OLIVER HARDY IS NOT FUNNY

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22804, 1 September 1939, Page 5

OLIVER HARDY IS NOT FUNNY

“Elephants Never Forget’’ At Liberty

f Oliver Hardy throws no custardpies pr tomatoes or, buckets of whitewash da his first dramatic role, that of the velpved village doctor in “Elephants fclever Forget,” beginning to-day at the liberty. ■ The story,, made from the wellloiown short story, "Zenobia’s Inby C; Bunner, relates the ’unexpected turn of events in the Tibbitt family when Dr. Tibbitt, played by Oliver, Hardy, administers firstaid to ia sentimental elephant, Zenobia. The pachyderm is grateful to hsr benefactor, in fact, so grateful sty? causes the collapse of his social More than, that, her unbeJ% behaviour ends in a . Court sca^al’ Billie’ Burke and Alice Brady are

cast as society women who cannot SC© eye to eye. Jee»n Parker, James Ellison, and June Lang comprise the romantic triangle with excellent performances. Harry Langdon, as the impresario of a medicine show, indulges in some side-splitting comics, and Hardy, as the doctor, whp causes all the fuss, gives his most impressive portrayal. Others who add to the general gaiety and suspense of the story are Stepin Fetchit and Philip Hurlic. The film was directed by Gordon Douglas for Hal Roach and United Artists. Oliver Hardy says he has always wanted to play what are known as straight roles; but he was so funny no one wanted him for them. He says himself that it .was “a whale of a change” for a director to make.