On Sunday, as we reposed ourselves in front of a roaring log fire, Mr Gittins finally follow through on a threat that has been hanging over me for some time now; to subject me to his Laurel and Hardy box set.
Actually, the word "threat" implies the possibility of being subjected to some kind of ordeal. I'm fairly ambivalent about L&H - used to see them quite a bit on TV when I was a kid just like all those other black and white comedies they used to show back then - Harold Lloyd, Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers - so I had an open mind when he pulled out a copy of "Block Heads" from its plastic case.
And do you know something? One hour later I was a convert. There was so much going on in that film - the comic timing, the supporting cast (James Finlayson in particular as the ultimate foil), the snobberies and all the human traits that I would not have appreciated as a child.
There are actually some very surreal moments in it. Three in particular stand out.
The bit where Stan and Ollie are ascending the stairs in the apartment block. On reaching each landing, Stan goes over to the shadow of the window casement made by the sun on the wall, yanks the reflected shadow of a pull cord to bring down a silhouette of the blind, thus "closing" it. On the final landing we are treated to Ollie attempting the same feat but, finding his target as intangible as anyone else would, he flounders. He finally manages it only for the blind to promptly snap back open again.
Another scene has the doors of a crowded lift opening and a baritone voice issuing from within declaring "Let me out please" and the source of the voice is revealed to be a five year old boy in top hat and tails puffing on a very impressive looking cheroot. I'm sure that scene would be cut these days should the film be shown on TV again what with all the anti smoking hysteria....
The other surreal moment is probably one of the best known L&H scenes - the one where Stan smokes that pipe with his clenched fingers serving as the bowl of the pipe and his extended thumb acting as the stem. He nonchalantly fills the bowl with tobacco and lights it up while Olly looks on completely bemused - the look he shoots to camera is absolutely priceless.
I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing a few more next weekend.
Anyone else like L&H or anything in that vein?
Actually, the word "threat" implies the possibility of being subjected to some kind of ordeal. I'm fairly ambivalent about L&H - used to see them quite a bit on TV when I was a kid just like all those other black and white comedies they used to show back then - Harold Lloyd, Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers - so I had an open mind when he pulled out a copy of "Block Heads" from its plastic case.
And do you know something? One hour later I was a convert. There was so much going on in that film - the comic timing, the supporting cast (James Finlayson in particular as the ultimate foil), the snobberies and all the human traits that I would not have appreciated as a child.
There are actually some very surreal moments in it. Three in particular stand out.
The bit where Stan and Ollie are ascending the stairs in the apartment block. On reaching each landing, Stan goes over to the shadow of the window casement made by the sun on the wall, yanks the reflected shadow of a pull cord to bring down a silhouette of the blind, thus "closing" it. On the final landing we are treated to Ollie attempting the same feat but, finding his target as intangible as anyone else would, he flounders. He finally manages it only for the blind to promptly snap back open again.
Another scene has the doors of a crowded lift opening and a baritone voice issuing from within declaring "Let me out please" and the source of the voice is revealed to be a five year old boy in top hat and tails puffing on a very impressive looking cheroot. I'm sure that scene would be cut these days should the film be shown on TV again what with all the anti smoking hysteria....
The other surreal moment is probably one of the best known L&H scenes - the one where Stan smokes that pipe with his clenched fingers serving as the bowl of the pipe and his extended thumb acting as the stem. He nonchalantly fills the bowl with tobacco and lights it up while Olly looks on completely bemused - the look he shoots to camera is absolutely priceless.
I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing a few more next weekend.
Anyone else like L&H or anything in that vein?
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