Habeas Corpus

In the silent comedy 'Habeas Corpus,' the eccentric and clearly unhinged Professor Padilla (Richard Carle) finds himself in need of fresh cadavers for his bizarre scientific experiments. To secure his macabre supplies, he enlists the unsuspecting, perpetually bewildered duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, promising them a hefty sum. Their mission? To raid a local cemetery under the cover of night. As Stan and Ollie bungle their way through the graveyard, encountering a stern night watchman (Harry Wilde) and a staged 'ghost' orchestrated by the professor's accomplices to scare them off, their attempts to exhume bodies lead to a series of escalating, clumsy mishaps. The film culminates in a chaotic chase and misunderstandings, characteristic of the duo's early, developing comedic style.