| The Second Hundred Years | |
| Director: | Fred Guiol |
| Producer: | Hal Roach |
| Starring: | Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy |
| Cinematography: | George Stevens |
| Editing: | Richard C. Currier |
| Distributor: | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Runtime: | 22:36 |
| Language: | Silent (English intertitles) |
| Country: | United States |
The Second Hundred Years (a.k.a. The Second 100 Years) is a 1927 American silent comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy. The team appeared in a total of 107 films between 1921 and 1951.
Stan and Ollie are two inmates sharing a prison cell. Together, they devise a plan to escape by digging a tunnel. However, their escape attempt takes an unexpected turn when they accidentally emerge through the floor of the warden's office. After a brief pursuit, they are apprehended and returned to their cell.
Undeterred, Stan and Ollie disguise themselves as painters and exit the prison during a meal break, posing as members of a painting crew. As they paint everything in sight, including a parked car and a passerby, they attract the attention of a vigilant policeman. In a bid to evade capture, they hijack a limousine and don the evening attire of its occupants, who happen to be French prison officials visiting the governor.
Mistaken for the French dignitaries, Stan and Ollie attend a banquet hosted by the governor. Amidst comical mishaps, such as Stan's struggle with a wayward cherry, they manage to maintain their charade until they are recognized by their fellow inmates and the real French officials. A chase ensues, leading to their eventual return to prison.
The "prison" gate is at 1601 Marengo Street in Los Angeles.[2] The chase scenes were filmed on Main Street in Culver City.[3]
Chapters of The Sons of the Desert, the international Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society, called "Tents", all take their names from Laurel and Hardy films; there is a The Second Hundred Years Tent on Long Island, New York.