Pardon Us is a 1931 prison comedy, and the first feature-length Laurel & Hardy film. The story focuses on the Duo's incarceration antics after concocting and selling their own home brew during Prohibition. Produced by Stan Laurel and Hal Roach, Pardon Us was originally titled "The Rap" and was to be a short spoof of MGM's hit The Big House, but was ultimately turned into a full-length feature after production kept increasing, due in part to the large amount of weaponry that was brought in the film's climax. Two separate endings were filmed because of this. In addition, the movie was made four sperate times in different languages (French, Italian, German, and Spanish).
The following weapons were used in the film Pardon Us:
Towards the climax of the film, prisoners pass along bundles of Colt New Service revolvers, along with other weapons, under the mess hall tables in preparation for the prison break. During this tense moment, Stan and Ollie discover .38 special bullets hidden in their soup to arm the weapons.
Although brief, a National Guardsman can be seeing ushering his men into the prison with a M1911A1.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingPre-War Colt M1911A1 - Commercial Model known as the "Colt Government Model" - .45 ACP. This has a deep Colt factory blued finish, common for commercial variants before and after the war.Error creating thumbnail: File missingA National Guardsman waves his troops in with a M1911A1.
Rifles
Winchester Model 1892
Winchester Model 1892 repeating carbines are seen, mostly in the background, being used by the prison guards.
Just before the prison break, Stan (Stan Laurel) gets passed a Thompson M1921A1 from under the table in the mess hall. Stan, not knowing what the gun is, nonchalantly examines it before showing it to Ollie (Oliver Hardy). Ollie freaks out which causes Stan to discharge the Thompson, inciting the riot. The weapon then ends up being used by The Tiger (Walter Long) during the gunfight. The Thompson oddly has a crude scoped fastened to it, blocking the charging handle. Because Stan Laurel was unsure on how to end the movie, two separate climaxes to the prison break were filmed, the latter of which is the most familiar amongst fans. In the second ending, Stan and Ollie end up with the Tommy Gun and hold the prisoners at bay, firing it wildly, until the National Guard arrive. In this ending, the Thompson lacks the crude scope.
