Below Zero (1930) starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlie Hall, Tiny Sandford
Below Zero is a funny, short Laurel and Hardy film, set in the winter. Where the Boys make the mistake of trying to make money by playing In the Good old Summertime …
Review
Below Zero is a very funny Laurel and Hardy short film. Set in the middle of winter, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are trying to make money by playing music. Unfortunately, they’re, playing In the Good Old Summertime. Which, none of their would-be customers appreciate. If only they hadn’t been playing in front of the Deaf and Dumb Institute …
Some of the “customers” are less hostile than others …. For example, one lady pays them to move to another street. Then, Charlie Hall throws a snowball at Ollie. Shortly after, there’s a flurry of “mistaken” snowballs. And then, they end up with both of their musical instruments destroyed.
But then, luck seems to smile on the boys. They find a wallet in the snow — loaded with money! Unfortunately, a shady character also sees it … and chases them!
At the restaurant
Fortunately, they run straight into the arms of a police officer. The would-be thief runs away, and a grateful Laurel and Hardy treat the officer to a meal, as a thank you. They go to a nearby restaurant, where they’re waited on by Tiny Sandford. After some verbal comedy, they order — and eat — an enormous meal. And then comes the trouble …
The boys pull out the wallet, to pay for the meal, and for the first time look at the photo ID inside. The wallet belongs to the police officer! He wrongly thinks that they’re pick pockets, takes his wallet back, and leaves. This leaves the boys without a means to pay their bill. After the lights go out, and the boys receive a beating, they’re thrown outside. Tiny throws Stan into a large water barrel, and Oliver into the street. Ollie finds Stan …. whose drank all of the water in the barrel! A funny ending to a funny short film.
Funny movie quotes from Below Zero
Woman at Window: About how much money do you boys average a street?
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): [busking] Eh, let’s see. Um, now, that, uh – I would say about 50 cents a street.
Woman at Window: [she tosses them money] There’s a dollar. Move down a couple of streets.
Stan (Stan Laurel): Say, how ’bout something to eat before we get our throats cut.
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): A splendid idea!
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): Oh, garçon?
Pete the waiter (Tiny Sandford): Yes, sir?
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): Bring me a parfait.
Pete the waiter (Tiny Sandford): Yes, sir.
Stan (Stan Laurel): Put one on my steak, too.
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): You don’t put parfaits on steaks. Just cancel the parfaits.
Pete the waiter (Tiny Sandford): Yes, sir.
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): But, bring me a small demitasse.
Pete the waiter (Tiny Sandford): Yes, sir!
Stan (Stan Laurel): Oh, Gaston.
Pete the waiter (Tiny Sandford): Yes, sir.
Stan (Stan Laurel): Bring me one too, in a big cup.
Ollie (Oliver Hardy): A big cup. Where were you brung up?
Cast of characters
- Stan Laurel (Come Clean) … Stan
- Oliver Hardy (Pack Up Your Troubles) … Ollie
Additional Cast
- Bobby Burns (Helpmates) … ‘Blind’ Man / Deadbeat Diner (uncredited)
- Baldwin Cooke (Perfect Day) … Man at Window (uncredited)
- Kay Deslys (Should Married Men Go Home?) … Woman at Window (uncredited)
- Charlie Hall (Laughing Gravy) … Annoyed Shopkeeper Throwing Snowball (uncredited)
- Jack Hill (Tit for Tat) … Busboy (uncredited)
- Frank Holliday … Policeman (uncredited)
- Charles McMurphy (Scram!) … Diner in Restaurant (uncredited)
- Bob O’Connor (The Battle of the Century) … Diner in Restaurant (uncredited)
- Retta Palmer (The Hoose-Gow) … Woman Leaving Window (uncredited)
- Blanche Payson (Our Wife) … Formidable Woman (uncredited)
- Tiny Sandford (From Soup to Nuts) … Pete (uncredited)
- Charles Sullivan (Spite Marriage) … Diner in Restaurant (uncredited)
- Lyle Tayo (The Battle of the Century) … Woman at Window Tossing the Boys a Dollar (uncredited)
- Leo Willis (Saturday Afternoon) … Crook (uncredited)