classicsoncall As a kid during the Fifties, I tried to catch as many of these Laurel and Hardy films shorts I could; they were shown on TV fairly regularly. One of Stan's quips I picked up on I used for the longest time because it sounded so funny to me, and if you asked me before today what picture it came from I wouldn't have been able to tell you. But in this 'murder' case, he comes out with the 'Septober, Octember, No Wonder' line and it managed to crack me up all over again. So I'll probably be using it again.Like most comedy teams through the decades, this one features a version of a haunted house scenario, as the boys are confined to an old, dark mansion after they become suspects in a murder mystery. One can't help but notice the over the top delivery of the Chief of Detectives (Fred Kelsey) in this one. His portrayal epitomizes what for many actors coming out of the silent era must have been the need to over-enunciate and over dramatize their role for it's intended effect on the viewer. The other character that was a real hoot here was the Laurel Mansion butler (Frank Austin). Man, didn't he just give you the creeps? That scene with the teeth was a horror film delight.The picture utilizes a lot of the standard clichés of the era; besides the creepy butler you've got your black cat, the ghost lamp gimmick and the bat in the bed sheet to keep the would be millionaires on edge. The notion that all of this might have been a dream didn't bother me here as a lot of movies have managed to do, because all those other flicks didn't have Laurel and Hardy in them. It's no wonder I could watch these guys all day.

Neil Doyle Since my favorite type of screwball comedy is a mixture of horror and laughs, THE LAUREL HARDY MURDER CASE fits that bill nicely. After a beginning where the boys are penniless living on a pier, they hear about an inheritance when Stan's rich uncle dies. Off they go to a very haunted looking mansion where anything can happen--and does.It's really a spoof of all the old haunted house stories, while a heavy thunderstorm rages outside. The spooky butler is played by FRANK AUSTIN, a frightful looking man who makes the most of his butler role.But all of the laughs come courtesy of headliners Laurel and Hardy, especially good at looking straight at the camera after a misfired gag, or performing physical stunts while they think they're being chased by a white sheet (actually a bat has entered the house and flown under their bedsheets).Good horror atmosphere throughout and plenty of sight gags that should keep fans of the duo happy enough.

Jackson Booth-Millard Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. Stan and Ollie are sleeping on the docks, when they read a newspaper article, saying that all heirs of Ebeneezer Laurel need to attend the will reading at Laurel Masion, concerning a $3,000,000 estate. All other Laurel relatives have been told by the Chief of Detectives (Fred Kelsey) that Ebeneezer Laurel did not die naturally, he was murdered, and he is sure that one of the relatives is responsible, so he orders they all stay in the mansion until one of them cracks. Soon enough, Stan and Ollie show up, and are taken to a bedroom by the sneaky Butler (Frank Austin), they are taken to the room where Ebeneezer was murdered, and everything is covered with white sheets, so you can expect a lot of scares as they keep mistaking the room as being haunted. Soon enough, you realise the Butler and Housekeeper (Dell Henderson, in drag) are the ones that killed Ebeneezer, and one by one, all the other Laurel's meet their fate with a trap door activated by lifting a study desk phone. In the end, when it looks like Ollie and Stan are about to meet their fate, it fates out to them squabbling on the dock, and falling over it into the water, so it was all a dream. Also starring Tiny Sandford as Policeman and Stanley Blystone as Detective. Filled with good slapstick and all classic comedy you want from a black and white film, at just over an hour, it is an enjoyable film. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Worth watching!

MartinHafer This is one of the most original films Laurel and Hardy made together. In so many of their wonderful shorts, there is a tendency to repeat the same themes again and again, so I was thrilled at this film. Now it isn't the funniest film they ever made, though it is better than average and provided some excellent laughs. The film begins with Stan and Ollie in their usual situation--they are hungry and don't have a job. However, Ollie sees a classified ad seeking to disburse a fortune to a man who Stan happens to be related to! However, just before they walk in to claim the fortune, the police announce that the uncle was murdered and everyone--including Stan and Ollie, are suspects. The rest of the film are the to be expected haunted house gags, but they are done very well. And the conclusion is also done excellently. The film is a nice departure and one I strongly recommend you see if you want a laugh.