Below Zero (1930)

[StevePulaski]

Below Zero (1930)
Directed by: James Parrott

Hardy plays the cello alongside Laurel in Below Zero.

Rating: ★★★

Below Zero has all the components of a genius Laurel and Hardy short: for one, it's not burdened by its length in any way, it features a nice balance of situational humor and slapstick comedy, has a few inclusions of some fun special and practical effects, and never becomes dry or tiresome in its material. It's one of the funniest shorts by the men I have yet to see.

Laurel and Hardy are a couple of petty street musicians, performing in subzero weather and not even making a dime. When they are informed by a police officer (Laurel and Hardy regular Frank Holliday) that they are in a crime-ridden area, the two decide to treat the police officer to lunch at the finest restaurant. It isn't until they finish their meal and are acquainted with the bill do they realize a grave mishap has happened that could only infer false intentions.

Below Zero, in a way, feels like a satire of manners for this time period. By today's standards, even at their most foolish, Laurel and Hardy always use gentlemanly, proper language, but when they are out to lunch with the police officer, such language transcends the boundaries of self-parody, which is funny in its own right. Something about the brazen silliness of Below Zero combined with its uncanny ability to be so formal provides for a very tongue-in-cheek edge to Laurel and Hardy I'm not sure I've witnessed before.

The short also is helped by some uproariously funny situational humor, specifically the ending and the very beginning, when Laurel and Hardy discover why they have yet to make a dime despite performing for two hours. All of this, encapsulated in a zealous pace with two charismatic men at the forefront, makes Below Zero so charming and watchable and among one of the finer shorts of the Laurel and Hardy lot.

Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Frank Holliday. Directed by: James Parrott.