One Way Out (1931)
*** (out of 4)
If you watch enough of these early shorts from the sound era you're bound to run into some really crazy ones and this here is exactly that. Charles Lawrence shows up in the country of Elyria where he plans on killing himself but a cop stops him and informs the man that suicide is against the law. Before killing himself the man must get a permit and then go to the National Suicide Park and wait his turn to die. This Vitaphone-Warner short has an insane plot that could only be found in a pre-code like this and it's this weird plot that makes the film worth viewing. Lawrence plays the character with a speech issues, which makes him sound rather dumb but this is a nice added touch and it certainly gets several laughs throughout the running time. I thought Lawrence made for a very likable guy and one that you can't help but hope doesn't really "end" it. Thelma White is also very good in her supporting role as the woman Lawrence falls in love with but it might be too late for him to change his mind about death. The subplot of the film deals with several members inside the Suicide Park dying off. I won't spoil how they die but it's a pretty simple but effective way and one that gets plenty of laughs. ONE WAY OUT is certainly a must see for fans of the weird.