Towed in a Hole concerns fish salesman Laurel and Hardy, as they drive around in their vehicle, aimless as ever, trying to see if they can sell any fish to make a profit. Laurel, after mustering up more thought than he may have ever in his life, suggests they catch their own fish, rather than splitting the profits with a middle-man who catches the fish for them. Hardy likes the idea, so the two buy a ratty boat from a junkyard and, predictably, problems ensue from the get-go, such as the condition of the boat along with the eventual task of getting it on the water.
This particular Laurel and Hardy short is noteworthy for two key reasons. For one, it has an ingenuous little special effect in the beginning, so serene and quick you may have missed it. It occurs when Hardy throws a bucket at Laurel, who narrowly misses it before the bucket bounces back and whacks Hardy in the face. One can see the primitive video effects employed so that the bucket could "miss" Laurel before hitting Hardy. The other noteworthy element is watching drama unfold in one particular claustrophobic space, which begs to be kept a secret until the short is actually watched. The claustrophobia in the film isn't a very high level, but it provides for notable variety for a duo that stuck to basic shot/setting structure for their shorts.
Other than the previous elements, little noteworthy humor comes out of Towed in a Hole, and when it does, it's derivative of the very shorts Laurel and Hardy have already done and done better. This is the first time where I've seen true technical aspects and footnotes take away from the humor in a comedy short but, in that case, it's just another thing to make Towed in a Hole notable for all reasons that aren't in the comedic department.
Starring: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Directed by: George Marshall.
This particular Laurel and Hardy short is noteworthy for two key reasons. For one, it has an ingenuous little special effect in the beginning, so serene and quick you may have missed it. It occurs when Hardy throws a bucket at Laurel, who narrowly misses it before the bucket bounces back and whacks Hardy in the face. One can see the primitive video effects employed so that the bucket could "miss" Laurel before hitting Hardy. The other noteworthy element is watching drama unfold in one particular claustrophobic space, which begs to be kept a secret until the short is actually watched. The claustrophobia in the film isn't a very high level, but it provides for notable variety for a duo that stuck to basic shot/setting structure for their shorts.
Other than the previous elements, little noteworthy humor comes out of Towed in a Hole, and when it does, it's derivative of the very shorts Laurel and Hardy have already done and done better. This is the first time where I've seen true technical aspects and footnotes take away from the humor in a comedy short but, in that case, it's just another thing to make Towed in a Hole notable for all reasons that aren't in the comedic department.
Starring: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Directed by: George Marshall.