The film that became "Towed in a Hole" was scheduled to start shooting on October 17, 1932, but was postponed for two weeks whilst
Stan Laurel and his gag writers struggled to come up with a workable story. Director
George Marshall described how he found the way out of this impasse: "I drove to the studio one morning, and in Culver City I passed one of these little fish wagons; and this fellow was touting his wares with a long horn as he drove down the street. So I thought, 'Well, maybe that could be the answer, with the boys selling the fish, but to make more money, catching their own fish.' I had about that much when I came to the studio. Stan was sitting in his room. I told him about the idea and he said, 'Yeah, that just might work.'. The script developed from there. Filming began on November 1 and lasted ten days. The result is considered one of Laurel & Hardy's finest short comedies.