British Comedy Guide

Why is comedy looked down upon? Page 5

Diehard or Debbie does Dallas

Funny Sooty should mention these two films.
Bruce Willis was in BOTH of them.
Before Bruce The Vest was famous, he got a part in DDD. He was the janitor who caught Debbie doing someone in the changing rooms. He didn't join in though.

Quote: sexy girl @ July 7 2009, 11:03 AM BST

Um, no he didn't.

Quite. It was his performance in Kramer Vs Kramer that saw Dustin Hoffman deny Peter Sellers an Oscar for Being There.

Despite the numerous flaws in '10', Dud was very good. Agreed he should have done more than films like 'Best Defence'. Oh dear.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 7 2009, 11:06 AM BST

Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond. OK, all very nice and everything. But only probably given because he was dead.

Whereas Dud delivered the line, "I'm going to have another drink. Would you like another fish?" without corpsing, which makes him Best Actor in my book.

Under the circumstances it would have been difficult for Fonda to deliver the line without corpsing.

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 7 2009, 11:09 AM BST

Funny Sooty should mention these two films.
Bruce Willis was in BOTH of them.
Before Bruce The Vest was famous, he got a part in DDD. He was the janitor who caught Debbie doing someone in the changing rooms. He didn't join in though.

Doffs hat to best bit of movie trivia of the week.

Quote: Kenneth @ July 7 2009, 11:10 AM BST

Quite. It was his performance in Kramer Vs Kramer that saw Dustin Hoffman deny Peter Sellers an Oscar for Being There.

Sellers was wonderful in Being There, whereas Kramer vs Kramer was really only as good as one of those true-life Movie Of The Week hack pieces. The boy playing the kid was the only thing that elevated it above mediocrity.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 7 2009, 11:10 AM BST

Despite the numerous flaws in '10', Dud was very good. Agreed he should have done more than films like 'Best Defence'. Oh dear.

Like Cooke he seemed determined to waste as much of his talent as possible in the latter part of his career as possible.

Doffs hat to best bit of movie trivia of the week.

If only it were true, Sooty.
Sadly.... it's a lie.

Quote: sexy girl @ July 7 2009, 11:03 AM BST

Um, no he didn't.

I thought you said you were thick, sexy girl? Top marks for proving yourself wrong. Colleen Rooney wouldn't have known this. :)

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 7 2009, 11:13 AM BST

If only it were true, Sooty.
Sadly.... it's a lie.

Ooh you cad! Not so unlikely Stallone started in porn films.

Griff you're getting dangerously close to starring in the case of,

Shelock Holmes versus Leatherface.

"Hmm Watson I suspect the perpetrator was left handed, allergic to violets and a 7 foot tall monster covered in human skin weilding a chainsaw"

Quote: sootyj @ July 7 2009, 11:13 AM BST

Like Cooke he seemed determined to waste as much of his talent as possible in the latter part of his career as possible.

But Peter Cook had done so much in his youth really. He was writing for Kenneth Williams revues in the West End whilst just the other side of 20, for example. Apart from a great performance in Bedazzled he couldn't really fit into movies. He simply seemed incapable of delivering other writers' words without appearing wooden and detached.

I think Cook didn't try to waste his latter years, it's just almost as though he was bored and used-up. The drink of course didn't help. But he was quite as happy making one person laugh (which he was consistently able to do) as he was a fee-paying audience. Some of his radio phone-in calls as 'Sven' on LBC were brilliant. And he did some occasional inspired comedy even towards the end of his life.

Quote: sootyj @ July 7 2009, 11:13 AM BST

Like Cooke he seemed determined to waste as much of his talent as possible in the latter part of his career as possible.

Have you seen Blame It On The Bellboy? Stars Dudley Moore, Richard Griffiths (Withnail's uncle and Harry Potter's uncle), Bryan Brown and Patsy Kensit in a silly sort of farce about mistaken identity. Fun in the same way that Clue was fun.

Quote: sootyj @ July 7 2009, 10:49 AM BST

For me though there's something in Laurel and Hardy that scratches an itch like nothing else.

Quote: Tim Walker @ July 7 2009, 10:52 AM BST

So much good comedy owes some dues to L&H!

Possibly my favourite comedians ever (and definitely my fave physical comedians). Okay, the dialogue was riddled with cliches and the technology and style seems primitive to our 'sophisticated' eye but the ability to generate a laugh from a single look, the transparency of the setups inviting the audience to anticipate, the dynamics of the relationship, are beautiful. Plus the supporting cast (Busch, Finlayson, Hall, Long, et al) were jewels. Each year, I dedicate a fortnight to watch every feature and short. They'd be on my perfect dinner party wish list.

L+H's influence can be seen taken to the extreme in any of Rik and Ade's work. Maybe that's why I like them too. Although I have to ignore their tiresome knob gags.

Quote: hotzappa11 @ July 6 2009, 1:57 PM BST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5JAPkvnyso

*sigh*

superb

Quote: SlagA @ July 7 2009, 12:20 PM BST

Possibly my favourite comedians ever (and definitely my fave physical comedians). Okay, the dialogue was riddled with cliches and the technology and style seems primitive to our 'sophisticated' eye but the ability to generate a laugh from a single look, the transparency of the setups inviting the audience to anticipate, the dynamics of the relationship, are beautiful. Plus the supporting cast (Busch, Finlayson, Hall, Long, et al) were jewels. Each year, I dedicate a fortnight to watch every feature and short. They'd be on my perfect dinner party wish list.

L+H's influence can be seen taken to the extreme in any of Rik and Ade's work. Maybe that's why I like them too. Although I have to ignore their tiresome knob gags.

Agreed. Except the knob gags. I never tire of them. NEVER I tell you!

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