Ice Cream Comedy
Laurel and Hardy
in 'Come Clean' 1931
In this short comedy movie there's a delightful scene when Laurel and Hardy go to buy some ice cream. No less than 7 ice cream flavors are mentioned in the sketch, showing how popular ice cream was already becoming in the USA in the 1930s. Ice cream has been featured in many comedy sketches since then, both on tv and in movies, but this has to be one of the most memorable.
For those not familiar with the sketch, here's the main extract.
As Stan and Ollie enter the store to buy some ice cream Ollie says:
"We'd like a quart of your best ice cream please"
When asked which flavor by the store assistant, Ollie replies: "What flavors have you?"
"We have strawberry, pineapple and vanilla" says the store assistant (played by Charlie Hall)
"What flavor do you want?" Ollie asks Stan
"I'll have chocolate" replies Stan
When reminded they're out of chocolate, Stan thinks again and says: "Have you any moustachio?"
"No, we're out of moustachio!" comes the reply
"What other flavors are you out of?" asks Stan
"We're out of orange, gooseberry and chocolate!" says the assistant now very agitated
Stan's reply (and this is a classic Laurel remark) ....
"Alright, I'll have it without chocolate!"
Thanks to Oliver Caudle for suggesting this as a featured article
Anyone interested in ice cream history might like my Knickerbocker Glory
page. It's an ice cream sundae with origins in the Laurel & Hardy era and is as popular today as it was then.