The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is an unusual one as it is more spooky than comedy. I watched it with my nephew when he was a toddler and he really got spooked out by the butler.Laurel and Hardy go to the home on a dark rainy night of Stan's late relative, for the reading of his will. However the police are there as they believe Ebenezer Laurel was murdered.As the evening wears on things go bump in the night and when the butler announces that you are wanted on the phone, do not answer.It is a shame that pacing issues let this down a bit and the slapstick is not quiet as funny.

The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is another subversive Laurel and Hardy short because it takes the principles of horror and etches them into the structure and formula of comedy, using two of the biggest comedy stars at the time and giving them a truly unique piece of work to play with. The short opens with Laurel and Hardy sitting dockside, unemployed and waywardly fishing, when Hardy notices in the paper a man by the name of "Ebeneezer Laurel" has died and left a $3 million fortune to his heir. Despite Laurel not being able to recall any of his family members (or birthplace for that matter), the two venture to the late Laurel's mansion to hopefully claim such a lofty fortune that would result in the two never having to work again.At that point, the brazen comedy of the Laurel and Hardy short is just about over, with only sporadic one-liners interjecting themselves in to break the tension of the short. When Laurel and Hardy arrive at the mansion, they discover Laurel was murdered and that the entire family is reuniting to try and pinpoint who committed the crime. In the meantime, the mansion's eerie butler (Frank Austin) forces them to spend the night, where Laurel and Hardy are kept awake by frightening houseguests and startling portraits and statues plastered all over the home.Consider the scene where the mansion's butler informs Laurel and Hardy they'll be spending the night; notice the way he careens over edge of the door, with his elongated hand grabbing the side of the door panel while staring at both Laurel and Hardy. Before disappearing behind the wall, the man looks as if his teeth are escaping outside of his mouth, with the boys looking at the man in an understandably fearful way before he just leaves the frame entirely. It is one of the creepiest, most unsettling scenes in a black and white film that I have ever seen, especially in a comedy.Director James Parrott and writer H.M. Walker create an atmosphere for The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case, taking a lofty idea, filling it with dread and unpredictable circumstances, and splicing the tension with pleasant diversions in the form of comic genius from two men capable of delivering it and then some. The film works wonderfully on both horror and comedic levels, and provides for one of the most unique additions to the shorts of the 1930's that I have yet to see.Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Frank Austin. Directed by: James Parrott.

Whilst sleeping on a pier, Hardy notices that a man called Laurel has died and that his $3million estate will be divided at the will reading that night. They go to the will reading but find that the police have set it up to get all the relatives together to find who has murdered old man Laurel. The pair must stay in the old house with all the relatives – knowing a murderer (and a ghost!) may be among them.I have always enjoyed Laurel and Hardy although some of their stuff isn't as consistent as you'd hope. Happily I found this to be very enjoyable even if it did start to spin off into being a horror spoof rather than the murder case of the title. The main humour involves pratfalls and running scared from various things that could be ghosts etc, but it does have some nice touches (the usual looks to the camera from Hardy) as well as some real nice lines. `$3,000,000' exclaims Laurel `is that more than a thousand?' `don't be foolish,' retorts Hardy `it's TWICE as much!'. The self-mocking humour helps lift the comedy above the level of people just falling down.Both leads are excellent and I have always enjoyed Hardy's work to involve the audience by giving them looks of frustration at Laurel's foolishness! Laurel of course is just as good with double takes and god physical work. The support cast are not really worth a mention as you may not even notice they are there behind the dominant leads.Overall I laughed out loud plenty of times during this short. The comedy may be basic routines that you've seen before but it's done so well and with so many nice touches that you'll enjoy it. The only weakness is that the plot is far from your mind for the most part and is weak when the film needs an ending.

A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short.Hoping to inherit the $3,000,000 left by the murdered Ebenezer Laurel, the Boys find themselves spending a terrified evening in haunted Laurel Mansion, full of things that go bump in the night & the usual (disappearing) suspects. Who will be left to solve THE LAUREL-HARDY MURDER CASE?An elaborate little film, somewhat longer than usual, with lots of fine Gothic touches. It's a shame it has such a weak ending. Highlight: the bat under the sheet. That's Frank Austin as the creepy butler & Fred Kelsey as the police detective.