Original artwork, not a still
Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!
— Sons of the Desert ‧ 1933
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Hardy's weary line is a comedy of blame, said with a stare into the camera while Stan sobs. It is the classic complaint about a friend who makes things worse by trying to help. It is routinely misquoted as 'another fine mess', a blend with their film title Another Fine Mess, which Hardy never said. AFI ranks the line 60th among movie quotes.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Sons of the DesertShow the scene
Sons of the Desert (1933) is Laurel and Hardy's best-loved feature. Stan and Ollie have sworn an oath to attend their lodge's convention in Chicago, and Ollie fakes an illness so they can sneak off, while their wives believe they are on a doctor-prescribed cruise to Honolulu. When their cover story collapses, Ollie's scheme costs them dearly. The complaint is Ollie's signature: Hardy first used it on screen in The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case in 1930, and Stan's usual response is to cry and wail that he could not help it.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Sons of the DesertPlot; Awards and honorsReference checked
- Wikipedia: Laurel and Hardy, CatchphrasesCatchphrasesReference checked
- Wikiquote: Sons of the DesertQuotesReference checked
Context reviewed