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| The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | James Parrott |
| Written by | H.M. Walker |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Starring | Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy |
| Cinematography | Walter Lundin George Stevens |
| Edited by | Richard C. Currier |
| Music by | Marvin Hatley Nathaniel Shilkret |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 29:43 (English) 47:08 (Spanish) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case is aLaurel and Hardypre-Codecomedy horror film released in 1930. It is one of a handful of three-reel comedies they made, running 28 minutes. It was directed byJames Parrott, produced byHal Roach and distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
In the film, Stan learns of the death of a supposed relative. He heads to the Laurel mansion for the reading of his kinsman's will, in hopes of inheriting part of the man's estate. After arriving at the mansion, he learns that his kinsman was murdered and that the police are gathering all of the deceased's potential heirs. The assembled family members start mysteriously disappearing. Stan and his friend Ollie engage in conflict with the murderer, but then wake up from a sharednightmare.
Laurel and Hardy are seated at adockside where Stan is fishing. A newspaper notice catches Ollie's attention; it says that one Ebenezer Laurel has died and left a large estate, and that parties interested in the estate should go to the Laurel mansion for the reading of thewill. Despite Stan's uncertainty regarding his relation to Ebenezer, the duo resolves to attend the reading of the will at the Laurel mansion.
Arriving amid a thunderstorm, they are greeted by a police detective who tells them Ebeneezer Laurel did not die a natural death, and that the duo, along with the other potential heirs who have gathered, will be held on suspicion of murder until the crime is solved. Assigned to spend the night in the very room where the body was found, Stan and Ollie experience a series of terrors: a pair of glowing eyes (a cat), ghosts (bedsheet-draped furniture), and a bat. Worse, screams are heard throughout the night as, one after another, the assembled relatives mysteriously disappear in each case after being summoned by the enigmatic butler into thestudy to answer a telephone call.
As Stan and Ollie grapple with the events unfolding around them, they too are approached by the butler, who tells them they are wanted on the phone. In the study, Ollie nearly falls victim to the same concealed trapdoor that has claimed the ill-fated relatives. In a climactic confrontation, Stan and Ollie are attacked by the murderer, who is disguised in female attire and brandishes a knife. A fight ensues, but the scene dissolves as Stan and Ollie abruptly awaken from their nightmare to find themselves scuffling with each other at the dockside and tumbling into the water.
This first episode for the 1930–31 season had orchestral music scoring in places and no background music in others.Leroy Shield's tunes by now were featured in Hal Roach'sOur Gang series, and had been tried in a few previous Laurel and Hardy films. These tunes would be featured from this time on, beginning with their subsequent release,Another Fine Mess.
InThe Laurel-Hardy Murder Case, Oliver utters for the first time the iconic phrase, "Here's anothernice mess you've gotten me into", often erroneously cited as "Here's anotherfine mess you've gotten me into". The misquotation has entered everyday vernacular.