The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case *** (1930, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Fred Kelsey, Tiny Sandford, Frank Austin) – Classic Movie Review 7524

Director James Parrott’s and producer Hal Roach’s 1930 The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is a black and white comedy short film starring the incomparable Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, released by MGM in 1930. Instead of the usual two reels, it is one of only a handful of three-reel comedies the duo made, running 30 minutes.

The opening title says: ‘Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy decided they needed a rest – They had been out of work since 1921.’  [That year was when their first short film was made.] A killer stalks Laurel and Hardy when they decide to go to a ghostly mansion to collect Stan’s inherited fortune after old Ebeneezer Laurel has died and left him a large estate, in this parody of the silent horror films The Bat (1926) and The Cat and the Canary (1927). [The Bat was remade in 1959 starring Vincent Price.]

In one way The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is a fairly feeble, rather faded, and occasionally somewhat slow-moving spoof of the old silent movie dark house thrillers. But, on the other hand, it has a lot to recommend it, and some of it is uproarious. The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case starts very well, though, with Hardy ingratiating himself with the suddenly rich Laurel, and moves on to some inspired silliness. The Boys are always a delight, and there is funny support from Fred Kelsey as the police chief, Frank Austin as the creepy butler and Dell Henderson as the housekeeper.

German, French and Spanish versions featured scenes from other Laurel and Hardy shorts. Thus the Spanish version ran 49 minutes.

It is the first time Hardy says ‘Here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into’, though his catchphrase is commonly misquoted as ‘Here’s another fine mess’.

The cast are Stan Laurel as himself, Oliver Hardy as himself, Frank Austin as Butler (uncredited), Stanley Blystone as Detective (uncredited), Bobby Burns as Nervous Relative at Window (uncredited), Rosa Gore as Old Relative (uncredited), Dorothy Granger as Young Relative (uncredited), Dell Henderson as Housekeeper (uncredited), Fred Kelsey as Chief of Detectives (uncredited), Lon Poff as Old Relative (uncredited) and Tiny Sandford as Policeman (uncredited).

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is directed by James Parrott, runs 30 minutes, is made by Hal Roach Studios, is released by MGM, is written by H M Walker, is shot in black and white by George Stevens, is produced by Hal Roach, and is scored by William Axt, Marvin Hatley and Nathaniel Schilkret.

The film’s name is likely to derive from the film The Canary Murder Case (1929). If Laurel and Hardy borrowed ideas from elsewhere, the compliment was returned. MGM’s 1943 Tex Avery animated short Who Killed Who? took imagery, characters and situations from The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case. And The Three Stooges’s If a Body Meets a Body (1945) has a similar plot, as well as including actor Fred Kelsey.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7524

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