Yin and Yang: the pairing of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in comedy films

 

That these two gentleman (and they did have the most sincere regard for manners) tried so hard to make up for their lack of intelligence through their friendship is why on a worldwide cruise, Laurel and Hardy, making a trip to a distant monestary in the mountains of Asia, found their picture on the altar as a symbol of Yin and Yang: the polarities of energy. Although he came across as a dunce, Stan Laurel was really the brains of the team and quite skilled in making adjustments to the act in order to get the most laughs. 

And they really were very close friends.

 

Film comedy, Part II: the Hal Roach short films of the late 1920s-1940s.

Many of us who watched these kids were amazed at how smart they were--at least, in getting over on adults. Even more intriguing: the natural way these kids interacted--and for one item alone, they were decades ahead of their time because there was NO racism in their friendships. And the kids on the set were smart: they could memorize their lines (in short sequences), and the film still continued to record them and the action. They were also quite familiar with movie stars of their time, including Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

They were the Little Rascals, and they had several incarnations. To me, these are some of the better, richer, and amusing moments of their films. Among them, several stand-outs for their body of work: Jackie Cooper, Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Allan "Farina" Hoskins, Norman "Chubby" Chaney, and the hardest-working little kid ever, George "Spanky" McFarland. 

Film Comedy - a lost skill

I wanted to take a course in college once on the history of film.  One of the papers I would have written would be the legacy and history of burlesque: the art of slapstick comedy and the reasons why it could not be performed today in the same way.

One of the reasons was that the performers were more realistic; the nature of the film industry has changed greatly with the changes made with technology, computers, and special effects.  Another reason was the chemistry between the cast members:  it's as if innocence has been lost over the years. There just isn't the same kind of dynamics.

And finally, there just aren't the same kind of comedy teams working the circuit of theaters because the movie industry itself has changed:  the promotion of DVDs and other home entertainment systems have altered the way we view the world. 

One of the acts was the Three Stooges. To me, the example of their personalities and appearance being so absurd as to be believable; it was to their credit that it seemed ANYONE could be smarter than these guys.  It was also because of the timing of their routines; notice in the film short that it's one gag after another, and that they appear totally surprised at each new one.  Nor did the remake of the Stooges story in a movie make the same impact: even though the actors had very similar appearances, the gags just weren't the same because the personalities weren't the originals.

It's hard to imagine holding one's composure and reflexive response NOT to duck when a pie is coming! "Oh, me! Never have I been through such a lion fight!" The self-control and timing of the cast are superb.

The penultimate classic for me is "Niagara Falls", which was later copied by Abbott and Costello. (It says volumes to me when another great team copies another's routine.) In "NF", we see the years of timing that Moe, Larry, and Curly built together: from the build-up of Moe's intense distress, Larry's outrage, and Curly's dismay at becoming the unwitting target of their emotional outbursts when they finally explode. And then...and THEN...it's as if they were best buddies--UNTIL...ONCE again!--THAT WORD!

And through it all, to his credit, Curly keeps his sincere nature and sweetness intact! It's a credit to all three that they performed this for an audience that really appreciated their humor and acting.