Currently, you can stream some on Prime Video and many are on YouTube in copyright-skirting uploads of wildly variable quality.
Laurel and Hardy’s films haven’t been TV staples in decades and the best of them didn’t arrive on DVD until 2011, as the format was waning in popularity. And even today, Laurel and Hardy remain instantly recognizable: the big guy with the tiny mustache and the little guy with the vacuous expression, both wearing bowler hats that could fit a little bit better.īut anyone leaving Stan & Ollie wanting to go back to the source material will have to do a little work. But even here, Laurel and Hardy need no introduction.
The movie opportunities have dried up and TV has yet to make them inescapable via reruns of their old movies that played in constant rotation for the next couple of decades. The film mostly focuses on the duo during a low point of their fame as they tour 1950s England with a stage show. Then they keep it going, until the clerk, who never has to ask their names, says, “You just wait ‘til I tell my mom it’s you! We never get anybody famous staying here.” Dusting off an old routine, Stan bumbles his way through the lobby carrying way too many pieces of luggage while Ollie grows increasingly impatient. Reilly) decide to delight the clerk with a bit of business. It makes a great introduction to Laurel and Hardy and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of their work.Photo: Ullstein Bild/Ullstein Bild via Getty ImagesĬhecking into a Newcastle hotel early in the new biopic Stan & Ollie, Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. The original soundtrack that accompanies the feature is a wonderful ragtime symphony that does justice to the gags Laurel and Hardy perform. The narration in the feature goes on for longer than needed with some unnecessary commentary, but otherwise does an adequate job. With this kind of feature you just have to sit back and watch and enjoy yourself.
The feature is a cross between a documentary and an archive collection, featuring clips from Laurel and Hardy's best 1920s silent films, with clips from a few unrelated silent films that pad out the feature (though maybe they should have used more Laurel/Hardy features instead). And Laurel and Hardy were one of the best at simple entertainment, as this feature shows. I myself learnt to appreciate the simplicity of actors performing a basic but entertaining feature. There won't be any dialogue, and there won't be any deep theme or philosophical/political commentary, just a set of scenes performed with skill and passion (particularly gags). When you watch a silent film (particularly a comedy), you need to keep in mind that it's an early form of cinema from a less complicated and crowded era. While silent movie star Charlie Chaplin earned himself a place in history as a film pioneer with both comedic and dramatic tales, Laurel and Hardy set themselves a solid reputation as one of the earliest and best comic couples in film history. I watched this as a young boy, and it was my first introduction to the bygone but beautiful genre of silent comedy, particularly the talented duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Reviewed by q_leo_rahman 8 / 10 / 10 A great introduction to Laurel and Hardy "Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20s" was released to cinemas across America and the takings were very good indeed. I can understand why but I can tolerate both.
I realise that some fans don't really care for the music or the sound effects used for this compilation. He was the top comedian for Hal Roach before Laurel and Hardy replaced him.
Another comedian who did fade away but whose work is highlighted, is Charley Chase. Wisely, he allows whole gags to be included otherwise it would be disappointing. Youngson achieved this by selecting some well chosen excerpts from some of the silent shorts. I bet Stan and Ollie are having a bit of a chuckle at all this! Robert Youngson was instrumental in introducing Stan and Ollie to what was then a new audience (1965 - the year Laurel passed away). Laurel and Hardy are universally loved and even those people who don't like them, have still heard of them. However, it is interesting to note that all of those other teams have disappeared off the radar these days. Other comedy teams who were around at the same time, often received more attention from the critics. The critics were never very complimentary to the team whilst they were creating comedy gold (what the hell do critics know about comedy?). It is unthinkable to contemplate this but at one point, Laurel and Hardy were on the verge of fading into obscurity. Reviewed by alexanderdavies-99382 8 / 10 / 10 The perfect way to introduce Laurel and Hardy to a new audience.