Word: laurell
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...scene is from a 1929 two-reeler starring, as the salesmen, those two heroes of the harebrained, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. To the uninitiated, the mayhem may seem just a grand exercise in slam-bang slapstick. But to a fan club called the Sons of the Desert, it is a classic example of the high comedic art of "reciprocal destruction" and worthy of scrutiny down to the last double take. Described as "an organization with scholarly overtones and heavily social undertones," the Sons of the Desert (named after an L. & H. film) was founded two years...
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...
...Twiddle. The tributes, though, keep growing. Later this month, the L. & H. lore will be further enriched by the publication of The Films of Laurel and Hardy* by William Everson. Incisive, objective and generously illustrated, the book traces the development of the team from their first silent two-reeler, Putting Pants on Philip (1927)-a fast-paced trifle with elements of homosexual humor-through their hilarious, Oscar-winning The Music Box (1932), to the sad, tired, misconceived mishmash, Atoll K (1952). In all, the dim-witted duo made 90 films as a team, immortalizing such mannerisms as Ollie...
Carnovsky himself has lucidly discussed his original view of the part in the essay "On Playing the Role of Shylock," which he wrote for the 1958 Laurel edition of the work, and which I highly recommend. Carnovsky's 1967 Shylock is a considerably less sympathetic figure than the 1957 one, though by no means thoroughly odious. This change is quite in keeping with Kahn's new approach to the rest of the dramatis personae...