MovieChat Forums > Babes in Toyland (1934) Discussion > A Sausage Question

A Sausage Question

posted 17 years ago by Black_Dahlia
18 replies | jump to latest

It has been a while since I saw this, so my memory may fail me, but I've always been confused about a scene following Tom-Tom's trial.

One of the evidence displays was a platter of sausage, and after Laurel and Hardy sat down next to it Stan started eating the sausage, prompting Ollie to smack him and ask him what the heck he was doing. After a bit of submissiveness Stan says something to the effect of, "This isn't sausage, Ollie, it's pork!," prompting them to realize that the little pig was still alive, or at least not ground up into links.

It seems like he was supposed to say "beef" instead of "pork." I wonder if this was just a glaring error, and intentional flubbing of lines, or if my memory utterly fails me. Any ideas?

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Black_Dahlia 17 years ago

Awesome, Brighidsgirl!

The dialogue explains not only my foggy memory's confusion but the irony intended by the scriptwriters.

Thanks a bunch.

[–] flit-2 16 years ago

I thought it was weird they were eating what they thought may be their former friend...

[–] PurpleProseOfCairo 13 years ago

Me too, Flit-2 - in fact the whole storyline was yet another very sinister strand in what I assume was a movie intended for children. The concept of murder (albeit faked), the victim (a character we are familiar with) being made into sausages and then SAMPLED by their friend is incredibly strong stuff for young minds. Maybe people had more faith in their kids in those days - these days kids are mollycoddled too much by the movies, if you ask me.

Awight we're The Daamned we're a punk baand and this is called Carn't Be Appy T'day!

[–] dizexpat 13 years ago

As a kid, I was very creeped out by the thought of Stan and Ollie very casually eating what they believed to be their murdered friend Elmer.

I suppose it's one of those "life goes on, we still have to eat" things.

"And take that filthy dog out of here!"

[–] [email protected] 11 years ago

Elmer would have wanted it that way.

[–] zaphod1957 15 years ago

My favorite part in the scene is after Ollie makes the comment "That's neither pig nor pork. It's beef"

Then he says:

"Barnaby has a hand in this!"

A Stannie then looks at the sausage with new suspicion as if wondering if Barnaby's hand has actually been added to the sausage. LOL

[–] Grendel1950 12 years ago

Right before Ollie makes the Barnaby comment he says "I smell a rat". Stan sniffs the sausage.

[–] MsMarian 16 years ago

I believe that statement that it is 'beef' then helps them to realize that the sausage that Barnaby shows to make people assume that the pig (that he claims Tom captured - which is why Tom is banished to Boogy Land) was turned into sausage, is wrong. Which is why they then go to Boogy Land to rescue Tom and prove he is innocent.

[–] Chesterfield_Invincible 16 years ago

I'm surprised that Barnaby didn't bring up new burgarly charges against Stan and Oliie (which was indeed his right) after the 2 broke in to his house to rescue Elmer!

[–] mjbayles 16 years ago

It's supposed to be funny that he thinks "pig" and "pork" are different things. Then they move on to realizing it's beef.

[–] Chesterfield_Invincible 16 years ago

And as soon as it was discovered it was beef sausage, the people of Toyland discovered that Little Boy Blue's cow was missing!!

[–] LiveFromNewYawk 15 years ago

"I thought it was weird they were eating what they thought may be their former friend..."

Thank you!! lmao

[–] cryptical70 15 years ago

The reason why Stannie thinks he's eating "pork" rather than "sausage" is because he isn't too bright.

In most Laurel & Hardy movies, Stan is rather dense. But for some reason, Ollie (who is a bit more intelligent but still has his own intelligence issues) is the one who usually pays for Stan's lack of brain power.

[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

Well, they did it to rescue Elmer so I don't think it is the same thing as when they tried to break in before.

[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

He doesn't smack Stan. Stan starts to eat the pork and is reading the Exhibit A sign and doesn't know what it is so he asks Ollie what it says and Ollie tells him and mentions it is pig sausage. Stan says it tastes like pork and tells Ollie to try it and Ollie does and exclaims that it is beef and thinks that Elmer the Pig is still alive in Barnaby's house and they go to find out.

[–] jonathan_k80 11 years ago

This scene is loaded with so many subtleties, in acting and in the dialogue. That's what makes this movie such a gem.

Don't believe everything you see on the radio.

[–] Grendel1950 8 years ago

Stan:(eating the sausage and handing a placard to Ollie) - What does this say?
Ollie: Exhibit B. That means the pig sausage is part of the evidence.
Stan: Doesn't taste liike pig sausage to me.
Ollie: What's it taste like?
Stan: Tastes like pork. (Ollie camera look). Here.
Ollie: (tastes sausage) Why that's neither pig nor pork. It's beef!