"County Hospital" - Laurel and Hardy (1932)

What can you say about Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy that hasn’t already been said? They’re icons of comedy. Sometimes they can be a bit tedious to watch; after all we are used to a much faster paced style of entertainment today; but the roots of contemporary comedy can be found in these old shorts.

The plots are simple; much like the later sitcoms would be. The big difference is in the amount of time when there is no dialogue. Talkies had only been around for about 5 years at the time this film was made, and Laurel and Hardy were still drawing largely on the skills they had honed in silent films for almost 20 years at this point.

Stan Laurel was in the same vaudeville troupe as Charlie Chaplin when they both came over to America and stayed. Chaplin later left; but Laurel remained in America until his death in the early 1960’s. Oliver Hardy had been a football player at Georgia State; I could look it up but I’m being lazy. He was also a skillful ballroom dancer; sought after at many Hollywood functions.

Well, it’s all been written before. Sit down and try to watch this all the way through; if only to see that you are still able to concentrate on something for 19 minutes.

   

"Bonnie Scotland" with Laurel and Hardy (1935)

“Bonnie Scotland” has always been one of my secret “fun” films by Laurel and Hardy. The plot is fairly simple. Despite the title “Bonnie Scotland”, a large portion of the film actually takes place in India, where the boys get into some mischief, by which they manage to save the day.

The film begins in Scotland, where Stanley is convinced that he is heir to a fortune, which turns out to be somewhat true, but not quite what they expected. As a matter of fact, he has been left a set of bagpipes and a snuff box. That’s the beauty of these films. You can start the film knowing the ending; the fun is in the way that they arrive at their goal; or not! Through a set of unusual circumstances Oliver is left with no clothes, and as a result of a misunderstanding the duo wind up in the army, serving in India. 

A Hal Roach Production, directed by James W. Horne, starring two of the best film comics, this film is a true classic which I remember watching many times on a grainy TV set in the late 1950’s. Outstanding support roles by veteran character actors Vernon Steele as Colonel Gregor McGregor, and the ever frustrated James Finlayson as Sergeant Major Finlayson round out this truly classic film. Cleaned up and sharpened in image, these films represent a classic era of film making in America; a time when improvisation was the rule simply because there were no rules.

"Saps at Sea" - Laurel and Hardy (1940)

“Saps at Sea” is one of the most famous of all the Laurel Hardy shorts, primarily because it speaks to the stress of the common man. Just as in Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”, in this film the workers are exploited by bosses more concerned with the bottom line than with the well-being of their fellow human beings. And, just as in real life, all people have different breaking points, as evidenced by the diverse reactions of Stan and Ollie to the constant exposure to the sound of the horns in the factory where they work.

While Stan is not at all bothered by the mundane task and repetitive noise, the more intellectually inclined Oliver is literally driven nuts by it all. When he is forced to take some time off for his mental health it becomes evident that we live in a world devoid of silence. This is a very funny look at life in the modern world. And, although over 70 years old, this film is still applicable today with the 24/7 news cycle and the ever present social media leaving us even less silence than ever before.