| Unaccustomed As We Are | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Lewis R. Foster Hal Roach |
| Written by | Leo McCarey (story) H. M. Walker |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Starring | Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy Edgar Kennedy Mae Busch Thelma Todd |
| Cinematography | John MacBurnie Len Powers Jack Roach George Stevens |
| Edited by | Richard C. Currier |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 18:00 (silent) 20:53 (sound) |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Silent with English intertitles |
Unaccustomed As We Are is the first sound film comedy starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, released on May 4, 1929.
The title, Unaccustomed As We Are..., was a spoofing reference to the fact that its two stars had never before spoken audibly in their films. And in point of fact, although it was a film with dialogue, the soundtrack mostly carried music, and sound effects, with dialogue a long way third.
In case the Talkies did not prove popular, and in order to be released in theatres which had not yet been converted for sound, Hal Roach hedged his bets by releasing it in both the new All-Talking format and in Silent format (in the latter case, with intertitles carrying the dialogue). As with the Laurel and Hardy silent films, visual gags remained the heart and soul of the picture: the characters were certainly talking, but the comedy was not yet in the dialogue, the film still relied entirely on sight-gags for its laughs.