Laurel and Hardy in The Midnight Patrol: Cops Who Shouldn't Be

Is it worth your time?

If you have twenty minutes and want to see two grown men fail at literally everything they touch, then yes, The Midnight Patrol is a delight. It’s peak Laurel and Hardy mischief. If you are looking for anything remotely resembling a coherent plot or, you know, actual police work, you’re going to hate this.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Midnight Patrol (1933) through its definitive frames.

They look so proud in those uniforms. It’s almost sad because you know within three minutes that the city is effectively doomed. There is a specific kind of clumsy energy that only these two could pull off, where the comedy comes from how hard they try to do a simple job.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Midnight Patrol (1933) through its definitive frames.

Watching them try to patrol at night is like watching a car crash in slow motion, but with more bowler hats. I couldn’t stop staring at the background extras in the street scenes—half of them look like they are just waiting for the cameras to stop rolling so they can go home. It feels lived-in, but in a dusty, 1933 kind of way. 🚔

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Midnight Patrol (1933) through its definitive frames.

The Highlights (And The Mess)

• That moment where they try to investigate a burglary? It’s pure chaos.
• Ollie’s face when he realizes they’ve messed up is still the gold standard for comedy.
• The pacing is a bit all over the place, but does that really matter when they’re arguing over a flashlight?

It’s not as tight as Service Stripes, which had a bit more of a focused narrative rhythm. Here, it’s mostly just an excuse to let them run loose in the dark. There’s a scene where they accidentally stumble into a situation they don’t understand, and the silence right before the punchline feels just a little bit too long. It’s awkward. It’s great.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Midnight Patrol (1933) through its definitive frames.

I kept thinking about how these shorts were made back then. Just throw them into a scene, let them break some furniture, and call it a day. It feels less like a produced movie and more like watching two friends cause trouble on a Tuesday night. 🎞️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Midnight Patrol (1933) through its definitive frames.

Is it better than Sick Cylinders? Maybe not, but it has a charm that’s hard to shake. You don't watch this for the character growth or the suspense. You watch it to see Ollie get flustered and Stan scratch his head while the world burns around them.

Also, the lighting in the night scenes is surprisingly moody for a slapstick romp. Whoever was holding the lamp knew what they were doing. Or maybe it was just a happy accident. Either way, it works.