Wholesailing Along: Leon Errol's DIY Bathtub Nightmare

Is it worth watching?

If you have ever stared at a repair bill and felt your heart sink, you need to see this. It is a perfect watch for anyone who likes slapstick or has ever failed at a weekend DIY project. If you hate shouting and people falling over things, you should probably skip it.

Leon Errol is basically the king of looking like he is about to have a nervous breakdown. In this one, he gets a quote from a plumber that is way too high. I mean, we have all been there, right? The plumber just stands there with this smug look on his face, knowing Leon can't do it himself.

So, Leon decides to go to a wholesaler. He thinks he is being so clever by cutting out the middleman. The scene at the wholesaler is pure chaos. It is just a bunch of guys moving heavy stuff and Leon getting in the way of every single one of them.

The way Leon moves is still so weird and funny to me. He does that rubber-leg walk where it looks like his knees are made of jelly. He tries to pick up a bathtub and his legs just start folding in directions they shouldn't go.

There is this one moment where he is trying to balance the tub on his back and he looks like a turtle that is about to flip over. It goes on for a long time. Maybe a bit too long, but watching him struggle is the whole point, I guess.

Once he gets the tub home, that is when the real trouble starts. His wife, played by Kitty McHugh, just watches him with this look of pure exhaustion. She knows this is going to end with the house underwater. She doesn't even try to stop him anymore; she just waits for the disaster.

The plumbing scene is a total mess. There is water spraying everywhere. Leon is trying to plug a leak with his thumb while another one starts behind his ear. It is classic stuff, but it feels very real because the set looks like it is actually falling apart.

I noticed that the walls in the bathroom look incredibly thin. Like, you can almost see them shaking when Leon hits the pipes. It adds to the feeling that the whole house is about to collapse on him.

It reminds me a bit of the energy in Too Much Money. Leon is just best when he is playing a guy who is too cheap for his own good. He is his own worst enemy, and he never learns his lesson.

The movie doesn't really have a big ending. It just kind of stops when the chaos reaches a certain level. I like that. It doesn't need a moral or a big wrap-up. He tried to save money, and now his floor is a swimming pool. The end.

The writing by Al Boasberg is pretty sharp for a 1934 short. The jokes about the "wholesale price" still feel relevant today. Everyone wants a deal, but nobody wants to do the work that comes with it.

I did find the middle section where they are moving the tub through the hallway a bit slow. They do the same joke about the box hitting the wall three times. I got it after the first time, guys. But then Leon makes a face at the camera and you kind of forgive it.

It is definitely better than High Brow Stuff if you want actual laughs. It feels less forced. It is just a guy, a tub, and a lot of water. 🌊

One thing that was weird—there is a guy in the background of the wholesaler scene who just stares directly into the lens for a solid three seconds. I don't know if he was an extra who got lost or what. It is distracting once you see it. It makes you realize how fast they must have shot these things.

Anyway, if you want a quick laugh at a guy who thinks he is a master plumber, give it a look. It is short enough that even if you don't love it, you didn't waste your whole night. Just don't let it inspire you to touch your own pipes. 🛠️

If you're looking for something more serious from this era, you might want to try The Man From Yesterday. But for pure 1930s silliness, this is the one.

Leon Errol is just one of a kind. Nobody else could make falling over a bathtub look like an art form. It is messy, loud, and the sound quality is a bit fuzzy, but it has heart.