"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.

   

"Thicker Than Water" with Laurel and Hardy (1935)

This was the last “two-reeler” made by Oliver and Hardy, the iconic comedy duo of the 1920’s and 30’s. During the 1950’s, when I was growing up, these films were shown on TV each afternoon, right after the Three Stooges. Then it was time to eat dinner. You can imagine the problems attendant to expecting your child to act civilized at the table after watching an hour of those two acts! Food fight comes to mind.

In this story, Ollie is in hot water with the wife over some money that was supposed to be used to make a payment on their furniture. He lent it to Stan, who in turn paid Mrs. Hardy for his room and board. Stan then convinces Ollie that it would be a much better idea if he were to simply use his savings account to pay for the furniture outright. This sets off a chain of events which leads to a very funny climax.

While watching the interplay between Stan and Ollie with Daphne Pollard as Mrs. Hardy, and James Finlayson as the furniture man, I couldn’t help but notice how much Abbott and Costello, as well as the Three Stooges, were influenced in some of their routines. “Who’s on First?” is just a variation on a theme first used by Laurel and Hardy. And the tedious tasks which always lead to slapstick comedy in the Three Stooges films can all be traced back to Laurel and Hardy as well.

In modern times; for me being the 1960’s; Stan Laurel’s influence on Dick Van Dyke could not be denied. He even received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award at the Oscars in 1961, just 4 years before his death. Hey, in comedy, timing is everything.

Stan Laurel was Charlie Chaplin’s understudy in the British Comedy Troupe led by Fred Karno and appeared with him in “Fred Karno’s Army". He even came to America with Chaplin in 1916 when Fred Karno took the troupe to America. The two quickly became immersed in the silent films which were being turned out and both went on to become comic legends, with Laurel even winning an Academy Award in 1932 for his appearance in “The Music Box.” He remained a British citizen until his death.

Oliver Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia which is the site of the Laurel and Hardy Museum. He attended the University of Georgia where he studied Law, sang, and danced ballroom style. For a man of his physical stature he is said to have been extremely graceful and light on his feet. Approached by the Lubin film Company to play the role of a large man in one of their silent films, he soon “caught the bug” and headed to California where he teamed up with Stan Laurel.

This film was directed by James W. Horne and produced by the Hal Roach Studios for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The following link will take you to the Laurel and Hardy website and museum, which is based in Harlem, Georgia where Oliver Hardy was born.

http://www.harlemga.org/museum.htm