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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1474

Duck Soup

192721 minUnited States

Synopsis

Two homeless men evade a forced firefighting detail and hide in an empty mansion. Posing as the owner and a maid, they try to rent out the house until the real proprietor unexpectedly returns.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 21:13
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Fred Guiol · Public domain

Cast

Stan Laurel

Oliver Hardy

DirectorsFred Guiol

Inspirations

The story draws on a sketch by Stan Laurel's father. It later became Another Fine Mess, while this short's rediscovery helped clarify how early Laurel and Hardy were already working as a pair.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 16, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Stan Laurel — Photo by Stax · Public domain
Oliver Hardy — Harry Warnecke, 1900 - 1984 · CC0

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