Towed in a Hole (1932) Directed by George Marshall
Comedy / Short
Film Review
Arguably the funniest of Laurel and Hardy's two reelers, Towed in a Hole is nothing less
than a sublime masterpiece of slapstick. It is a film that is so
packed with brilliantly conceived and faultlessly orchestrated gags
that only a block of stone with a severe case of migraine could watch it
without collapsing in a heap of laughter at least once every ten
seconds. You know the routine. Stan and Ollie get what
appears to be an infallible idea to make money. They set about it
with gusto. But within no time the boys are wrecking everything
in sight and subjecting each other to the kind of physical abuse that
makes Tom and Jerry's relationship look like a model of restraint and
tolerance.
Just how often can Stan cause Ollie to fall into a pot of paint?
Why is it that whenever Stan catches sight of a hosepipe you just know
that his friend is about to get totally drenched? When
Ollie climbs to the top of a mast, it would be inconceivable for Stan
not to pick up a saw and start cutting the mast in two. History's
greatest comedy duo have their characters and their love-hate relationship
tuned to perfection in this film, and this makes the insane slapstick
hi-jinks even more vivid and hilarious. Towed in a Hole is about as
rip-roaringly funny as visual comedy can get.
If this doesn't make you laugh, I'm a Dutchman with three heads.
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Film Synopsis
For once, Stan and Ollie appear to be on the up, earning a steady
income as fish peddlers. Then Stan has a bright idea that could
make them even more money. Instead of buying fish, they should
catch it themselves, cutting out the middleman and stopping the fish
from taking all the profits. Ollie instantly sees the sense in
this and suggests they buy their own boat. Unfortunately, the
boat they acquire is about as seaworthy as a cracked sieve.
Ollie's attempts to repaint and repair the battered old craft are
endlessly thwarted by his old friend...
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