Stan and Ollie

Post by **movieman1957** » February 11th, 2008, 1:15 pm

Judith:

Sorry to be late. I think you're right about McCabe on "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy." I don't think Lois has, nor have I heard that she has any plans, to write a book.

She has answered questions on a website. This is supposed to be the official website. I'm sure these are several years old.

http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/goodies ... -ans1.html

There are also "The Sons of The Desert" tent locations that have websites.
Here's one.
http://www.wayoutwest.org/

And another - http://home.earthlink.net/~sons_secretary/

jdb1 · Post by **jdb1** » February 15th, 2008, 10:23 am

SUCCESS!!!!

I just got an email from an editor at the "On This Day" section of the online New York Times. She agreed that it made no sense to list Stan Laurel's birthday in June without listing Oliver Hardy's birthday in January, and promised that the omission would be rectified.

Chalk up one for the SSO Tent of the Sons of the Desert!

Post by **movieman1957** » February 15th, 2008, 10:35 am

Thanks for being so persistent on them recognizing our Oliver.

In your post about the foreign laguage films I think I only ever saw "The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case" and it was in Spanish. It's odd watching.
I think there is a picture in the Simon Louvish book of Stan with the three women who played his wives in a different version of one of their shorts.

Does anyone know if making so many versions of the same film was standard then or is it something peculiar Stan and Ollie? I know it happened with some of their feature films too.

Post by **movieman1957** » February 16th, 2008, 9:02 am

Judith and Bogie and Ollie and all other members of the SSO tent.

The TCM lists "The Essentials" schedule for this year (into October) and in August they are rebroadcasting the L & H night.

This likely means they get a day for "Summer Under The Stars." Imagine a full day of Stan and Ollie.

Thanks to "sweetsmellofsuccess" for finding it and posting it at TCM.

jdb1 · Post by **jdb1** » February 16th, 2008, 12:18 pm

Oh, rapture.

I hope TCM's recent purchase of the Roach library means that they'll trot out some of the early L&H, maybe even some of the silents. I'd love to record them to replace the over-20-year-old recordings I have.

(Let's invite Prof. Einstein on Ash Wednesday; we're having pancakes.)

jdb1 · Post by **jdb1** » February 21st, 2008, 9:14 am

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general ... 80118.html

It is done. Here's a link to the NY Times "On This Day" page for January 18. Scroll down to "Historic Birthdays," and delight in the first mention, ever, on this page to the endearing Mr. Hardy.

Post by **movieman1957** » February 21st, 2008, 9:57 am

That's great.

Post by **movieman1957** » March 6th, 2008, 12:48 pm

Coming on March 15. "The Essentials" at 8:00pm. TCM is showing the Oscar winning short (30min) "The Music Box" and the feature "Sons of The Desert."

You can also catch a movie Judith noted "The Golden Age of Comedy" by Robert Youngson. (See her posts in "Coming Up On TCM") It airs later at 2:45 am. You'll get some more L&H there.

If that's not enough that movie is preceeded by the Marx Brothers and followed by Keaton.

Bogie · Post by **Bogie** » March 16th, 2008, 1:50 am

I saw THE MUSIC BOX and SONS OF THE DESERT tonight. As you all know i'm trying to watch as much of "the boys" as I can.

I loved THE MUSIC BOX. That short had a ton of laughs and the professor that they're hauling the piano for was a hoot. I loved the end where he yells at the boys and smashes up the piano LOL! One thing about that short that i really liked is that the gags built one on top of the other. Just when you think you just had the biggest laugh there's something even more funnier on the way. It truly deserved the Academy Award that year.

SONS OF THE DESERT is an L&H feature i've wanted to see for quite some time and i'm glad I got to see it. Those two were just a treat to watch. The on screen relationship between Stan and Ollie was just crackling in this movie. One thing I noticed is that it didn't particularly have a story but were just little situations and vignettes that kept things going. In many ways this was the precursor to the slapstick spoof movies we see these days. Best laugh in the movie for me was probably the plan that Stan and Ollie had to get Ollie away from his wife so he could go to the lodge convention. The only thing I have to nitpick on is that I think they missed out on a golden opportunity when the Vet popped that big pill down Ollie's throat. I think there should've been some slapsticky comedy where Ollie can't get it down his throat fully.

All in all i'm glad I got to see two works of art tonight. It's too bad the Harold Lloyd movie afterward didn't tickle my fancy.

charliechaplinfan · Post by **charliechaplinfan** » March 16th, 2008, 9:19 am

Bogie, those are two of my absolute favorite Laurel and Hardy movies. I only have to look at them hauling that piano up the steps to start laughing.

My apologies if this has been brought up before but did the BBC programme Stan ever make it to your side of the Atlantic. I watched it (wish I'd taped it) it showed Stan going to see Ollie as he lay dying. It was intercut with the story of how they got together and the dynamics of the realtionship. The parellels such as them both being married to alcoholics. It was very lovingly done, no smut or scandal, it brought a tear to the eye of this life long L&H fan.

Post by **movieman1957** » March 16th, 2008, 1:52 pm

Bogie:

So glad you enjoyed them. In "The Music Box" that was the great Billy Gilbert playing the professor. I always get a kick out of them cleaning up after they have uncrated the piano. There little dance with the pieces of wood is wonderful. Also, remember when they stop at "The Star Spangled Banner?" It would have been recently made out national anthem. Great work.

Part of why I enjoy L&H is the way Stan butchers the language. When confessing he refers to their leader as the "exhausted ruler" and "honesty is the best politics." But then there was the surprise of him getting that long-winded compliment to Ollie without messing up. Followed by Ollie's priceless glance at us.

CCF:

Was this film of them or actors in a movie? Stan has commented on seeing Ollie after his stroke. They were wonderful friends. They really enjoyed each other which I think really comes through on the screen.

A more natural shot of the boys -

Post by **movieman1957** » March 22nd, 2008, 7:43 am

The June schedule is up at TCM. The good news is on Saturday mornings we get an L&H double feature.

Rarities like "Our Relations", "Swiss Miss" and "Block Heads" are listed.

Here's a link.

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/month/?cid= ... d=6/1/2008

Bogie · Post by **Bogie** » March 23rd, 2008, 5:07 pm

I've heard a lot about OUR RELATIONS so that's the one i'm most looking forward to seeing.

jdb1 · Post by **jdb1** » March 24th, 2008, 11:00 am

Bogie wrote:I've heard a lot about OUR RELATIONS so that's the one i'm most looking forward to seeing.

I think one of the nice things about Our Relations is that the production itself is a little less rough around the edges than we're used to seeing in L&H films. And the wives, especially little Daphne Pollard as (naturally) Mrs. Hardy, are a scream.

Post by **movieman1957** » March 24th, 2008, 11:11 am

You get Alan Hale too.

"Block Heads" is pretty good too. The last part of it reworks some of one of their silent shorts (Unaccustomed As We Are.) for the end.

Judith mentioned "A Chump At Oxford." This one is pretty rare. I have an old VHS of it and parts of the print are terrible. It does give Stan a chance to be different.

The Silver Screen Oasis

The Silver Screen Oasis

Stan and Ollie