He was truly one of a kind in the annals of comedy: a gent with the most impeccable taste possible in comedy....and, through his surviving to be a centenarian, irrevocable proof that laughter prolongs life.
He brought to maturity the careers of Laurel & Hardy (whom he brought together), the Little Rascals (a.k.a. Our Gang), Charley Chase, Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts, and Harold Lloyd. The best of these films (and many a second-echelon or even mediocre entry) are among the most perfect examples of top-notch sight-gag comedy.
A thread on the HAL ROACH STUDIO
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Wallingford
- Posts: 4571
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2003 3:31 pm
- Location: Brush, Colorado
A thread on the HAL ROACH STUDIO
Good music is that which falls upon the ear with ease, and quits the memory with difficulty.
--Sir Thomas Beecham
--Sir Thomas Beecham
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Wallingford
- Posts: 4571
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2003 3:31 pm
- Location: Brush, Colorado
Re: A thread on the HAL ROACH STUDIO
Just to get things rolling a bit better:
THe other night I saw for the first time a late-20s Laurel & Harey silent short, You're Darn Tootin'. Highly recommended for any music lover or musician.....one of many, many object lessons in well-done pantomime comedy. How the team worked out the timing & action is fascinating. The mileage Stan Laurel got from attempting to put together a clarinet is incredible (he puts on--and drops--the joints in every way imaginable, with the bottom part inevitably crashing to the floor).
And seeing Ollie Hardy's French horn get run over at the end is a supreme moment of resignation & hopelessness.
I saw this on an old Republic Home Video cassette, with added music track. Don't know if it's out on DVD, except perhaps on foreign PAL system discs.
THe other night I saw for the first time a late-20s Laurel & Harey silent short, You're Darn Tootin'. Highly recommended for any music lover or musician.....one of many, many object lessons in well-done pantomime comedy. How the team worked out the timing & action is fascinating. The mileage Stan Laurel got from attempting to put together a clarinet is incredible (he puts on--and drops--the joints in every way imaginable, with the bottom part inevitably crashing to the floor).
And seeing Ollie Hardy's French horn get run over at the end is a supreme moment of resignation & hopelessness.
I saw this on an old Republic Home Video cassette, with added music track. Don't know if it's out on DVD, except perhaps on foreign PAL system discs.
Good music is that which falls upon the ear with ease, and quits the memory with difficulty.
--Sir Thomas Beecham
--Sir Thomas Beecham
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