Below Zero 1930
Down on there luck yet again,the duo are busking out on the cold wintry streets,with the snow and blizzards blowing around them,Stan and Ollie are playing In the good old summertime,which for some reason is not going down to well with the local residents.What they fail to realise is that they have been playing outside a Institute for the deaf and dumb for two hours,so its no wonder the passer bys have not been making donations in there little tin cup.Of course it is only when Stanley moves his accordion that Ollie sees the sign. So they decide to up sticks and move up the road a little where they will be playing under some sort of heating duct.This time a local woman asks how much they make per street,she then gives them a dollar and tells them to move down the street. They do not have much luck,Ollie gets a snowball in the face from regular Charlie Hall,a pigeon drops an egg into Stan;s collecting cup,a rather large woman shoves a snowball into Ollie's face then smashes his double bass over his head,she then grabs Stan's accordion and throws it into the road where a car runs over it.Well there luck suddenly changes when they spot a wallet on the floor full of money,this is also noticed by a passing crook who gives chase,but after running into a local cop and crashing through a window,Stan and Ollie tells the policeman about being chased,he warns them about the area and about the local pickpockets.Well the boys invite the policeman to a meal to show there gratitude.After some rather large steak and onions have been consumed by the trio,it is time to pay the bill,in one of those massive coincidences you only ever get in the movies,the boys discover it is the policeman's wallet they had found.Of course he sees the wallet and tells the restaurant manager that he will pay for his share and that Stan and Ollie will have to pay for there's.The restaurant has a reputation for sorting out people who cannot pay there bills,and so the lights go out and allot of crashing can be heard as the pair are sorted out and thrown into the street,well Ollie is,Stan gets put into a barrel of freezing cold water,(something which seems incredible cruel considering the weather). When Ollie realises Stan is missing he tries to get back into he restaurant but he then realises Stan is in the barrel,but where is the water? Stan has drank it all,and waddles into the credits.. Below Zero is a great fast paced short running at just 20 mins,so zips along at a tremendous speed. And is there a more a bizarre sight than Stan Laurel looking like he has swallowed a barrel of water,alright its just a big ball up his shirt but its still a sight to behold.And the scene where the duo are playing there instruments is quite an iconic picture.
