Watching Laurel and Hardy speak Spanish in Los Calaveras is a trip

Is it worth your time?

You should definitely watch this if you have a soft spot for the classics or if you just want to see something totally bizarre from film history. If you hate slow pacing or black-and-white slapstick, you will probably be bored out of your mind by the ten-minute mark.

I sat down to watch this because I heard they did these Spanish versions for the foreign markets back in the day. It’s not just a dub; it’s them actually standing there, reading Spanish lines off boards behind the camera.

The result is this weirdly slow, rhythmic way of talking that makes the jokes feel different. It’s almost like they are underwater sometimes. 🌊

This movie is actually two of their famous shorts, Be Big and Laughing Gravy, stitched together. Because they are combined, it feels a bit long for a comedy, but it also means you get more of their specific brand of chaos.

The first half is all about them trying to trick their wives so they can go to a dinner for the "Wild Calaveras" club. Stan wears this tiny little hat that looks like it belongs to a child. 🎩

The whole scene where Ollie is trying to get his boot off is just... it goes on forever. It’s the kind of thing that wouldn't fly in a movie today because people have no patience.

But watching Ollie’s face turn red while Stan accidentally pulls him across the floor is pure gold. You can tell they were actually tired filming it.

I noticed a small detail where Stan keeps blinking whenever he says a word he clearly doesn't understand. It’s like his brain is short-circuiting trying to remember the Spanish sounds. 🧠

The transition to the second part is basically non-existent. One minute they are in a hotel, the next they are in a snowy apartment with a dog named Laughing Gravy.

The dog is the cutest thing I’ve seen in an old movie. It’s this tiny little mutt that looks genuinely confused why these two grown men are shoving it into a chimney. 🐶

There is a moment where they try to hide the dog under the bed and the landlord walks in. The silence in this scene is so heavy. It feels like the air in the room is actually thick with the smell of old dust and wet dog.

I think the landlord, played by Luis Llaneza, is actually funnier here than the guys in the English versions. He has this very specific way of looking annoyed that feels very real, like he's actually tired of their nonsense.

Sometimes the movie gets a bit messy with the edits. You can see the shadows of the crew in a few shots if you look at the top left of the screen during the hallway scenes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Los calaveras (1931) through its definitive frames.

It’s not as polished as something like The Love Trap, but that’s kind of why I liked it. It feels more like a play that’s falling apart in real time.

The snow outside the window is clearly just soap or salt. It doesn't look like snow at all, but the way Stan looks at it makes you believe it’s freezing. ❄️

There’s a bit where Stan starts crying because he thinks he’s going to be kicked out into the cold. His crying is so loud and fake, but it always makes me laugh because of how Ollie reacts. Ollie just looks at the camera like he’s asking us for help.

If you’ve seen The Life of Riley, you know how those old comedies rely on a very specific type of domestic frustration. This is that, but turned up to eleven because they can barely communicate with the people around them.

I did find myself wondering why they chose these two shorts to combine. They don't really fit together thematically, but I guess back then people didn't care about "narrative flow" as much as we do now.

The mustache on Oliver is legendary. It’s so small and perfectly centered that it looks like a sticker that might fall off if he sneezes too hard. 🥸

Also, the sound quality is a bit crunchy. You can hear the hiss of the old film reel, which actually adds to the vibe if you’re into that kind of thing. It feels like you’re watching something you weren't supposed to find.

I remember seeing Flirty Four-Flushers and thinking it was fast-paced, but Los Calaveras is the opposite. It takes its sweet time with every single movement.

The ending is a bit abrupt. It just kind of stops after a lot of yelling and splashing water. I was left wanting a bit more of a payoff, but I guess the payoff is just the journey of seeing them struggle through the night.

Is it better than the original English shorts? No. The timing is a bit off because of the language barrier. But is it more interesting? Yeah, probably.

It’s a strange little artifact. It’s like a cover song where the singer doesn't know the lyrics but has a really great voice anyway.

If you find a copy of this, don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect two guys who are very good at their jobs trying to do something very difficult while wearing funny suits.

One last thing—the way they say "Adios" at the end is surprisingly sweet. You can tell they were glad to be finished with the shoot.

• The boot scene: 9/10 for pure physical effort.
• The dog: 10/10 for being a good boy.
• The Spanish: 5/10 for accuracy, but 10/10 for entertainment value.

I’d say give it a watch on a rainy Sunday. It’s better than most of the stuff they pump out now that tries too hard to be clever. This just wants to make you laugh at a man stuck in a boot.