Shorts Spotlight: ‘The Music Box’, 1932 Oscar Winner

Posted on March 2, 2014March 22, 2014 by Courtney SmallIn Short Films1 Minute Read

As the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl for film lovers, takes place tonight, it only fitting that today’s short is a past Oscar winner. The very first film to win an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, The Music Box, is a nice reminder of how far short films, and comedy in general, has evolved over the years. Directed by James Parrott, this 1932 comedic gem involves two deliverymen struggling to push a large crated piano up a seemingly insurmountable flight of stairs. The Music Box not only propelled Laurel and Hardy into stardom, but the film was also selected for preservation in the prestigious United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1997.

The Music Box
Director: James Parrott / USA/ 1932 /28 minutes
Starring: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Published by Courtney Small

The founder of Cinema Axis, Courtney is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic who can frequently be heard discussing film as co-host of Frameline on Radio Regent. Courtney has contributed to several publications including Leonard Maltin, That Shelf, POV Magazine, In the Seats, Black Girl Nerds, and Comix Asylum. He has appeared on ET Canada and Hollywood Suite's Cinema A to Z. Courtney celebrates diversity in cinema as host of the Changing Reels podcast and is a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the African American Film Critics Association. View all posts by Courtney Small

2 Comments

keith7198 says:

March 7, 2014 at 11:20 AM

Since I was a young boy “The Music Box” has been special to me. Absolutely adore it.
1. Courtney Small says:
  
  March 8, 2014 at 8:24 PM
  
  It really is one of those timeless films that can appeal to all generations.

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