Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

24 two more pantries and back into the main kitchen. It was like running round a tree, except that the chef might have won this marathon by locking a few doors and thus destroying the chances of Stan and Ollic of escaping, but he was so blinded with rage and jealousv that it never entered his head. And strange to relate it was Stan who first showed any glimmering of intel- ligence. Ollie had become exhausted and was panting after Stan, with the chef not far behind and armed with a carving knife. Ollie made a spurt, and, know- ing he must have a breather, had flung one of the pantry doors shut in the chef's face and leaned his bulk against it The chef hurled himself futilely at tile door. Stan, sprinting, completed the circle and gave a gasp when he came to the pantry. Luckily, the ch I was making so much noise banging and charging the door and using bad lan- guage that he did not hear Stan. Stan darted out of the pantry and then had i he brainwave. Why not lock the chef in and make him a prisoner? This Stan did, and then rushed off to tell Ollie. The two conspirators then bolted the other side, and Ollie beamed as if the whole victory Vas due entirely to his own cleverness. There were holes in the pantry doors for ventilation, and tlie arms of the chef came through fumbling for the lock. They seized his arms, and with dish- cloths bound the chef's wrists together. "Let me go! Free my hands!" screamed the chef. "If you don't 1 will cut you up into small pieces !'' "We don't trust you, my friend!" Ollie shouted back, as he made the dish- cloths more secure with some string. " A man who could be so low as to make us break plates in order to keep us prisoners in this hotel is capable of anything." "If we'd got some pay it wouldn't have been so bad," added Stan. "Why, we didn't even get any tips." "You're right, Stan !" Ollie stood back and stared at the squirming hands of the chef. " I think that should hold him for a while. I feel quite ex- hausted." "But we're not finished yet. Ollie!" gasped Stan. "You've got to rescue Anna." "Let's go and find her." Ollie hurried towards the kitchen door. "Come on !" They went back up the stairs, and still the notice about not to disturb was on the door. "Why don't you try the handle?" Start suggested. Ollie tried and the door was open. They entered, and did they gasp. Anna with her arms round Victor Albert's neck. "What's the moaning of this intru- sion?" cried the composer, who was a nice fellow, but so easily got bad-tcm pared. "Can't my wife and I have a little privacy?" Edward, who had been detailed to see that his master was not disturbed, rushed in from the landing to throw out the two intruders, but Anna motioned to him to keep in the background. Anna explained in her nicest manner why she had pretended she was a poor chorus-girl, and had deceived them. Everything was a!! right now between her husband and herself. She was to take the star part in Victor Albert's new operetta. Ollic looked caustically at his friend. "I thought you said I had her in the hollow of my hand." he hissed. "Well, ypu did have, but you couldn't have plaved vour cards right." Stan September 24th, 1938. BOY'S CINEMA Joe E. Brown — and this somewhat ori- ginal portrait of your cavernous - mouthed favourite comes from the latest number of BOY'S CINEMA ANNUAL This grand book is printed throughout in PHOTOGRAVURE, with splendid pictures of the stars, long com- plete film stories and pictorial articles. Be sure you get a copy. Bflfl CINEMA ANNUAL Of all Newsagen ts and booksellers /J, /- Every Tuesday scratched his head. "Perhaps it's for the best." "Get out! ' Ollie looked fierce. All this while Anna had been whisper- ing to her husband. Already she had told him about the two kindly, foolish fellows who had helped her and how they were like prisoners at the hotel because of an unpaid bill. Now she whispered was his chance to help them "Boys, one moment," Victor Albert cried, with a somewhat theatrical ges- ture. " My wife tells me that you have rendered her a service. Also, I have heard of your temporary embarrass- ment and that you wish to end your days in good old America." He tossed over a packet of notes. "That money is sufficient to get you- both out of Swit- zerland, and I suggest that you go quickly because I am a very jealous man." "Stupid !" cried Anna, kissing her husband on the forehead. She shook hands with the two amazed-at-their- own-luck friends. They must write when they got back to the States, and if they ever ventured away from their native land there was always two seat» for any show in which she might be starring. They collected their fur coats and they took one last look into the kitchen. The chef had half-kicked down the door, and when they bade him farewell his snarls were almost inhuman. So they left the Alpen Hotel and doffed their bowlers in farewell. "That chef really annoyed me." Ollie linked arms with Stan. "He was almost as unpleasant, as that gorilla." "Gorilla! Gorilla!" Stan beamed. "Oh, I remember the gorilla. What happened to it?" "When the bridge broke it fell a thousand feet into the valley below." "I shouldn't have liked that. Poor fellow ! Do you think he was hurt?" "Do I think !" Ollie turned on his friend in disgust. "If you fell a thou- sand feet would you be hurt ? You would not only be hurt but you wouldn't know you had been hurt, because you would be dead. That gorilla is dead, and, without wishing to seem heartiest!, I oan't say I am overburdened with regret. That beast nearly deprived me " He broke off to stare at Stan. "What is it? What are you nudging me for':'' "I see a monkey." "So you remarked once before," re- proved Ollie. "And I wondered after the brandy it wasn't pink elephants. ' "But I did see a monkey, didn't I, Ollie?" miserably questioned Stan. "And as I haven't had any brandy I suppose that means I can't be 6eciug a monkey. This one's on crutches." "Crutches!" exclaimed the startled Oliver. "Where?" "Hobbling along after us," said Stan. Oliver stared intently and gave a gasp. The bandaged gorilla, who was limping after them at a surprising speed was none other than their old friend, and when they quickened their pace the' gorilla let out growls that made their hair stand on end. They ran, and for a while the gorilla kept close to their heels, but he was not in the best of training for a race. With a snarl of baffled rage he halted, whirled his crutch round his head and hurled it with all his might. Bong! It was a bullseye. Stan an I Ollie sat down suddenly, and then slid down the mountain in a minia avalanche. (By permission of Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer, Ltd.. starring the world- famous comedians, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.)