Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have remained, from 1927 to the present day, the screen's most famous and popular comedy double act, celebrated by legions of fans. But despite many books about their films and individual lives, there has never been a fully researched, definitive narrative biography of the duo, from birth to death.
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Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy have remained, from 1927 to the present day, the screen's most famous and popular comedy double act, celebrated by legions of fans. But despite many books about their films and individual lives, there has never been a fully researched, definitive narrative biography of the duo, from birth to death.
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What is the secret to being funny? If you look at the current batch of television network comedy shows you can definitely see what doesn?t work, (most of it). What have we lost along the way? Of course there are always exceptions to the trend, (Seinfeld, in the not too distant past, for one). But what seems to be wrong with the big picture? Reading through this biography about two of our greatest comic geniuses, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, (and watching ?Laurel and Hardy: The Essential Collection?, to be reviewed at a later date), I am amazed at how easy they made it seem. (This would, of course, discount the after-effects of taking pratfalls for the camera, stuntmen or not.) But as the book makes clear, good comedy is hard work.
As a baby-boomer I was weaned on the chopped-down-for-television Hal Roach shorts, (the short movies, not his underwear), while watching Chuck McCann and others host Stan and Ollie on a daily basis. It appealed to me then, and it appeals to me now; but why?
You might think that the less analysis here the better. (You know, if it ain?t broke don?t scrutinize it.) But that would diminish the accomplishment. According to the author, Simon Louvish, Stan and Ollie didn?t believe what they did was art. I tend to disagree. Getting people to laugh should be seen as a divine mission. If the leaders of the world had this capacity maybe we wouldn?t be killing each other over cultural differences. (We could laugh about them instead, if that wouldn?t be too politically incorrect.) But, unfortunately, the roots of comedy are based in tragedy. Because don?t all of us, in some way, find ourselves bumbling along at some point in our life? Maybe we don?t fall off a roof into a fish pond but if we can?t laugh at our futile existence we will all go crazy.
That is the secret of Laurel and Hardy. By chuckling at their screw-ups our problems seem like less in comparison. And the space they give for our reactions, (and theirs), to every plot development, drives it all home. Every double-and-triple-take extends the gag, until the plot doesn?t always seem important anyway. It is about the frustration of every day life, and having to deal with people who leave us scratching our heads. But one thing is certain. If you read this book you will only need one take because everything you would ever want to know about Laurel and Hardy, (other than the actual movies themselves), is right there in print.
