The Fixer Uppers is a 1935 short film directed by Charles Rogers.
It was the next-to-last short film by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It's Christmas time, and Stan and Ollie are going door-to-door selling custom-made Christmas cards. They don't get very far with their first customer, a drunk. The second door is opened by an attractive woman, Mrs. Gustave (Mae Busch) who is weeping copiously. It seems that her husband is neglecting her.
Stan hits on an idea: Operation: Jealousy. They will arrange for the husband to come home and find one of them kissing Mrs. Gustave. When Mr. Gustave sees this, he'll realize how much his wife means to him. For this, Mrs. Gustave will pay Stan and Ollie $50. Naturally things go wrong.
Frank Tashlin co-wrote the film with Stan Laurel.
Tropes:
- Alcohol Hic: The drunk that Stan and Ollie first meet is doing this repeatedly as they try to sell him Christmas cards.
- The Alcoholic: Played for Laughs, but still. The man in the apartment across from the Gustaves is drunk when Stan and Ollie come calling. Later, when Stan and Ollie are at the bar, the drunk is refused service—he's been cut off. He gives Stan and Ollie money to buy drinks for him.
- Artsy Beret: Mr. Gustave is a painter, and he has the artsy beret to prove it.
- Aside Glance: At least Once per Episode from Ollie; this one comes when Ollie is taken aback by the length and passion of the kiss between Stan and Mrs. Gustave.
- As You Know: Mrs. Gustave tells her husband that "you, the best shot in all France" should not challenge Ollie to a duel. Slightly justified, as she's trying to impress upon him that under these circumstances any "duel" with him would be taken as premeditated murder.
- Brick Joke: There's a life-sized portrait of Mrs. Gustave by her husband in the apartment. When the film cuts back to the apartment after Mr. Gustave has challenged Ollie to a duel, the portrait of Mrs. Gustave has been slashed to ribbons.
- Chekhov's Gun: The calling card that Mr. Gustave gives Ollie while challenging him to a duel. This is why our heroes are carried back to Mr. Gustave's apartment after they pass out drunk at the bar.
- I'll Take Two Beers Too: Possibly the Ur-Example, and nearly word for word. When Ollie orders two beers for the table, Stan says "I'll have two beers too."
- Literal Ass-Kicking: Mrs. Gustave does this when Stan botches the story he needs to tell Mr. Gustave.
- Mathematician's Answer: Stan fields a phone call at the bar, says "It sure is!", and hangs up. When Ollie asks what the heck the phone call was about, Stan says it was someone saying "It's a long distance from Atlanta, Georgia."
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Ends with Ollie being taken away in a garbage truck, after the garbage can he was hiding in was emptied out into said truck.
- Operation: Jealousy: Stan's idea to make Mr. Gustave pay attention to his wife. They did not count on Mr. Gustave, when he comes home and finds his wife in Ollie's arms, challenging Ollie to a duel.
- Something Else Also Rises: When Ollie is receiving a long, slow kiss from Mrs. Gustave, his bowler hat pops up off of his head.
