My Review – The Music Box

In the 1932 film, The Music Box Laurel and Hardy are presented as two owners of a transfer company where they are delivering a piano to a woman’s house. The issue being, the house is located at the top of a long flight of stairs. The film follows these two men attempting to lift a piano up these stairs and into the house whilst, encountering multiple problematic characters along the way. 

Moreover, the family-friendly comedy will leave you giving out small hiccups of laughter but, mainly thinking the words ‘Why’ and ‘Uh oh’ repeatedly in your head. However, I feel Ollie Hardy’s disappointing stares into the camera really made this film and gave off a new intention of humour other than simply slapstick we can recognise from the likes of Charlie Chaplin. 

In the film are plenty of twists to keep you on your toes, yet the use of church bells as a sound effect for the piano falling left me feeling very confused. That aside would highly recommend this film to any classic comedy lover. Especially, since the black and white film was the height of its time. Though, nowadays can be seen as obvious and childlike in humour. The inspiration it gave on film and television is immense. This can be seen in shows such as ‘The Chuckle Brothers’ which is a childhood classic for children growing up in the 2000s.