Towed in a Hole

[Angus McLaurel]

Stan and Ollie are mobile fish salesmen. Stan has an idea to buy a boat so they can catch and sell there own fish cutting out the middleman and whatever they make is pure profit. They buy a run down old boat and start to fix it…


What an excellent film this is. Probably the best short film ever made. It totally defines Stan & Ollie in every way, particularly their childlike behaviour, especially in the bucket of water routine which starts with Stan accidentally wetting Ollie, who retaliates, which leads to a very funny water scene.

Stan's performance is first class, with his comedy timing to perfection, the way he peeps through the holes in the boat with slight guilt, yet he doesn`t understand what he`s actually done. Just the looks from Ollie are enough.

One of the funniest moments is when Stan is cleaning the anchor. The way he does it is superb, especially when he gets confused and begins to scrub his leg by accident. Then to top it all, he wrings out the anchor.

I've nothing bad to say about 'Towed in a Hole', it's brilliant. Full of laughs from beginning to end. 10/10

[mgm]

The equal greatest short ever with `Busy Bodies`. This is pure class from beginning to end. Stan's opening idea and his attempts to repeat it are just classic. Note that they specialise in crabs!. Ollie is soaked in every inventive ways, covered in paint (note Stan's extended series of reaction's to this) then soaked again. I love Ollie soaking the last drips from the bucket up with his glove to flick in Stan's face.

This is followed by a lovely tit for tat soaking routine.

Great line -


OLLIE: Let's put our brains together so we can forge ahead


Stan shouting "Come in" as Ollie hammers on the side of the boat. Poor old Ollie gets covered in more paint then soaked again while also being hit by Stan and the anchor. Stan for this is stuck below deck with a black eye where he sketches Ollie and plays nought's and crosses with himself (and wins!).

Why he is left with a saw which immediately catches his child like imagination I'll never know. Ollie gets painted (yes again!).

Stan's attempts to free his trapped head leads to the inevitable Ollie soaking and a second black eye for Stan. Then the boat is finished but after all this it is never destined to see the sea. Pure class, not a wasted moment. I love it. 10/10