Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,
And so it goes on…and on….and on! Unfortunately, yet again, we can’t meet this month. I can’t believe that it’s now been a whole year since we last met on Feb 19th 2020, who would have thought it was going to last this long. Doh!! Anyway, with the jab roll-out going strong it shouldn’t be too long before we can all get together in the company of our two favourite comedians…..indeed something certainly to look forward to. I hope everyone is keeping well, both physically and mentally!
Anyway, something to really look forward to is Shrove Tuesday tomorrow….yes, pancake day! i don’t know about you, but I love my pancakes and so did Stan & Ollie. I’ve attached a few images of Stan & Ollie practising the fine art of making and tossing pancakes, at the start of their 1952 UK tour, in the kitchens of the Washington Hotel in London. As many of you are feeling a little bit “Flat as a Pancake” because of not meeting this month, I couldn’t help myself but to put together a “virtual” programme so you can enjoy a Laurel & Hardy Pancake Party in your own home using your Stan & Ollie boxset ….so here we go:-
– “Perfect Day” (1929) – Stan & Ollie can only dream of a pancake picnic in the countryside but suffer a flat (as a pancake) tyre instead.
– “Thicker than Water” (1935) – Ollie has his goose cooked by a large pancake frying pan after his grandfather’s clock is flattened like a pancake by a truck in the street.
– “You’re Darn Tootin'” (1928) – Stan & Ollie are musicians. Ollie’s French Horn plays flat notes after it is also flattened by a truck after Stan tosses it into the street.
– “Below Zero” (1930) – Stan & Ollie are again musicians playing in the snow. Stan’s organ is flattened by a truck after the mighty Blanche Payson tosses it into the street.
– “Bacon Grabbers (1928) – Stan & Ollie are bailiffs. A steam roller flattens Edgar Kennedy (&Jean Harlow’s) radio set followed by the Boys car. Ouch, sorry John Palmer!
-” The Battle of the Century” (1927) – The biggest pancake pie fight of all time – also recomembering the anniversary of Anita Garvin’s birth on February 11th.
I would have probably shown most of these films if we could have met up…on the 17th our usual 3rd wednesday of the month. So, why not give them an airing….like a pancake.
There is also another treat in store this Friday. At 8.25pm, the Beeb on BBC1 are premiering on terrestrial TV for the first time the 2018 biographical film “Stan & Ollie” with Steve Coogan (as Stan) and John C Reilly (as Ollie). As we’ve said before it is a good film, the actors do a good job at capturing their likenesses and chemistry. However, what lets it down is that the story is very loosely based on fact concerning the 1953 UK tour and main plot line is far from accurate. It does however capture the love, affection and respect that these two gentlemen had for each other. I’ve always had mixed feeling about this film, but one major plus for it, is that it keeps the spirit of Laurel & hardy alive, which I’m all for. So, I’m hoping we may pick up a few more Stan & Ollie devotees for the tent after its showing.
If you do want to see a good and accurate documentary on Laurel & Hardy, check out “Laurel & Hardy – Their Lives & Magic” . This regularly crops up on the Sky Arts and Sky Documentaries channels.
Repeating the mantra…. please stay safe everyone and hopefully we will see you all again real soon!
Laurel & Hardily Yours,
Dave and Denise T
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