Word: chaplinitis
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Hoot & Holler. "Laurel and Hardy did more funny stuff than Chaplin ever dreamed of," says Comic Orson Bean, vice sheik of the Manhattan tent. He finds that studying his collection of Laurel and Hardy two-reelers helps his own performances in the Broadway musical Illy a Darling. In Detroit, the 75 tent members draw on a collection of 35 Laurel and Hardy films owned by Eric Stroh, of the Stroh beer dynasty; annually, the Detroit tent awards a "Fine Mess" trophy (a phrase from a famous Hardy line)-a $15 black derby-to the man or men who have "contributed...
...comedians relished their own distinctive pursuits. Georgia-born Hardy spent most of his leisure hours at the country club, where, despite his 350-lb. bulk, he was one of Hollywood's best golfers. Laurel, who was born in Britain (and had understudied Charlie Chaplin), once explained that he and Ollie "had different hobbies. He liked horses and golf. You know my hobby-and I married them all." He had, in fact, wed four women a total of eight times, and a fifth sued unsuccessfully to be declared his wife...
...mannerisms as Ollie's blushing "tie twiddle" and exasperated slow burn and Stan's tearless, whimpering crying jag and flip-flopping walk (which he achieved by cutting the soles off his shoes). For some reason, women do not appreciate the humor as much as men do. Unlike Chaplin, who was ever the champion of the innocent heroine, Laurel and Hardy usually ran afoul of gold-digging coquettes or nagging wives. Typical is the scene in which an amorous Ollie kisses his pinkie and touches it to his wife's lips-whereupon she bites it with a crunch...
What repression could not fully accomplish, inner dissension did. Some Wobblies-including Helen Gurley Flynn and John Reed-drifted toward Communism. Others slowly eased their way back into society. Ralph Chaplin, as great a labor poet as Joe Hill, turned both conservative and Catholic. English-born Charles Ashleigh became a gold prospector in Mexico...
Biggest crowd catcher, next to the space capsules, is Hollywood, where maxi-size billboards show such favorites as Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe alongside such old studio props as the actual chariot used in the 1927 version of Ben Hur. The real hit is the show of short film clips from dozens of past alltime favorite movies. "We can't get the people watching the films off the platform," complained the Seven's Ivan Chermayeff. "They get tears in their eyes, who knows why? Maybe they remember when they first took their girl to the flicks...