TIMES AND TASTES may change, but the appeal of some comedy classics remains undimmed throughout the years…. Laurel & Hardy being a case in point.
The classic pairing of the American Oliver Hardy and his English partner Stan Laurel have delighted audiences throughout the decades and their appeal never seems to fade. Which is why next month’s short Laurel & Hardy festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica promises to be such a treat.
The brief festival is titled Laurel & Hardy: The Original Odd Couple, and runs May 6th-8th with three days of hilarity from the legendary duo, with full restorations of a dozen shorts, including The Music box (an Academy Award-winning short), Busy Bodies, Helpmates, Towed in a Hole, as well as two features, Way Out West and the rarely-screened The Flying Deuces. These prints have been photochemically restored from the original 35mm nitrate originals, and digitally ‘cleaned’, – meaning they haven’t looked this good since their original release.
The program also includes 35mm prints of The Devil’s Brother and Bonnie Scotland.
Laurel and Hardy were among the most successful and beloved comedy teams in film history. Stan Laurel first left England as part of Fred Karno’s troupe (in which he understudied Charlie Chaplin), while Georgia-born Oliver Hardy got his start in the booming pre-WWI Florida movie industry; the two first crossed paths in Hollywood at the Hal Roach Studios in 1921.
At first glance, the pair could not have been more mismatched – one thin and childlike onscreen, the other heavyset and haughty. They were very different off-screen as well, with Laurel a focused comedic strategist, while Hardy was more easygoing and content working in front of the camera. Perhaps it was these complementary styles that made the partnership so enduring, lasting nearly 30 years with appearances in more than 100 films together.
Opening night is at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on May 6 and May 7 & 8 are at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. For more information, visit www.americancinemathequecalendar.com
