(Courtesy:filemkita.com)
Labu dan Labi (Labu and Labi) is a 1962 Malaysian comedy film directed by and starring P. Ramlee. The movie revolves around the antics of Labu and Labi, two servants with wild imaginations who work in the house of a wealthy but miserly man, Haji Bakhil bin Haji Kedekut. The movie is filmed in the style of a stage pantomime, with over-the-top comedy and featuring the characters occasionally talking directly to the audience. The film's sequel is Nasib Si Labu Labi.Story and Plot Point
Labu (Mohd. Zain) and Labi (P. Ramlee) are the servants in the household of Haji Bakhil, a miserly old man with a loyal wife and a beautiful daughter (Mariani). Both Labu and Labi are constantly being scolded, insulted and forced to do the traditional school punishment ketok-ketampi by the grouchy Haji Bakhil but they continue to work for him because both of them are secretly in love with his daughter, Manisah.
One night as the pair are attempting to sleep on the verandah of Haji Bakhil's house, they exchange stories of make-believe to amuse each other.
Night club
Labu and Labi talk about what they would do if they were as rich as their boss. Labi imagines that he is a magistrate and goes to a night-club where he meets Labi, who is pretending to be a doctor. In this imaginary sequence, Haji Bakhil appears as a waiter who attempts to get their order. Labu and Labi then watch a performance by Saloma who sings the song Bila Larut Malam with her husband P. Ramlee providing back-up vocals. Then there is a fashion show where Sarimah is one of the models.
After the show, Labu goes back-stage to meet Sarimah in her dressing room, but as he's talking to her Labi arrives for the exact same purpose. Labu and Labi start fighting over Sarimah, and their argument becomes loud enough that it wakes up their boss, Haji Bakhil, who shouts at them to go to sleep.
The Malay Tarzan
After a while, Labu says that he wouldn't want to live in the city, but out in the free wilderness. He imagines that he is a Malay Tarzan, complete with keris. In this sequence, Haji Bakhil is Chita, Labu's primate sidekick. As Labu is preparing his sambal belacan for his meal, Labi arrives in the dream sequence dressed as a tiger, saying that he wants to eat Labu. The pair start to fight, and their fight eventually becomes loud enough that it wakes up their real boss again, who comes out to scold them and order them to go to sleep.
In the Wild West
After having settled down again, Labu asks Labi whether he would like to live in the wilderness like Tarzan. Labi says that he would much prefer to be a cowboy. He imagines that he's a Sheriff (claims as the younger brother of Nat King Cole), while Labi imagines that he's Jesse Labu, cousin (or pen-pal) of Jesse James. Labu and Labi eventually start a gunfight in the imaginary bar, and their gun sounds effects wake their boss up for the third time. Haji Bakhil tells them to go to sleep, and punishes them by ordering them to go to work first thing the next morning.
Labu and Labi Find Their Fortune
The next morning, Labu goes into the forest to collect the firewood as ordered by Haji Bakhil. As he does, he sees a suspicious man exiting a secret passageway on the top of a small hill. After the man is gone Labu enters the secret passageway and discovers a room filled with money, presumably stolen. Labu steals the money and disappears. At the Haji Bakhil home, they are mourning the loss of Labu, who has not returned for days. But then they are given a surprise when Haji Bakhil's assistant arrives at the house, announcing that Labu has recently inherited a fortune and seeks Manisah's hand in marriage. Haji Bakhil refuses, and as retaliation Labu visits a bomoh (magician man) who casts a spell on Manisah, causing her to fall asleep and unable to wake up. Labu sends a message to Haji Bakhil that he will remove the spell if he allows Labu to wed his daughter. Witnessing this turn of events, Labi visits a magician man of his own, who gives him a magical stone that, when dropped into any water, causes the water to have healing properties. Labi uses the stone to cure Manisah. Haji Bakhil is overjoyed and Manisah is touched by Labi's kindness, and so Labi is allowed to marry Manisah. On the day of the wedding, Labu arrives at the house and casts a spell, causing everyone to fall asleep. Labi, however, is not affected by the spell and uses his magic stone to wake up Manisah. Labu enters the house and tries to convince Manisah to marry him instead, but Labi stops him and a fight ensues. During the struggle, Labu grabs an axe and brings it down on Labi's head...
But then it is revealed that the entire sequence was also a dream, and Labu is actually pounding Labi on the head with a pillow. Labu, however, is so caught up in the dream that he doesn't realise that he's woken up, and continues to fight with a confused Labi. Haji Bakhil wakes up yet again and is doubly enraged when Labu continues to think that he's wealthy and powerful. When Manisah appears at a window to see what the commotion is about, Labu begs her to leave Labi and marry him instead. Manisah is confused and tells Labu he must have been dreaming. This finally makes Labu realise his error. Haji Bakhil, who is still very angry at having his sleep continually disrupted, punishes both Labu and Labi by making them do the ketok-ketampi.
Trivia
During the dinner scene, Labu pretends that his eyes had been poked with the forks and he'd been blinded. During his over-the-top moaning, he says "Sampai hati tuan cucuk mata saya, macam Kassim Selamat." ("How cruel of you, sir, to poke in me in the eyes, just like Kassim Selamat.") This is a reference to the character of Kassim Selamat in Ibu Mertuaku who poked his own eyes with forks to blind himself. Incidentally, Kassim Selamat had been played by P. Ramlee.
P. Ramlee also plays himself in the daydream night-club sequence.
The character name Haji Bakhil bin Haji Kedekut is a pun, as "bakhil" and "kedekut" both mean stingy/miserly in Malay.
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