British Comedy Guide

Laurel and Hardy - The Silent Films Page 3

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 12th December 2023, 8:51 AM

Late follow-up, and I know it isn't silent, but I watched the full Atoll K last weekend, and yes, it's dire. I'd originally seen an edit that cut some of the tedious scenes, in particular the romance and song sequence, and it was the better for it. Ultimately it's no worse than a lot of comedies the Yanks churn out, but a sad way to end their career.

You were saying....................

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 5th August 2021, 3:23 PM

.................................... and Atoll K is the closest they ever got to total f**k up.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 5th August 2021, 10:29 PM

I bought a copy of that, just to see if it was as bad as people said it was...................it was.

Yup. It's crap.

Quote: Lazzard @ 12th December 2023, 4:14 PM

The two-reelers ( ie the talkie shorts) were the quintessential L&H.
The films had moments, as did the silents - but nothing gained the heady heights of those two-reelers.

Couldn't agree more. Well I could if I wanted to.

We used to have one of the silent ones on Cine Film for those old projectors ( along with the recorded family movies)
That and a Tom & Jerry cartoon called Tennis Chumps
I Can't remember the title of the Laurel and Hardy one,
all I can recall is that they both ended up in something like a giant barrel of freezing water at the end, anyone know what that one was?

Below Zero? That's a talkie though.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 13th December 2023, 6:58 AM

Below Zero? That's a talkie though.

Yes, that's the one that springs to mind, and yes, but perhaps Steve's memory is playing tricks on him, as it does me 😕

EDIT: Ah, there's also "Laughing Gravy", but that's a talkie too, and just had a thought - in my photographic retail days, a lot of the short (Walton, Castle films etc.) 8mm films we used to sell were edited versions and were silent for people with the less expensive non sound projectors, which made the films cheaper too.

I watched Below Zero in Italian with a friend who doesn't speak any of the language. VHS days. When it got to that scene she was in hysterics.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 13th December 2023, 9:28 AM

Ah, there's also "Laughing Gravy"...

Had a sudden urge to watch this again.
Googled it and someone's done some sort of vodeo wizadry to produce a really high-defenition version.
Knocks my DVD version into a cocked hat.
Ain't science marvellous.

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