollie decides that they go back home to Peoria, "where we belong!"
A 1945 American Black & White comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair (as Mal St. Clair), produced by William Girard, written by Scott Darling (as W. Scott Darling), cinematography by Norbert Brodine, starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Margo Woode, Richard Lane, Diosa Costello, Ralph Sanford, and Margo Woode. The screen debut of both Frank McCown, who later became famous as Rory Calhoun, and Carol Andrews.
Hispanic bombshell Diosa Costello performs her energetic song-and-dance act. She was previously a partner with Desi Arnaz before he met Lucille Ball.
The closing bullfight uses shots from "Blood and Sand" (1941).
This is the penultimate feature film starring Laurel and Hardy. The duo were scheduled to make another film for 20th Century-Fox in the spring of 1945, but the studio discontinued all B-picture production at the end of 1944 and closed the Laurel and Hardy unit. When The Bullfighters became a hit, the studio offered to reopen the entire B department just for Laurel and Hardy, but the comedians declined. Thus, this turned out to be Laurel & Hardy's final American film. (Their final film, Atoll K, was produced in France in 1950–51.)
Because the "B" unit at Fox was closing down, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had less studio interference and, consequently, more artistic freedom than they had in their previous five Fox efforts.
Laurel & Hardy's tit-for-tat egg routine with Carol Andrews is a direct lift from their similar routine with Lupe Velez in "Hollywood Party" (1934).
Some genuine laughs are delivered in this surprisingly fresh little underrated comedy. Good fun. Worth watching for Laurel & Hardy fans.
